Evening star., 1902-02-22
ON THE RIVER FRONT
RESIDENTS OF LOWER RIVER
POINTS ARE ICE-BOUND.
Have Difficulty in Obtaining Supplies
Small Stock of Fish at Market
Wharf-Briefs


are having, it is said, hard time to get
necessary supplies since the ice has pre-
vented the steamers making their regular
trips from this city. 1t is stated that in
many of the country stores stocks of gro
cereS and provisions are running low, and
the only way that fresh supplies can be
obtained on the Virginia side of the river is
at Fredericksburg, a distance of about for
ty-five miles from Colonial Beach, and the
points in Nomini creek. 1t has now been
over twenty days since any of the down.
river steamboats, have been able to make Il
trip,and the outlook now Is for further de-
lay OF about a week. Large orders have
been placed with the dealers here and at
Alexandria by the down-river merchants
for shipment on the first steamer leaving
port and heavy freights are looked for by
the steamboat managers for several trips
after navigation opens.
The supply of fish on sale at the 11th
street market continues very small and
consists entirely of stock caught in south
ern waters and shipped here by express.
There are no Potomac fish on the market
and it has been fully a month since the
last shipment was received. A large por-
ton of the stock was composed of drum
and jumping mullets. The demand for fish
was good and prices were as follows: For
black bass. IA to zoe. per pound; jumping
mullets, to &C. per pound: Sheepshead,
to SC. per pound; carp. to &c. per pound;
frozen yellow perch, &C. per pound; pike,
to 1Oc. per pound; salmon trout, IL to
12c. per pound; gray trout. to 1Oc. per
pound; white perch. to 12c. per pound;
yellow perch, % to 75c. per bunch. and
Florida herring, $3.50 per hundred. The de-
mand for shad from Florida and Georgia
Is good and roe shad are bringing 81 to S1.25
each and buck shad are selling at 40 to 6Oc.
each.
There have been no new arrivals Of oys-
ter-laden craft since the Kathleen came up,
at the wharf this morning was small, less
than twenty barrels Of oysters in the shell
having been brought up by the Norfolk
boat this morning Potomac oysters were
selling at about 81 per bushel, and shucked
oysters were bringing prices quoted yester-
day. 1t Is reported that the supply Of oys-
ters is extremely short at Baltimore, and
the dealers here can obtain supply from
that city.
The sleet and rain Of the past two days
has completely ruined the skating on the
basin above the Long bridge.
The ice-breaking plow being built on the
old wharf of the steamer Estelle Randall
for the harbor police boat Vigilant' is near
ly completed, and will be ready to put on
the tug by Monday or Tuesday. The plow
is built In the most substantial manner. and
Is covered with heavy galvanized iron, SO
that the ice cannot cut into the woodwork
When the plow is in position the Vigilant
Will join the other tugs in clearing the
river of ice
While credit has been given to the big
ships of the Norfolk and Washington
Steamboat Company and the little steamer
Estelle Randall. no mention has been made
of the naval tugs Triton and Tecumseh
Although unarmed with ice plows these
boats have made daily trips to the United
States proving grounds at Indian Head,
Ma, ana have done much toward keeping
the river channel open.
General News of the Port.
There are now lying at the oyster wharf
oh
completed the unloading of their cargoes
several weeks ago. 1t is stated as soon as
Commodore Sutton's ice-breaking fleet
break the gorges and start the ice moving
most of these vessels will endeavor to re-
turn to the lower river to take on cargoes
of oysters for this market.
The work on the new steam launch build
Ing at Sonny Reagan's boatyard for the
lola Boat Club is nearly completed, and
the boat ready for launching. It's naphtha
engine will be put in the boat after the
hull Is in the water.
The work of replacing the broken buckets
In the big wheels Of the river steamers
has been completed by the engineers, and
they are now in condition to resume their
trips to the lower river. The steamboat
managers hope to have all the river routes
open by March 1.
The Weems line steamer Essex which
left Baltimore Tuesday afternoon for this
port. was unable to get through the ice and
plishing about two-thirds of her Journey
There are lying on the wharf Of the light
house service here about ten or twelve spar
buoys. that will be used to replace buoys
which are to be taken out of the Potomac
in the coming spring. These buoys were
removed from the river several months
ago and have been repainted and overhaul
ed for future use.
When the steamer Wakefield returns to
service she will again be under the COM
msnd of Capt. Edward Owens, who will
have with him Capt Theodore Keene as
pilot; Mr. William Murdock as mate, and
Capt. George w. Guest, purser; Mr.. Will
Reed. chief engineer, with Mr. Ernest
Germond as his assistant The Wakefield
will, on her first trip, return to the
Maddox creek route.
The tug Favorite, with the Standard Oil
Company barge No. II in tow. has arrived
at Baltimore after hard trip through the
ice.
The steamer Dennis Simmons, loaded
with lumber and shingles for the dealers
here and in Alexandria, is reported as ly-
ing in the Great Wicomico river waiting
for an opportunity to come to this port.
The schooner Eugie has sailed from Bal
timore for Williamson. N. c., and will
load lumber for dealers here.