Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-24
ICE FAMINE WAS IMMINENT
SUPPLY OF THE PRIME NECESSITY
HAD BECOME VERY SHORT.
Companies Meet Emergency by Secur-
ing Tons by Train-DanRer
Believed to BE Past.

Washington has been on the verge of an
ice famine. but the officials of the ice COM
panies are confident that the danger is
passed and that by tomorrow noon there
will be a supply on hand ample to meet all
present deands. The trouble has been
caused by fogs and light winds at sea.
Nearly the entire ice supply of this section
of the country comes from the Maine ice
fields and Is brought to WASHINGTON In
vessels While the average passage of a
laden schooner from Bath, Bangor or
Rockport, the chief ice shipping points, is
about ten days. still calrns, particularly in
midsummer, sometimes delay them much
longer, and greatly proiong the trip, and this
Is what has happened at this time There
are at sea ten or twelve vessels bound to
this port with ice. Several Of them should
nave been here last week, and though five
large tugs are cruising Off the canes Of
Virginia looking for them, they had not
peen sighted up to noon today.
Shipped Here by Train.
The supply of ice on hand In all the ice
houses this morning was extremely small
In all less than 100 tons, but the American
Company received 80 tons by rail from
Baltimore and the Purity Company about
the same amount to fill the demands for
today, and by tomorrow there will, It is
believed, be ample ice on hand to supply
the city until some Of the vessels now at
sea can get in. BY orders from the head
quarters of the American Ice Company in
New York the large schooner j. II Bar
rett, which is at Baltimore with a cargo
OF about 2,200 tons of Ice, has been trans
ferred to this city. She left Baltimore this
morning in tow of fast tug and will be
Thomas J. McNulty also left Havre de
Grace, Md. in tow of the tug Maud H..
with about 500 tons of ice for the American
Company Off Annapolis the tug broke
down, but another was secured, and the
barge should also be here tomorrow.
Other Cargoes Coming.
The schooner Mt. Hope, consigned to the
Purity Ice Company from Maine, is reported
to have passed in the zcapes of Virginia
yesterday at noon and should be here this
evening. She will bring. about 1900 tons
Within the next twentyefour hours about
5000 tons of Ice will have arrived here.
Before this supply can be exhausted the
schooner VIM. c. Tanner, with 1906 tons
Of ice, and the r. & T.. Hargraves. with
1,O40 tons, both of which sailed from the
kennebec July IL, will be in port for the
American Company, and the schooner Inde-
pendent which sailed from Rpckport Me-,
July 10. viii be in port far the Purity Com
pany, with about 1900 tons Close behind
them will come the schooner l.. H. Bray
ton, which sailed July II, with 1,343 tons,
and the schooner Augustus Hunt, with
1873 tons. The Hunt left4Bath July l3, and
the usual run from the Maine coast here
is about ten days. Besides these vessels,
the Purity Company han several out which
should arrive within the next few days.
The American Company Has also at sea,
bound here. the James. R.. Burt, i 23O tons;
the o. D. Witherall, R13 tons; the Lavinia
Campbell. 1901 tons; the A. M Colburn
2,4O0 tons the Daylight, 1,10O tons, and
the Charles N. Simmons, 1850 tons. They
should all be In port here within the next
ten days. At New York 1900 tons of ice
is being loaded in barges. and they will be
towed here by tugs as fast as steam can
bring them.
Ice Huckstera Cut OF.
While there Is a present shortage in the
Ice supply, the only ones who have really
suffered have been the Ice hucksters men
who with small wagons peddle Ice about
the streets. The Ice companies have re-
fused to supply them, In order to take care
OF their regular customers. all Of whom
received supply of ice today, though the
large orders have In some instances been
curtailed in order to make the supply reach
further The officials of the Ice companies
are doing all that can be done to meet the
emergency, and they believe that all dan
ger or a famine in ice is about over.
AT Alexandria there has been an ample
supply all orders for home use having
been promptly filed, the output of the
Two 1ce-making plants there being ample
to supply the town