Evening star., 1897-07-28
ICE FAMINE THREATENED
Delay in Arrivals Of the Schooners Ex.
haust the Supplies.
One COmpany's Sleek Reduced TO Four
Hundred Pounds-TimeIy Ar
rival of several CargOcs.

Washington has been on the verge of
an Ice famine for nearly week and even
now the danger is not over. though the
managers of two of the principal ice COM
panies here feel confident the danger is
over. But for the timely arrival last night
of schooner, with ice for the Great Falls
Company. the Yale. Captain Etheridge.
with several hundred tons, and the Lewis
II. Coward, for the Independent Company,
the city today might be in need of the
frisid subst inoe. Yesterday the houses of
the Independent Ice Company were about
cleaned out. and the Georgetown Company
was in like condition. The managers of the
Two companies. taking time by the fore
lock mad decided TO send to Phladelphia
ana have schooner with cargo for an ice
company there brought to the capital
ne trouble has resulted from 'he ncn-
arrival OF about a dozen scnooners laden
win 9'ooo tons for one company and lo."U
Tor another. which have been detained by
terrible gale This struck several of the
boats about two weeks ago. and while the
ice people are hopeful that all weathered
the storm, they are by 40 means certain
that such is the case.
Yale Wns in II.
The schooner Yale which WAS unloading
this morning at the WHAT was struck by
the southeast gale off Newport.
The mate was so badly injured that he
had to be taken to Newport for treatment.
The usual trip from Pittston, Me-. on the
Kcnnebec river, where the ice houses are
located, to Washington. takes about nine
days. The Yale left there July G, and was
nearly two weeks overdue. while the
Coward left July 10. The Great Falls Ice
Company has two tugs at sea looking for
the overdue schooners at an expense OF
so "a day. and the Independent Ice Com
pany also had them out. but they have re-
turned and reported that they have not
spoken the missing schocner.
1t Is the rule for the schoeners to leave
within about three days of one another.
So that number of them are now over
due. The last left Pittston for the Great
Falls company July II and the one after
the Coward sailed from Pittston for the
Independent Ice Company July a. so
that IL is four or five days rehnd time.
The schooners still at sea for the Great
Falls company are the I.innell Emma r.
Angel, Josie r. Burt, g A. White, Charles
y. Simmons. Zach Sherman and Agnes
Manson. Those for the independent COM
pany are Charles W. Church. Nathan
Lawrence. Phineas w. Sprague Estelle
Phinney and j. Manchester Haines.
Without Precedent.
Such a thing never happened before"
said General Manager Bartlett Of the Great
Falls company TO Star reporter We
had 1900 tons of ice afioat and could not
get any of it. We have capacity of T.
900 tons in our 10th street houses 5000 tons
in those on Sd street and 4,,10 tons in the
Georgetown Yesterday they were all
cleaned out but the Georgetown which
had about io0 tons. We hauled this 10 the
others for our customers
Superintendent Yerkcs of the independent
company stated yesterday they were about
out of ice, and things were looking black
until the Coward arrived last night with
her cargo.
Both managers stated 1t as their be-
lief that the other companies in the city
supplying natural and artificial ice would
not be able to meet the demand ii their
own companies should run short.
Hopeful of Receiving Supplies.
They expressed the opinion that the
schooners would arrive now promptly, one
or more daily. though Manager Bartlett CT
the Great Falls company said he had
known instances where boats had been
lost under similar circumst ances and never
had been heard from.
After a boat comes In Cape Henry" he
said, we never hear of it until il reaches
Alexandria. Occasionally a captain will go
ashore at Quantico and telephone from
there"
They acknowledge that within the past
rev days there was reason to think that
the ice supply for the city would be
short. but say now they are certain a
schooner will arrive each day.