Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-20
FLEET OF ICE BOATS
Work Of Clearing the Potomac Chan
mel Begun Yesterday.
SATISFACTORY PROGRESS REPORTED
Snow Balls Made Of the CONCEALED
Fluid Encountered.
BETWEEN THE TWO BRIDGES


Harbormaster Sutton, with his feet Of
ice boats, was the river all of yesterday
and succeeded in crushing the ice from the
Aqueduct bridge through the Georgetown
channel and around the fats to the Long
bridge. There was not much current, and
the broken ice moved slowly down stream.
| naturally causing a small gorge at the dam
or, as 1t is better known, the Long bridge.
Several thousand persons lined the river
banks and stood on the bridges watching
the movements of the boats. Many of these
people had come from remote sections of
the city, some expecting to see houses and
trees coming down from the upper river,
and to witness narrow escapes. There were
no such exciting scenes, however, although
one individual did succeed in falling into
the water near the north end of the Long
bridge. This sudden plunge into an ice
bath caused a little excitement in the big
crowd of spectators. One of the ice tugs
hurried to the scene, but the victim of the
accident had been rescued before the crew
reached there.
On account of the receipt of a message
from the War Department officials. the ice
breakers did not go west of the Aqueduct
bridge. Men We're at work on the damaged
pier and it was feared serious damage to
the work might follow the breaking of the
ice.
me FlaSsn1p.
Harbormaster Sutton took the steamer
Estelle Randall as his flagship. and the
| other members of his crew were put on the
different tugs. 1t had been arranged that
the Randall, with Capt. Harry S. Randall
at the wheel, should steam ahead ana open
a wide channel Then the tugs were to fol-
low on, widen the channel and crush the
big cakes of ice. Soon after steaning away
from the wharf the Randall encountered
lie 1T L,-.
equal to the task, and huge cakes of the
frozen substance were forced out of her
path.
Changes the Program.
When the boat rounded the reclaimed
flats and started up the Georgetown chan
| mel Capt. Randall, instead of taking the
weak ice, went in the direction of the drifts,
where there were banks of snow to make
the task more difficult. One or two of the
tugs followed, but the others kept to the
south and sought easier paths. Harbor-
master Sutton then changed his former
plan and allowed the tugs to press on
ahead.
The Edith Goddard Winship soon took
the lead, while the Minerva and Carter
were making neck-and-neck race through
the ice. One time the obstruction was
heavy that a stop was necessary, and the
Minerva came boldly to the rescue, break
ing the ice from about her bow. At times
the boats were punched, and then again
one OF tDefn would steam aAead and leave
the others long way behind.
The Wins.ip and McFadden We're first to
each the Long bridge, and the former got
IN the heavy ice and had to be assisted out.
Some little time was consumed in getting
| through the bridge channel, and this neces-
sarily caused a delay to the steam and cleo
trio cars crossing the river
Between the two bridges the ice was very
thick, measuring much as fifteen inches
| in some places.
Dirt-Coyered Ice,
Where Rock creek empties into the river
the Ice was covered with dirt giving that
part of the river the appearance of being
real ground. This dirt-covered ice was
broken and from this point the boats
steamed to the bridge at Georgetown.
In the river just east of the bridge the
tugs played about the Ice until, as one of
the boatmen remarked. ii was fine enough
for snowballs Several trips were made
from bridge to bridge. On one of the down
trips considerable trouble was experienced
in getting the bridge tender to open the
draw. 1t was reported that the draw was
out of order, but an hour later the boats
managed to steam through again on their
homeward journey
When the days work was finished Har-
bormaster Sutton expressed himself as be-
ing thoroughly satisfied with the work
done. The big tug Mitchell Davis arrived
from Baltimore about noon and participat-
ed in the work. Before the day was over
the tugs rescued the Fannie NJ Gilbert
from a mud bank, where she has been ice
bound, and today this boat joined the feet.
Operations Today.
This morning, bright and early, Harbor-
master Sutton had his fleet ready to renew
the work. Several of the tugs were sent to
continue the opening of the Georgetown
channel and crush the big cakes of ice that
were set adrift yesterday. While these
tugs are staying about the vicinity of the
city the Estelie Randall and some of the
larger tugs started down the river to widen
the channel and make an outlet for the
floating ice.
1t was the intention of the harbormaster
to go down as far Indian Head today
and perhaps little farther. The opening
of the channel this far down, he thought
would give plenty of room for the ice to
move out from this part of the river. The
boats employed on this down-river work
are not expected to return much before sun
down.
Situation in BladensburS