Evening star., 1901-12-28
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT
STEAMBOAT COAL HAS GONE STEAD
lily UP IN PRICE.
Oysters StilI Scarce at the Wharf
Notes of Interest About
Shipping.

1t is stated the managers OF the steam
boat lines have been notified that on April
1. 1902 the present price OF soft coal will
be advanced p cents per ton. This advance
will make the coal burned IN the steamboat
furnaces cost nearly 81 per ton. an advance
of aoout s1.40 per ton in the past year and
a half. The present high price of coal has
made the operating expenses of the steam
ers very heavy.
1t is reported that extensive improve
ments are to be made at old Fort Foote,
Nd, during this winter and spring, to fit it
for as a summer school Of instruction
for the United States army engineer COM
panies now stationed at the Washington
barracks.
The United States revenue cutter Win
dom is cruising, under winter orders, about
the Chesapeake. Under her. orders she is
to keep moving about from point to point,
ready to extend aid to any vessel that may
need it from the ice and gales OF the win
ter months. This service of the Window
has been of great value in past winters, and
she has been of assistance to numbers of
vessels that have been blown ashore by
gales or have been disabled.
The steamer Newport News is temporar-
lily on the route between this city and Nor
folk in place of the steamer Washington.
Captain Posey is in command of the
News
Ueneral Notes.
Ten or twelve cars laden with soft coal
from Cumberland for this city arrived at
Shepherds Landing of the Baltimore and
Ohio railway yesterday, and We're at once
transferred to barges, which were taken
to Georgetown by the tug Edith G. Win
ship.
Operations have been resumed by the
sand-digging machine of Mr.. Louis Smoot
on the Maryland side of the river, near
Chapman's fishing shore, and yesterday
the tug Rosalie brought two barges laden
with sand from the dredge into port. The
sand and gravel diggers at work above the
Long bridge are also taking a fine quality
of sand from the bottom of the river
The barge George B. Roberts, which
loaded railway ties for Fredericksburg
firm at Somerset Beach, the Potomac,
for Philadelphia, was taken into Balti-
more few days ago leaking badly, having
been cut through by the ice, and was
beached to keep her from sinking.
The barges c. B. Rossell, Kate n. Latta,
Edward Fahey, Ann Thompson, John L.
Brady and Overlook have sailed from Bal
timore in tow of the tugs Dauntless and
Peerless for this city, with loads of hard
coal for the dealers here.
The Weems line steamer Westmoreland,
which was withdrawn from the Baltimore
Washington route. has been laid up at
SINNERS shipyard at Baltimore for the
winter.
The steam yacht Gaivota, belonging to
Mr.. John K. Dos Passos of New York, with
her owner and a party of friends aboard,
has gone to Sandy Point, Mr.. Dos Passos'
country place, at the mouth of the Coan
river, Virginia, to spend several days
The tug George w. Pride, which has been
laid up at Alexandria during the recent
freeze, has gone into commission again, and
is towing wood and lumber laden boats into
port.
The Norfolk and Washington line steamer
Washington, Capt. Luckett, left port last
night with a party of about 200 aboard
bound for Newport News to witness the
launching of the battle ship today.
The United States naval yacht Sylph
went to Quantico yesterday and returned
to this city yesterday evening.
The small marine railway at Alexandria
has been completed and is now ready to
haul out small vessels.
The incoming steamers report the ice as
rapidly leaving the creeks and offering no
obstruction to navigation. All the ice is
out of the river, except where it is packed
on the Maryland side about Fort Washing
ton and Glymont.
The sloop Blossom is hauled out at Alex
andria for general repairs during the win
ter months.
The buoy marking Travers' Point Spit in
the mouth of Coan river Virginia is re-
ported adrlft. The lighthouse board has
been notified and will replace it as soon as
possible
In consequence of the disabling of the fog
trumpet In the Cove Point light on Chesa-
peake bay bell will be used in fogyv
weather until further notice.