Evening star., 1900-12-04
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT.
STEAMBOAT COMPANIES PREPARING
FOR THE FREEZING WEATHER.
Schooner Wheeler a Total Wreck-The
Fish and Oyster Markets-Gen-
eral Matters.

All the steamboat companies of the city
are laying in their winter supply OF coal.
cough to run their boats until the spring
opens. In a few days the Georgetown-Cum-
berland canal. over which the coal used in
the steamboat furnaces comes, will be
closed for the winter. and then it will be-
come a matter of difficulty to get coal, as
the large quantity used has to be hauled
the long distances between the coal yards
or the railway freight yards to the wharves.
The coal docks of the Washington Steam
boat Company, the Randall line and the
Mount Vernon line are stored with thou
sands of tons Of fuel, representing a small
fortune The Norfolk and Washington line
Goals its boats up at the Norfolk end of the
route, yet it also has a large reserve sup
ply Of coal on hand here.
Under a recent order of the Treasury De-
partment officers in the revenue cutter SER
vice, when ordered up for examination, Will
not be compelled to come to this city, but
will be examined by board of officers on
the nearest cruising cutter. The papers are
sent from this city to the president of the
examining board, who, when the examtna-
ton is completed certifes to them and
sends them to the department here. Under
the old regulations officers stationed in
California or in Texas had to come to WASH
ington to be examined, entailing much ex
pense and loss of time The new order has
been received with much favor by the Of
ficers of the revenue cutter service.
The Baltimore schooner S. B. Wheeler,
which went ashore on Hog Island several
days ago, will prove a total loss. The Mer-
ritt Wrecking Company's tug Rescue found
the Wheeler was too far ashore to be
foated. and she will be abandoned. The
schooner is well known at this port, having
brought cargoes of lumber here a number
of times in the past few years. She was
on her way from New York to the James
river to load when she went ashore.
The vessel has two masts, and is of go
tons register She was built in Wilmington,
Del, in 1856. About a year ago she was
purchased from her northern owners by 8.
B. Marts & Co. of Baltimore. and has been
In the bay and coasting trade since that
time.
The supplies of oysters at the wharf were
augmented yesterday afternoon and last
night by the arrival of about dozen boats
nearly all Of which came up in tow of the
tug Davis There were in port this morning
twenty-three vessels, having on board in all
fully $500 bushels. Although the supply is
large, prices for oysters keep up, the smaller
grades being sold this morning at 45c to
6Oc per bushel. and the larger at roc. to
soc Since yesterday the new arrivals have
been the Lucille Western, with 200 bushels:
G. B. Faunce, 400 bushels: Mary and Re-
becca, 300 bushels: Eta. $50 bushels: Wm
Turner. $50 bushels; Kathleen, 300 bushels;
Lottie Thomas, 300 bushels; Elmyra Rus
and Levin Woolford, 800 bushels.
The fish market was this morning but
poorly supplied with salt water fish from
the shores about Virginia Beach and Nor
folk. and the river boats also brought up
small supply from the nets in the lower
river Yesterday evening the Estelle Ran
dali brought up six barrels. and the Harry
Randall brought up ten barrels from the
river this morning, and but two packages
we've brought UP on the Norfolk line steam
Prices tOIlV tn
per barrel; boiling rock, 15c. per pound; pan
rock. s to 1oc. per pound; bass, 8 to 1Oc per
pound: pike, 6 to Sc per pound blue fish
and tailors, &c. per pound spotted trout. &c
per pound; southern mullet, 3 to &c. per
pound: sheepshead, to &c. per pound:
croaker, 4c. per pound: carp. &c. per pound;
flound@rs 4 to &c. per pound: white perch
to 12c. per pound: eels and catfish Is to
23c. per pound: winter shad, $6 per box and
river mullet, 10 to 15c. per bunch.
Moving To and Fro.
The schooner Dexter Is in port with
cargo of lumber from James river for john
son & Wmsatt
The schooner Fannie has arrived from
the lower river with a cargo of white sand
for Evans. q!
The tug Davis has returned from Balti-
more, where she took the barkentine Ar
lngton and the schooner Charles Dayen-
port.
The steamer Harry Randall last night
brought up a large cargo of country Dro-
duce and stock for the local dealers
The barge Howard has completed the dis
charging of her cargo of hard coal at John
son Bros.
The schooner Grace Bennett, which sailed
from Newberne. N. c.. with a cargo of
lumber on November 90 Is expected to ar
rive in port within the next twenty-four
hours.
The two-masted schooner Hazel Dell has
will
back to this port.
Several large barges are in Occoquan bay
and Aqua creek. loading poplar wood for
the paper mills near Philadelphia
The schooner Clara A. Goodwin has ar
rived In Baltimore from this port and will
load coal for Boston or a New England
port. She is at the Locust Point coal piers
The Amanda F. Lewis and the Father
ana son are at the oyster grounds loading
for this port.
The barkentine Arlington. which dis
charged a cargo of asphalt here has been
taken to Baltimore. and Is now at Woodaps
work Is completed she will load coal to
Savannah.
The James Beach and the Cora McKen-
ney nave arrived at Alexandria with car
goes Of oysters.
The buckeyes Hiawath and Stuart have
sailed for the lower river to load oysters
for this port
The Mary A. Shea, Leroy. Harry and
son have arrived in port with full cargoes
of cord wood.
1t is expected that the schooner w. H
Ohler, now dischargfng ice here will load
railway ties for Philadelphia
General and Personal.
The sloop-rigged yacht Surprise belong
ing to Mr.. Chas. Robert Smith Of New York,
came up the river yesterday evening, and
is anchored off Alexandria. The Surprise
Is handsome little vessel about forty feet
long and fifteen feet beam, and Is the third
vessel of her class to come into port in the
past three weeks.
Mr.. Smith desires to lay his vessel I'D
here for the winter and was ashore at
Alexandria yesterday trying to arrange
with the marine railway to haul the Sur
prise out. but as the charges asked were so
large it is expected that she will be brought
to this city and taken out of the water at
one Of the boat houses here.
1Ne rudder of Taylor Bros tug Camilla,
which was lost off Alexandria Friday last,
was located yesterday and diver was sent
down to the bottom of the river to make a
chain fast to it SO that 1t could be brought
to the surface. After two attempts the
rudder was recovered. The tug has been
hauled out on the marine railway at Alex
andria and the rudder will be at once re-
paired and put in position.
The Southern Railway Company has
large number of hands digging and leveltng
he1 for he