The Washington times., 1901-07-07


Trees which skirt the shore.
Along the line of the Seventh Street
wharves one notices a huge sign rival
ing those in front Of the excursion
piers in the immediate neigl ,borhood.
This sign. which does not. however,
appeal to the public. contains the one
word. "Harbormaster," an official
whose duty it is, in a general way, to
see that all is quiet along the Po-
tomac." or. at least, that portion Of
the noble river which flows within
District limits. In regard to his title,
which is not euphonious, it may be as
well to mention that Harbormaster
Sutton is more generally, and, perhaps.
more properly, known as Commodore
Sutton, a title bestowed on him by
well-known newspaper man of this
city, who also suggested the name of
the commodore's craft, the Nigilant
In order to give an idea If some of
the multifarious duties which come
under the commodore's supervision, it
may be interesting to take a trip on
the Vigilant. The commodore himself
does not accompany US, but he intro
duces US to the junior officer COM
manding The boat. and we make our
selves as comfortable as possible ire
paratory TO starting off.
1t is a bright, beautiful morning, and
there is exhilaration in the air, and
sky. and water. A blue uniformed po-
Hceman is washing down the decks Of
the Sigilant with fire hose, a similar
occupation being carried on upon
passenger steamer which is lying close
by. Another man on the police boat is
polishing the brass fittings of the little
craft until they shine in the sun like
gold In the interval of waiting on
the commodores trim little pier, the
visitor notices on one side, and en-
closed in a new and elegant dock, a
neat launch. This craft belongs to the
Secretary of War; who forms one Of
an enthusiastic party of boating men,
including General Corbin. On the other
side of the pier is a low-lying rowboat,
dingy and time-wCrn. It is used II
dragging for the bodies of those who
have met death, either accidentally or
through design, in the river. One can
not help rejecting that it must have
carried considerable number Of such
gruesome freight, and regarding it
with some little aversion.
THE DAILY PATROL.
And now the Yigilant's whistle gives
& piercing scream. as If il were impa-
tient to be of, and we make our way
over the side of the wharf, down a
small metal ladder, onto the deck OF
the police tug. Another whistle, and
OFF We go, the captain in the pilot
house above and a couple Of policemen
on deck, sharply scanning the double
row of miscellaneous craft to see if
all lie within their prescribed limits.
and do not obstruct the middle chan
mel
There's the same boat we warned
yesterday, lying outside the line
again says one of the policemen. The
other runs his eye critically along the
row Of broadsides and sterns, and ar
rives at the same conclusion. The Of
Tending craft, sluggish-I looking sloop, !
with a cargo of cordwood, is promptly
borne down upon. No reply comes to
the hail from the police tug. a son-
tary individual is ar length discovered (
asleep on TOP Of a pile of wood-he
might be taken fer a log himself. He
is finally aroused by repeated halls.
Where's the captain Of this boat?'
Gone sir" replies the only occu-
pant.
Gone wherc?"
Il don't know"
Whats his name?"
I don't recollect, but I think it's |
Simpson"
The name is promptly entered in the |
books OF the police captain, a record
somewhat impaired in value from the /
fact that another interrogatory re-
garding the cognomen of the Offend |
ing mariner addressed TO a man on a
neighboring boat leads to the circum-
stance that the latter rather thinks il |
is Jones. while another person is con-
WINGED it is Johnson.
THE BEAUTIES OF THE FLATS.
The captain expresses his firm de- |
termination TO subject the unknown to 4
the penalty Of the law If he does not 4
conform with the regulations. and the I.
tug new runs alongside an ice schoon- !
er from Maine. A piece of the inestima- |
bic summer luxury is taken on board, /
and start is made for what, in all |
probability, viii be an uninterrupted {
run up the channel, which, winding 1
around the reclaimed ground Of the /
flats" constitutes a portion of what /
may be called the upper Potomac
The operation Of reclaiming the flats
has often been alluded TO and de- /
scribed, but IL is impossible not TO re-
feet, in passing. on the wonder Of an
engineering achievement which caused |
this beautiful island 10 rise as If by
magic from the water, and to utilize
in this manner the waste material !
which was washed down. in successive /
layers. by the turbulent upper Po-
tomac.
Tbs fine row Of weeping willows on /
the side OF the island facing the |
wharves is well known, doubtless. 10 |
all river excursionists. These trees
were planted as a bulwark to protect /
the enclosing stone wall which other |
wise would be broken out and de- /
stroyed by the weight Of the earth be- !
hind.
TIE different vlstasr Of the city and !
river from points along the water /
front not accessible to the average ex-
cfirsinrist can ba only eDioyed bv 4