Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-24
Encouraging Reports From Points
Along the Potomac.
FLOOD NO LONGER ANTICIPATED
Channel Clear and Boats Making
Their Regular Trips.
TIL E ICE DIS EARN G

Inere was nappy lot OF business men
along the rivec front and in the lower Sec
tions of the city today when the news
reached them that the river was no longer
rising. From several points on the upper
Potomac came the information that the
water was receding this morning and had
been falling since early last night.
Early reports received by the weather
bureau this morning indicated that the
danger of a freshet had probably passed.
These reports showed decided improve
ment in the condition of the river about
this section. The ice was reported to be
passing off gradually and that there had
been no further rise in the river. Early
last night the conditions were not so favor
able. for then there was a great quantity
of floating ice in the channel, and several
gorges were threatened. The gorge near
Fort Washington. formed yesterday morn
ing, the most threa tening. although
later in the day a repetition of this block
ade started near the forks of the Wash
ington and Georgetown channels, off Gies-
boro' Point. Harbormaster Sutton, with
his feet OF ice-breakers. remained on the
river until night came on. 1t is no doubt
due to the work of the boats that the ice
passed under the Long bridge without
causing some damage to the structure and
consequent high wTter
HdIDOrtaStSr sutton went out In1S 11OTIl-
| ing on the tug Mitchell Davis to see if any
thing further could be done. He found Il
terrible current in the Georgetown chan
mel with plenty of mud and considerable
Snow BROTH but no heavy ice. Because
of the current he deemed it dangerous to
go through the draw of the bridge
Steamers Resume.
The river steamers have resumed their
trips down the river. Yesterday the
steamer Columbia of the Alexandria Ferry
Company made her regular trips and
was of some assistance in breaking the
ice and preventing gorses between here and
Alexandria. So far REPORTS received at the
| he rhor office indicate no damage having
been done in this section by either the ice
or high water.
Last nights reports from Cumberland
showed that the ice had moved from the
vicinity Of dam No. 6 without having done
any damage Ice fifteen feet high was
piled along the banks at some places. while
the middle of the stream was clear. East
OF Cumberland there had been a rise in the
river of more than eight feet. There was a
break in the ice on the MOnocacy river last
night and the water was very high. AT
Wiliamsport about the same time the river
was high and the water was covering the
lowlands. Considerable fencing had al
ready been swept away, and much wheat
land was under water. The ConOcocheague
creek, which empties in the river at Will
Transport, was seventeen feet high last
AT Stonebridge the river was within a few
inches of the arches of the bridge. The
high water drove hundreds of muskrats to
the banks of the stream and became the
prey of local gunners.
Late yesterday afternoon Sycamore ISL
and, near Glen Echo, was partly under
water. No damage was done, however. as
the boats and other property of the club
had been put on high ground.
No Further Danger From Ice.
Speaking to Star reporter this morning,
Harbor Master Sutton said he was satisfied
the ice that is now in the river will do no
damage. The work which was finished
yesterday removed all danger from this
source. Should there be any injury done
now it will be because of high water What
ice there is in the upper Potomac he said
will be nothing more than "snow broth.
or slush when it reaches here, and 1t can
hardly do any hurt
At the office of the canal company in
about o'clock today announced a fall of
twenty inches at Harpers Ferry, and that
the river was going down.
Captain Geoghegan of the steamer New
port News reports that yesterday morning
at o'clock he encountered heavy ice
gorge off Fort Washington. which he esti-
mated as being twenty-five feet thick, ten
feet being above water. The steamer, after
a couple hours of bucking at 1t, broke
| through and passed on to Washington, her
destination. The city tugs. he says, We're
not near the steamer when she broke
through the gorge, but went down after
ward when the ice gorge was broken and
which had Immediately passed down the
river after the Newport News came