Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-19
NOT MUCH FEAR NOW
River Men Think There is Little Danger
From Ice.
Waiting for the Ice to Disintegrate-
River Boats Breaking q
Channel Through.

Today there is less apprehension Of dan
ger from the ice than at any other time
since the freeze set in.
The steamers of the Norfolk and Wash
| ington line are running on schedule time.
The Washington, which left this city at
o'clock last evening, reached Norfolk at
o'clock this morning The steamer Norfolk,
which left the city Of Norfolk at = pm.
yesterday, reached her dock at this city
shortly after S am. today. The ice is re-
ported as disintegrating to a considerable
degree, and the swell Of these steamers is
breaking wide path from Washington to
the sea.
The home tugs Key and Mohler have
been able to take down several scow loads
Of dead animals from Mann's wharf, at the
foot of South Capitol street, to the reduc-
tion works near Belleview.
There are various and conflicting theo-
ries along the river front regarding the
treatment of the ice. Some Of the river
men think it serious mistake to break
the ice with tugs. Nature, they say, should
be allowed to take its course in the mat
ter of the disntegration of the ice. They
maintain that breaking the ice develops
a tendency to gorge. The ice is cracked
in massive cakes; these are forced one un-
der the other to such an extent that the
superficial area of ice subject to the In
huence of the sun and warm wind IS ma
the natural destruction of the ice. The
best to make Of tug, they claim, is
to station it at a strategic point, say the
forks of the channel or at the Long bridge,
SO that should the ice break up abruptly
and tend to gorge, the tug could plough
into the pack from the leeward and loosen
it up. Some of the best known river peo-
pie believe that to break the ice in the
upper river before the lower river is free
is bad policy. In the natural course OF
events, the broad lower Potomac freezes in
last and loosens UP first, SO that an outlet
to the harbor ice is afforded.
Just now the ice In the Washington chan
mel as far up as the dock of the Norfolk
and Washington Company is pretty well
cracked up. The ferry boats will resume
their schedule as soon as the river VIII
permit, and the Arrowsmith and the Wake
field will begin to let their wheels go round
within a few days.
The Garbage Scows.
The Commissioners have been notified
shat the accumulation Of garbage on the
G street wharf which could not be carried
down the river by reason of the Freeze
had last evening been removed in its en-
tirety, carts and wagons being used to
haul it into Virginia and Maryland. The
Commissioners also received an assurance
that all the dead animals which nave
been lying on the wharf at the foot OF
South Capitol street for week or more
would be removed to the cookery before
darkness arrives today. Tugs have been
at work since morning breaking channel
in order that scows may reach the gar
bage wharf
The HnrbOr Masters Views.
Harbor Master Sutton called at the Dis
trict building today and held conference
with the Commissioners. AS result Mr..
Sutton left for Baltimore shortly before
3 o'clock this afternoon to observe the
progress made in the work of equipping
the Baltimore tugs with plows in order to
enable them to successfully battle with
the ice in the Potomac. In conversation
with Star 1eporter,-Mr. Sutton stated
that in his opinion there is no immediate
danger of a freshet. 1t is true that the
ice is thawing, hut the thaw is a gradual
one, and unless warm rains fall within
the next few days, according to Mr.. SUIT
ton, the much-talked-of freshet will not
materialize. Another argument against
the freshet theory is that at present there
is no noticeable current in the river, and
when the ice is broken it does not rush
down stream, but remains in the same To-
cality where situated before detached.
The Baltimore tugs it has been announc-
ed, will not begin operations until danger
becomes more apparent