Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-17
ON THE RIVER FRONT
SLOW PROGRESS IN FLOATING
STRANDED STEAMER.
Repairing Steam Launch Cygnus-New
Yacht Countess in Port
Other Harbor Matters.

The large dredging machine belonging to
Dean & Son at Alexandria has been at
work for several days past digging chan
mel from deep water through the flats to
where the steamer T. V. Arrowsmith lies
stranded near Riverside wharf, on the Po-
tomac, about fifty miles down the river
Owing to the nature of the clay forming
the river bottom about the Smith, the
dredge has been able to make but SLOW
progress, but it is expected the steamer
will be fioated and will come up to this city
within the next forty-eight hours. The Ar
rowsmith went ashore in the gale that
blew violently on the night of September
IA and has been aground since that time.
Part of the time she has had less than
one foot of water about her.
There was a good supply of fresh fish of
all kinds on sale at the wholesale fish mar
ket on the 18th street wharf this morning,
but the demand was very light, there being
but few buyers on hand the entire morning.
Prices are steady and range about the fig
ures quoted last week.
The stock on sale embraced both river
and salt water bay fish and are of excellent
quality.
The demand for oysters in the shell was
fairly good this morning, while the supply
on hand was rather small. The arrivals of
oyster-laden vessels in the past two or
three days have been but few but now
that the dredges have gone to work, ves-
sells will be able to obtain cargoes quickly
and larger supplies are looked for here
The United States coast survey steamer
photographer, which came up to Alex
andria Friday evening last to take aboard
supply of soft coal and provisions, has
returned to her station on the Kettle Bot
toms and will at once resume her survey
work of the river from lower Cedar Point
to below Blackistone's Island. The Hydro
grapher. under orders from the coast sur
yQx off hoe falr IL
mac where the steamer Endeavor left off
last fall. The engineers aboard her will
continue in this work as long as the wealth
er will allow and it is expected she will be
able to complete it before ice forms on the
river and puts stop to the work.
An old fisherman of this city, who has
caught the finny tribe in all the tributaries
of the Chesapeake, is the authority for the
following story of an extraordinary catch
of fish in a swamp along the James river
not long ago. In the swamp grew a large
creeping willow, among the branches of
which grape vine had woven itself. Dur
ing heavy rainstorm the water of the
river rose and covered the branches of the
tree, which was on low ground. When the
water subsidized there were found entangled
In the natural net 100 mullets, ten large
bass, big rock besides numerous smaller
fish. This story is vOuched for as authentic
The purchase of the Weems line by in
terests closely allied with the Pennsylvania
railway is causing considerable anxiety to
the shippers and others residing along the
Potomac because of the uncertainty that
now exists as to what changes will be made
in the schedule. It is also stated that hav-
ing acquired the Weems route on the Poto-
mac, 1t is more than probable the railway
interests will next try to absorb the other
freight and passenger lines on the river and
will then have monopoly of river traffic
to and from this city. If this is done the
shippers fear reduction in the number of
trips made by the steamers, which now
give daily service to nearly all the
wharves on the Potomac and its tribu-
taries.
The owners of the little propeller steamer
Estelle Randall are putting her In trim for
service on the river when ice forms and
side-wheel steamers cannot run without
damaging their wheels. The engine of the
little steamer is being given general over
hauling. the boiler is being rebuilt, and as
soon as this work Is completed she will go
upon marine railway to have her hull re-
covered with heavy metal and to be fitted
with a new propeller wheel. The Estelle is
used to carry the mails between this city
and wharves in Maryland and Virginia as
far down as Glymont during the winter.
Last winter she ran through heavy ice that
stopped all the steamers except the big
boats of the Norfolk and Washington line.
The barkentfne Hubert, which arrived
here day or two ago with a cargo of stone
for the new highway bridge, is the first YES
sci of her type to come here in many years.
vessel. with the foremost rugged with
square sails like a ship and the maiamast
with fore and aft sails, is rapidly disappear
ing from the sea, having been replaced by
the less cumbersome schooner-rigged YES
sells. The use of square sails, while hav-
ing many points Of advantage over the
schooner requires a larger crew to handle
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