The morning times., 1896-10-21

The District Commissioners, under date
OF the 9th instant, required OF Harbor-
master Sutton n statement showing the
principal losses 10y lire and flood, along
the river front of this city during the past
sixteen years, the object being 10 denon-
strate the value of a larger harbor boat
than the District now POSSESSES.
This statement Will be presented in con-
densed form TO Congress as an argument
in favor of the appropriation OF Sbo,oOo
asked for To purchase wellequipped iron
harbor, fire, ice, and wreckng boat The
showing made Of the aggregate specific
losses in the time specified is nearly half
million dollars, within District territory
alone, to say nothing of the recent big loss
at Alexandria and other losses that can
only be estimated.
The object is To prove to Congress that
the presence of such a boat as that con-
templated in the estimate would have
averted the loss of this large volume of
property, or at least a large proportion
of IL.
The harbor master refers first 10 the
winter of $50, when the river was frozen
10 depth oil Twelve inches, and says that
when the ice thawed and broke up in the
Georgetown channel ii gorgcd at the forks
of the channel, causing the water 10 back
up in the low parts of the city.
COST OF A GORGE.
This gorge, he says, cost hundreds of
thousands of dollars, the exact amount of
which can only be surniscd. II might have
been prevented had there been large ice
boat at command To help eXpel the ice.
There was a repetition Of this freeze in
1888, when tug boats were hired at
cost of 81 700 to clear the river from the
Aqueduct Bridge down, giving the ice
above the bridge a channel To escape and
preventing a gorge.
In har lttnI ton uEh nf
ice on the river. One side of the draw at
the Long Bridge was checked up, bat the
tugs finally dislodged the ice and prevented
an overflow. The work of the tugs cost
$3.50.
The river was free OF ice thereafter until
the winter of 1929, when there was
another freeze TO the depth of fourteen
inches Congress appropriated the money
for hiring tugs to break the ice. Five
boats worked ten days, and the expense was
S4 ,s4343. independently OF this, how
ever, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
hired two tugs, at an aggregate c cost Of 5000
TO prevent damage to its bridge.
Four tug boats We're again necessary
during the winter of ls94-S5, for the pur-
pnse of breaking the ice and clearing the
channel. They worked ten days aud the
bill of expenses footed up S3,563.G9.
LIST OF FIRE LOSSES.
"
have occurred along the river front during
the sixteen years is alSu submitted, together
with the aggregate losses.
No dates are given, but the statement
proceeds as follows.
Two hydraulic mud machines, which
cost $3.50 900 each, damaged 10 the eX-
tent Of 100000.
'StsaIner W. W. CorCoran, total loss,
$40 900.
Steamer Lady of the Lake, total loss,
$50, 900.
steamer W. W Colt, total loss, S2O,-
600
Steamer Ella, total loss, $1,000.
steamer Joe blackburn. damage. $500.
Steamer Washington, total loss, S15,-
600
Steamer Minerva, damage, $500"
Other losses are grouped, as follows:
National Capital Ice Company's stable.
twice burned, S. QUO: Riley's stable and
sixty horses, $50 900: Johnsons Brothers
stable and five horses. 5000; Willis
ice house, the fire being The worst that ever
occurred on The river front, about twenty
houses being damaged by fire. S35 900 John
Miller's mud machine $4,000; garbage
reduction plant. $4,000.
Hundreds of small fires are mentioned
all of which could have been cXlinguishcd
by a fire boat. and then there is IN item
of SIS, 900 loss in damage to seven
small boats caused by the steamer George
Leary. on September 90, 1896.
The Leary was blown loose from her
wharf by the hurricane and driven into
the other craft. II is the belief of the
harbormaSter that "a foat of the proper
size could have towed the Leary out OF the
way of the SIN aller boats and prevented the
damage.
Mr.. sutton says also that if the harbur had
been provided with wrecking boat the
Mary Washington. which sank October Il.
could have been pumped out and $1,000
damage prevented
Special attention is called to the fact
that the United States navy yard and the
arsenal are in constant danger of fire. and
that in no emergency could assistance be
rendered by the Blackburn, the present
harhor boat. With This the statement
closes.