Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-31
TO THE STAR
The Fleet OF Tugboats Started From Baiti-
more This Morning.

The Fleet OF Tugbo.ts Started From Baiti-
more This Morning.
surroN-rHr rUos THAT COMPOSE his rrrrr
AND HOW THE ICE FLOWS ARE ARRASeKp-
WHEN WASHINGTON WILL BE REACHED.
Special Dispatch 70 The Evening star.
BALTIMORE, Jan. sl.-washington harbor Is
to be freed from ice Navigation Is to be thawed
out and the threatened food averted. The
purpose of the Long bridge TO bank up the out
going masses of ice viii be thwsrted.
All this is to be done by tugs, and the tugs to
do it left Baltimore at Il.so O'Clock today.
They are: VI. H. Harlow. Washington; Samson,
Baltimore; Emma, Baltimore: Vulcan, Balti-
more. The Templar expected TO start but was
detained because her pilot was last night ar
rested for murder. 1t 10 expected she viii fol-
low later.
These craft have been locked and
fitted with ice beaks. They have q reputation
for whole-souled toughness which even their
crews cannot excel They propose to MAINTAIN
their reputation in their present endeavor with
tons Of coal. seas of hot water and plethora Of
pluck. And they'll do it After a long preface
Of hustle the start was made from Browns
dock, foot Of Broadway.
THE FLEET STARTS
The Samson, the stanchest and most COM
modious Of the feet. was chosen flagship Ad-
miral Sutton. harbormaster Of the District Of
Columbia. broke the blue and white flag of the
metropolitan police from the truck OF the
forestRff.
Capt. Musings sounded Zines off," Pilot
Frederick Stevenson pulled the gongs for steam
and Chief Engineer john II. Bedmcnd let her
go. The Vulcan. Templar Harlow a8d Emma
followed sult in fle order named
brilliant display Of interest was manifested
in the feet
The rousters, wharftes and ship mechanics
cheered Justify the f.e of craft churned out.
The loyal capitalians sang out ION 20 Wash
lngton, and the saltwater parade. chuckful OF
heroic sentiment and soft-coal steam. crushed
through the heavy, jumbled and ragged ice o.
the harbor.
The Johnson line steamer Parkmore. Just in
from Liverpool, blew a blast of compliments.
The American TRANSPORT liner Merrimac steamed
asong of encouragement. The Antwerp steamer
Otranto, the great tramp Entsleigh and the
municipal cruiser Baltimore footed a series Of
farewells and a choir of tugbosts Joined in the
chorus. The barkentine Chestina Redmond. an
old timer at our home docks. and the four-
master Lucy Fl. Russell. familiar figure IN the
Potomac trade. dipped their colors. So did the
four-stickers Augusta Welt. Jennie c. May,
BENJAMIN 7. Poole, Calvin b. Orcott, Addie NJ.
Anderson and the everyday three-master z. T.
Barnum.
They all seemed glad to see us 60. They knew
we had a mission TO performs
The only lack of appreciation which we have
so far noticed was at Fort McHe1Sy. The guns
were awfuly silent.
The Lazaretto, old Fort Carroll and Sandy
Point were passed in due o.der and at Seven
Foot Knoll We struck the Chesapeake bay.
THE ICE HARD AND THICK
The ice is hard and thick and looks heavy
ahead. 1t is drifting in an easterly course.
and the feet steered to the westward, allured
by promise of clear water.
A plan of campaign has been agreed on by
Admiral Sutton. Capt. Russell Dean. Capt Silas
Lewis, Capt. Cheshire, Capt. Taylor, Capt.
Masingo. Capt. Larson, Capt. Ellinghaus and
Chief Engineer Tennyson. "A council was held
last night at the Rennert. This is the PLAN
When Point Lookout is rounded Potomac ice
will be struck. The feet will not hit il hard
there. Proceed to Maryland Point. Here, it is
alleged. exists gorge which menaces the safety
of Washington. Advance by squadron and
attack in force" will be the word. The sam
son in the center, supported on the right by the
Vulcan, on the extreme right by the Emma, on
the left by the Harlow. The tugs, il is expected,
will make an opening in the ice a. d go through.
This part Of the program has been fully de-
termined on.
CHANNEL FIVE HUNDRED FEET WIDE.
The feet will then cut channel 500 feet wide
to Quantico. From this point up the invading
squadron will. it is believed. utterly pulverize
the ice in the Potomac. Through the gorge at
Indian Head and that at River View. Then
when Buena Vista is passed the feet viii 20 to
the left of the turning buoy. up the west chan
mel to the Aqueduct bridge, down again to the
striped buoy, up the main channel to the much
mathematical Long bridge. down again and
over into the east channel of the Anacostia.
This treatment is to be continued until WASH
ing.on is relieved and all symptoms of food
have disappeared.
Admiral Sutton has chartered the tugs for
ten days service from date Of sailing and
proposes to have no loafing. The tugs have
an average coal supply of thirty-five tons and
the harbormaster intends that they shall burn it.
The contract price is Si,S00, equitably dis
tributed between the tugs Of the American
Towing Company and the home boats. This
price is cheap at the present value of towage.
Many of the tugs are either disabled BY recent
service or otherwise unable to buck the ice.
During this snap tugs have frequently earned
as much $500 per day. Able-bodied tugs
are in request. Scores are laid up by reason of
damaged rudder or crippled propeller.
ARMED WITH ICE FLOWS.
For wasing wa- against the impacted ice the
tugs in interest are armed with ice plows.
These are simply rams. A steel-armored beam
of white oak timber is butted against and made
fast to the shoe and apron. This is braced by
a whaleback structure of white oak and Georgia
pine. in turn braced with iron strap girders and
fitted along the bows, clasped over the forefoot
and brought up on the beam. This continuance
is veneered with galvanized sheet iron No. l6.
Wrought nails driven at intervals of one
inch. The beak is SO inclined that the
forward end shall be above the level
Of the ice and the after end below it. This
brushes the ice by the weight Of the tug The
plough of the Samson measures forty feet and
weighs four and one-half tons; that of the yul-
can twenty-seven feet and two and one-half
tons; that Of the Tempiar twenty-five feet and
somewhat over two tons; that Of the Harlow
twenty-four feet and two tons; that of the
Emma the same. The ploughs were con-
structed at brief notice, on short time and
amid an unprecedented rush Of business by the
Brewster Shipbuilding Company at Canton.
WHEN WILL WASHINGTON BE REACHED?
II is uncertain when the feet will arrive at
Washington. Admiral Sutton said that be
would make home by tomorrow evening. but
either the ice is softer than alleged or the speed
of the tugs will have TO be greater than repre-
sented in order to accomplish that.
The Templar. Harlow, Emma and Vulcan in
fair weather and even water can accomplish
nine miles per hour. They are overbaanced
forward by ploughs, which will assuredly dam
age their speed two miles per hour Ice to the
right OF them and the same to the left Of them