Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-15
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT
DEEPENING THE WATER IN WAR
DEPARTMENT BOAT HOUSE.
Naval battalion Practice Ship SyIph
Undergoing Repairs-Others Also
Being ImprOved-PersOnaI

joining the harbor office, has been found not
to contain sufficient water to float the
launch Mercedes at all stages of the tide.
1t was determined to deepen the water,
but in consequence of the narrowness of the
boat house it was impossible to get a dig
ging machine to do it. After some thought
scheme was hit upon that is working in
satisfactory manner. Two colored men with
long handled scoops, such as are used in
cleaning out the sewer catch-basins, scoop
the mud up and dump it into a scow, and
when the scow is filled it is towed away
and the mud dumped overheard. The pro-
cess is slow one, but the water is being
deepened.
The United States naval yacht Sylph, the
practice vessel of the Baltimore Naval Bat
talon. is at the navy yard here, receiving
thorough overhauling. She is being fitted
with a new bowsprit and other spars: her
woodwork is all being renewed and boiler
makers and machiniStS are at work in her
boiler and engine room giving her machin-
cry q thorough overhauling The Sylph was
one of the auxiliary gunboatS in service
during the war with Spain. Some time ago
she was turned over to the Baltimore naval
militia training ship. The work now
being done on her is intended to MT her for
this service.
The steamer Estelle Randall will be off
the route between this city and Glymont
for a few days, while she is being fitted
with a new propeller and having some other
work. done on her While off the route her
place will be taken by the steamer Sam'l
J. Pentz. The Estelle Randall will go to
Alexandria to be hauled out on the marine
railway. 1t is expected that this new
wheel will add much to the Estelle's ability
| to break ice on the river during the coming
winter. 1t will be the fifth propeller
wheel she has had in the last two years
Fish this morning were quite scarce. and
the market was active. Since Saturday the
Norfolk and Washington line steamers
have brought up forty barrels of saltwater
fish from the nets about Norfolk and Vir-
gnia Beach. Seven barrels were also
brought up by the steamers from the river
nets for the dealers about the wharf.
| Prices this morning Were: For trout. So
per barrel; mackerel. II to 10 cents per
pound; founders cents per pound; blue
fish and tailors, to cents per pound;
rock, to 10 cents per pound; white perch.
to 10 cents per pound; pOrgies, 4 cents
per pound: spot. = cents per pound: carp,
cents per pound: bass, cents per pound;
| butter fish, cents per pound; southern
mullets, cents per pound; catfish. 20 to
25 cents per pound: cells. 10 to % cents per
pound and winter shad. Is cents per pound.
| The oyster market was quite brisk Sat-
| urday last and again this morning, the YES
sells coming in being able to dispose of their
| cargoes quickly and at good prices. Since
Saturday last about 1 400 bushels have
| rived in the ]. ]. Underhill. Shining Light,
: Eta, Martin Wagner Centennial, Flora
and Lizzie Burt and others from the
| Wicomico, Blackistone's Island and other
| points. Oysters are selling at the wharf
| today at 80 to 81 cents per gallon, according
| to size and quality The Norfolk line steam
| erS and the down-river boats also brought
| up quite large quantity of the bivalve In
| barrels.
Here and There.
The coast survey steamer Blake has sail
| ed from Baltimore for special duty on
! Chesapeake bay.
The schooner II. L. Baker, from this
| port. arrived at Boston with a cargo OF
| coal on Saturday last.
The schooner Clara A Donnel is reported
| TO have sailed from Bath for this port with
| a cargo of ice
The United States revenue cutter Window
! is in port from cruise of several days on
Chesapeake bay and IT'S tributaries.
| The schooner Chas. H. Dagger. with
| cargo of about 5o.0D feet of lumber from
the Coan river for Major H. l.. Biscoe, is
I in port.
The two-masted schooner C. C. Wheeler
has sailed from this port for Cam bridge,
Md, to load canned goods for the dealers
/ here.
The schooner r. and s Corson is at T
| W. RileyS wharf loading q cargo of fertiliZ-
| ing material for Norfolk.
! The American Patriot, Isaac Solomon.
Ida May and Uriah Horner all in port
| with cargoes of wood for Carter & Clark.
The steam yacht Americas was in port
| Saturday and yesterday from duty ten
| der to the Mattawoman uredge Pugh
! The schooner Hester A Waters. having
| completed the unloading Of her cargo of
! lumber, has sailed for Norfolk to reload.
The schooner Levin Woolford is at Alex
/ andra loading q cargo of hard coal for
lower river port.
The schooner R. Mason arrived in port
/ yesterday evening with cargo of cord
| wood.
| The schooners Winnie Windsor, w. H. II.
| Bixler, Sunny South. Raymond Olson and
Fannie Shepherd have sailed for the lower
| river for cargoes of oysters.
| The tug McCauley spent yesterday in
port. She came up from Mattawoman,
| where she has been engaged in towing mud
scows, on Saturday morning.
| The tug Stella arrived Saturday with
oil barge from Baltimore. Part of its cargo
/ was taken out at Alexandria and the
mainder at the station on the Eastern
| branch. The Stella left with the light
barge on her return trip on Saturday night.
The Seabelle. bound to this port with
cargo Of oysters. went ashore near Shep-
herds on Saturday evening last, and
/ manned hard and fast for several hours.
She was tioated unframed at high water.
The tug Camilla of this port arrived in
Baltimore on Saturday last
The tug Emma has sailed from Baltimore
for the Potomac river to tow five barges
TO Chesapeake City.
The schooner Rodney Parker, from Rock
port, Is discharging a cargo of ice at
Georgetown for the Purity Ice Company.
The Weems Line steamer Potomac last
night brought up from the lower river and
Baltimore a large number of passengers
and heavy freight for the local dealers.
General and Personal.
| The old carpet-cleaning establishment of
Chase Bro, at the southeast corner Of
! 18th and l. streets southwest, is being torn
down, the old building having been con-
| demned. The tearing down of this old
! structure Will remove one of the river front
| landmarks. II Is stated that Chase & Bro
| have leased the warehouse of Seufferles
| wharf and Will establish there.
Capt f.. S. Randall. while in New York
recently, secured the right to Washington
and vicinity for several new attractions
which will be installed at River View. One
o. them, Electric Pleasure Canal" is
the latest OF Captain Paul Boyntons ideas
a large force of men will be put to work
today erecting the necessary buildings at
| River View for the amusement.
The steam launch LOWE Randall is to be
hauled out at Alexandria for caulking and
other repair work to her hull.
The little schooner Mist. lying in the
stream off 11th street. is being handsomely
! repainted and overhauled
The warehouse recently built on Nc
Cures wharf in Nomini creek has been
| found TOO small for the heavy volume of
business and is TO be enlarged.
The repainting and refttng of the War
| Department yacht Mercedes will be COM
ltkf tod al rlr y,f1l