Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-21
Condition of River at Different
Points Reassuring.
SLIGHT Rise ONLY REPORTED
Work of Boats in Removing Ice
From Channel.
THE GENERAL OUTLOOK

| Long bridge this time" was the remark
| of merchant on the river front this morn
! ing. The merchant had discussed the pros
poets of a food and had concluded
| that the steamboats, and the sun had
done effective work Harbormaster Sutton
also said he saw no reasons this morning
to anticipate trouble from the ice and high
water.
Information was received here this morn
ing that there had been rise of three
| feet in the river at Cumberland, while at
Nlliiamsport the ice was covered with
about five inches of water. At both places
me Ice was considerably weakened during
| the day, while much snow also disap-
| peared. AT these points the river men an
uclpate no trouble unless there is a sudden
change In the condition of the weather.
| report received from the Baltimore and
| Ohio railroad agent at Harper's Ferry this
| morning is to the effect that there has been
| no change in the situation there except
mat the sun has melted some snow and
| rotted the ice.
The fleet of boats engaged in the work of
| breaking the ice was not so large today as
| 1t was Sunday and yesterday. Today sew
eral boats were engaged in the work of
| crushing the ice near the shore and the
| flats in the vicinity of the city. War De-
| partment officials have charge of the work
| or breaking the ice above Georgetown. An
| effort will be made in that section to break
the ice and set it adrft in a manner cal
| culated to protect the piers of the bridge
| The Fern, used by the Naval Reserves, and
two tugs are to be employed in this work.
| Today the steamer Esteile Randall was
taken from the work of breaking ice in
| order that she might resume her trips be-
tween here and Glymont.
Beats Running on Time.
The steamer Newport News of the Wash
| ington and Norfolk Steamboat Company
reached here on time from Norfolk and Old
| Point Soon after the steamer arrived
| Capt. Geoghegan reported to General Man
| ager Callahan that the trip was made with
| cut the slightest trouble. The captain found
| there was but little floating ice in the Ches-
| apeake bay, the water being practically
| clear from Smiths Point to Norfolk Be
tween Maryland Point and Smiths Point
| the ice is particularly thick but there is a
| channel all the way from the latter place
| to this city. This channel, made by the
Norfolk steamers. the captain says, is about
| 100 feet wide. and the width is being made
even greater on each trip.
| so far as the boats of this company are
! concerned. remarked Mr.. Callahan today,
the river is open. Our boats are making
| their regular trips and are running on
| time"
These boats, he said, are the only ones
| out of Norfolk that are running on time
| The boats on the Baltimore route. he said
| did not start until yesterday at noon. At
| Baltimore the city has two big ice boats
and even with these the line there did not
| compete with the Washington line.
! The river opened last Thursday and
Friday by the steamer Newport News. The
ice was then solid from shore to shore, and
| the boat covered the distance of 1871 miles
from the Norfolk wharf to the cOmpany'S
| wharf in this city in fifty-one hours. On
| the journey the steward required ice to
| keep his meats and it was necessary to
| stop the boat in the river and cut ice
| enough for this purpose.
Thickness of Ice.
This ice measured from ten to thirteen
| inches in fnirkpaSS aI,-s
! from snow The heaviest ice was found
below Maryland Point.
! General Manager Callahan speak king to q
| Star reporter, said, while he apprehends no
further trouble, he realizes that the danger
has not passed. The greatest difficulty to be.
feared, he said, is from a possible gorging
| of ice at the Long bridge. which would
doubleday cause trouble. although il would
| not necessarily interfere with traffic There
| is also danger of gorge at Giesboro' Point
| and Fort Washington. but gorges at these
points, he said, would not cause much in
| convenience, for he would send the boats
OF the company he represents and have the
blockade broken.
! This afternoon it was stated by river
! men, that there was sign of a rise in
| the river here. The ice broken by the ice
heet IS almost at a standstill, although
| 1t has moved some and left the river prac-
| tically clear for short distance below the
bridge at Georgetown.
| Harbormaster Sutton said he thought a
little rise in the river at this time would be
/
| it would have the effect of carrying off the
loose ice
WOodmOnt and Other Points
The following telegram was received here
| today, dated 1906 am, Woodmont, Md.
River rising about two inches an hour;
| ice still on dam about eight inches thick;
| cloudy today
At the office of the Washington auueduct
| it was learned this morning that the river
| had risen tenth of an inch at Great Falls
| since the report published in The Star yes
| terday. This means a rise of about one
| and one-quarter inches. and makes a total
| rise at the dam above the falls of thirteen
or fourteen inches. The report stated this
morning that the river was getting unusu-
ally. muddy, showing that the surplus wa.
! ter from above was coming down stream.
I The appearance of the muddy water is hail
| ed as good omen, the dirt and grit
| cuts the ice much better than the pure
water and makes it break quicker
Mr.. G. l.. Nicholson, the general manager
! of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, received
a number of reports this morning from
points along the line of the canal and river
The information conveyed, while showing
rise, is somewhat gratifying and leads
| to the belief that the ice and snow will pass
off without doing serious damage.