Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-02
|CECORCE IN POTOMAC
Harbormaster Pays a Visit to
the Field.
A FLOOD PROBABLE
SOLID WHITE WALL FROM SHORE
TO SHORE.
Sudden Thaw Would Endanger the
Railway Bridges-The Situation
Above Georgetown.

About one mile north of Georgetown,
Just beyond the Three Sisters where the
bed of the Potomac river is strewn with
rocks and boulders, a tremendous gorge
of snow and ice has formed. which in the
event OF a sudden thaw threatens a por-
ton of the national capital with what may
prove to be a disastrous flood.
Without an actual visit to the scene of
the gorge it would be difficult to form an
adequate idea to the alarming nature of
the impending conditions One must imag
inc vast expanse of snow and ice, frozen
solid from twelve TO eighteen feet thick,
for the most part, extending from shore to
shore of the Potomac, and stretching UP
the river from point opposite the George
town reservoir, until the gradually narrow
Ing line of white disappears from view
around bend in the stream. Just above
the rocks known as the Three Sisters
the edge of the gorge rises white about
three or four feet above the surface of the
water. forming solid wall across the river
from one shore to the other. Below the
surface of the stream, about ten fifteen
feet, the great body of ice has grounded on
the rocky bed of the Potomac. and there.
resisting the force of whatever current
might be flowing underneath the gorge
holds back an exparse of ice fifty miles in
extent. it is declared for the river is frozen
over all the way to Cumberland, Md.
The real danger will not be realized until
the thaw comes Then the immense stretch
OF ice will be broken UP into icebergs of
greater or less size. and will flow down the
stream with the current toward the bay.
Railway Piers Endangered.
1t should be borne in mind that this tre
mendous volume of ice must pass between
the piers of the various bridges across the
Potomac within the District limits. When
the great sheet of ice begins to break up
into blocks and bergs. then will come the
critical period for those who are charged
with keeping the channel of the river open.
The question which has occasioned grave
apprehension in the mind of Harbormaster
Sutton is: ''WilI the ice pass safely be-
tween the piers of the Long bridge will
IL lodge about the piers, and, in spite of
all efforts to prevent. form a gorge at that
point and thereby cause a flooding of the
lower part of Washington" At this time
Mr.. Sutton is unable to answer the ques-
ton.
\ sight of the gorge near the Three Sis
ters," and the immense sheet of snow and
ice stretching on UP the river in the dis
lance for miles and miles. is deemed suffi-
Gent cause for reasonable apprehension in
the minds of the harbOrmaSter and of the
residents of the city who will be most likely
10 suffer the consequences of a flood.
1t is believed that if the thaw comes
gradually, so as 10 permit of the ice break
ing up slowly and floating quietly down the
river, the blocks of ice can be eased
through the piers of the bridges by the tug
boats without gorge forming. This is the
hopeful side of the situation.
But should the weather become warn,
suddenly. and the great mass of ice in the
gorge be released precipitately, it is pre-
dicted that the large volume will go rush
Ing down the river in a mass and lodging
about the piers of the Long bridge form a
dam, through which the waters of the Po-
tomac cannot pass, and thus cause a flood
In the lower part of the national capital
Mr.. Sutton is of the opinion that in the
event OF a gorge at the Long bridge the
force OF the rushing ice and water might
De sufficient 10 push the Long bridge from
Its foundations and carry the s,IDerstr,,c
ture away on the icy food
Ihese are contingencies suggested and
feared by the present conditions of the river
above Georgetown.
Visit to Scene of Cor ge.
Vt the invitation of Harbormaster Sutton
several District officials and newspaper re-
porters yesterday afternoon accompanjed
him on the Vigilant to the scene of the
gorge. where a fleet of tugboats eGuipped
with zee pl0ws and other appliances are
engaged in IA battle with the ice The viaw
of this huge mass a close range is even
more alarming than from the banks of the
river.
As the Visilant rounded Giesboro' Point
on Its cruise upstream numerous white
capped blocks of ice We're seen floating In
the river. while on the west side of the
Seorgetown channel and below the Long
bridge the small icebergs had ffoated onto
the Hats of the Potomac and had become
grounded forming long line of white
There is danger of a gorge forming Mt
this point. said Harborma ster Sutton re-
Ierrins TO the forks of the three channels
we Will have trouble keeping the river
open here after the ice breaks up and floats
down the stream and safely passes the
Long bridge. In case of a gorge forming
on Giesboro' Point. the lower end of the
District Will likely be submerged in water"
At the Long bridge on either side of tho
main channel were stretches of unbroken
Ice. which the tug boats are unable to