The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-24
ICE HARBORS
win Be Provided for in the Ap-
preparation Bill.
The Nations Capital IS Threatened
With an lee Gorge.
The Nationhl Q~narAntiae Question n ths
naase-Tefsphens Patents Aneaf 10
Expire nnd cheaper Rates May ~
Kxpsctcdi IA the Near fptare.

WAsmNoToN. Jan. a. Representa-
tive Storer Is taking . deep interest In
the consideration Of tbs snbject Of q
national quarantine IN the house Mon
day. he having given the subject much
Thought and being = member OF the
committee having the subjects ia charge
ne has also introduced j nAtionsl quar-
nntine bill Id the house
Chairman Holman. Of the ~appropria-
tions committee. has promised Mr.
Storer 70 accept an amendment 70 the
sundry civil appropriation bill provide
ing for ! survey for nn Ice harbor IN
Crawfish or Mlllcreek, OF both creeks.
near Cincinnati. No specific ~Sppropria-
tion Is necessary. for the survey. ~
only requires direction " law. the
money for snch general work being
made available.
Cincinnati IL not alone Ia q prcdica-
ment over an Ice gorge, The nations
capital Is threatened By similar mis-
fortune The Potomac n piling high
with Ice. md promisesdestruction. Up
At Harper's Ferry there Is trouble from
Ice or high water nearly every spring,
bntethis season the outlook a damaRo
from both Ice and water. Just now
there n assolid sheet Of ioo from the
headwaters Of the potomae tothe chpes
at the mouth 81 Chesapeake bAy, sary-
Ing from eight % eighteen inches Iii
thickness i Up 10 date this has been In
crcasing rather than diminishing hi
quantity. and the question now pre-
SCENTS itself as 10 not only whore are
we at but where are We going when
this solid mass begins 70 mover
Heavy rains IN the mountains with
the melting SHOWS would start q break
up at the headwaters, and the millions
Of tons Of los between hero and Har-
per,s Ferry rushing down on the swift
current Of the upper river 70 gorge At
this long bridge. at the south side of
| Washington leading I Virginia, before
the bay and lower Potomac was cleared,
would make such a frcshet here as
Washington has not known for many
years.
IT is believed By ohioans here that
within d year Or Va they will be enjoy
ing free rivalry In telephone rates. Dur
ing the next twelve months the patents,
upon which the telephone monopoly Is
built will have expired and cQmpeti-
ton with lower fatea perhaps have be.
come practicable. On Friday last the
Blake transmitter. which transmits
messages over the line wire. became
public property. On March 7 the main
patent issued 70 Bell. covering the fnn-
damentai principle-tho transmission
OF speech electrically over d wifeMex-
pires, and at the same time the firat
patent for q receiver expires
The fact may be expected TO prove
beneficial TO the public. which has been
paying excessive prices for the use of
the patented tnstrpments II other
countries, where our laws do not apply,
telephone service \ vastly cheaper than
among us. The field for COMPETE
ton opened by the expiration Of
patents is TO be occupied. IL il stated,
by various rival companies. When
instruments, costing altogether not
over Is rent for us Or 400 q yeer. there
Is evidently . margin d profit that will
tempt capital. At 8 rental 81 siO or sf5
a year there should be . large demand
for instruments. even though they are
no better than those In use In 1877.
The laws Of Indiana have proven that
the telephone company can make
money % ! rental Of sa month for
each instruments