Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-13
DAN Err FROM ICE
Ten Inches in the Channel and Piled Up
in Places
Trouble When q Thaw Comes-Can
the Local Boats Do the
wOrkY

and slight hope of relief is furnished by
the weather Indications. The reporter for
The Star talked with a number of the lead
ing navigators of the home waters this
afternoon and they agreed that this was
the worst freeze up they have ever known.
The Norfolk and Washington propeller
Norfolk, which attempted to cut through
to the bay yesterday. and which, after
| reaching Alexandria, gave up the task and
returned to her home dock, reports that it
required four hours of hard steaming to
| make Alexandria and that off that town
ice fourteen inches was struck. The ice
varies from ten to fifteen inches in thick
ness.
The Norfolk is a steel propeller of about
1.3OO tons displacement, of the most mod
ern construction. with forward lines es-
pecially adapted for smashing ice, and
armed with triple-expansion engines of
vast power and the latest type. People on
the river front think that II this craft had
to give up, it would be impossible for
ington to buck the ice The strongest tugs
on the Potomac are the Marion Harlow and
the Templar of Alexandria. These are now
down in the Wicomico river.
The Eve Belle Cain, Minerva. Juno and
other boats are small, and are without
ice beaks. Their owners think that by
putting on beaks they will be equal to
the occasion.
The reporter talked with several of the
harbor police. They all thought that II
the local craft could demonstrate their
ability to crush in the ice. they should
be given the contract, but the officers did
not believe that the small tugs could do it.
Several steamboat owners told the re-
porter about the same thing. If the local
tugs can do the work there ought to be no
recourse to outside assistance; but the off,
Gals. they think, should be thoroughly
satisfied that the home tugs will be equal
to the task of cutting the ice, and, what
higher imn0rt crushing through
the ice pack as it gorges at the Long
bridge.
A Misunderstanding.
The Commissioners are not having an
easy time of 1t in starting the work of
clearing the ice. 1t was developed today
that there Is some friction among the local
rivermen, who are endeavoring to have
the work of clearing the channel done by
Washington boats. in preference to going
to Baltimore to secure larger tugs from
there. This misunderstanding has already
caused some delay. and may still further
hamper the Commissioners.
Yesterday morning there was a delega-
ton of river men at the District building
with proposition to do the work either
on a contract or to hire their boats to the
authorities by the day. They left With the
understanding that they would submit
proposition this morning with figures and
details Of the work that they propose to
do. Since then, however, it has developed
that they were counting on the co-opera-
ton of the two largest tugs on The river.
the Templar and the Harlow. which are
icebound in the Wicomico, about seventy
five miles down the river
The owners of these two tugs have ex-
pressed q Discrimination to cooperate with
the smaller tugs that are now at the city
wharves. and Harbormaster Sutton has
stated that he does not think the smaller
tugs are capable of doing the work. alone
and unaided. So It was that the rivermen
found their plans could not be carried out,
and they asked the Commissioners this
morning for further extension of time
until tomorrow before submitting estimates
for the work.
Among the early callers at the District
building today were the owners of the Tenn
plar and the Harlow. They proposed to the
Commissioners to clear a channel with
their boats, bringing them up from Wicom-
leo creek tomorrow, IL they were given, the
contract. They said it would take about
forty hours to come up and then when the
clearing of ice in the harbor was begun
there would be clear channel for the ice
to float out when it was started. The
of the two boats said that any boat
smaller than his would be of no service at
all with such heavy ice.
There 1t Rests.
There the matter rests for the present,
for both sides have been given until tomor-
row to formulate their plans In the mean
time number Of the river boats are being
fitted with iceplows, so that they could go
to work tomorrow, If necessary, although
some of the river men are of the opinion
that there would be no sense in clearing
away ice until there ia enough of thaw TO
carry the ice down as fast as 1t Is broken.
The situation is not "a pleasant one, for the
ice is ten inches thick in the harbor and
piled up to a considerable depth in places,
so that if there should come sudden
thaw, with warm rain. the chances for
trouble would be by no means small.