Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
ON THE RIVER FRONT
GOVERNMENT VESSELS TO SPEND
A FEW DAYS IN PORT.
Schooner to Be Changed to Barge
Working on Eastern Branch I'm
provement-Other Matters.

| The United States coast survey steamer
photographer which is employed in con-
| Junction with the coast survey schooner
| Matchless in making surveys of the lower
part OF the Potomac, came up to Alexandria
| yesterday afternoon, taking aboard fuel and
| supplies. 1t is understood the steamer will
remain in port over Sunday. She has her
| headquarters at Colonial Beach, and is
working on the Kettle Bottom shoals.
! The United State lighthouse tender Maple
| Is In port from an inspection tour among
| the lighthouses in the Potomac river The
| vessel left Baltimore Thursday, and on her
way up the river stopped at the different
lights to overlook them and see that they
were Kept IN the good condition required by
the regulations of the service. The Maple is
lying at the lighthous service wharf foot of
| y street southwest
The demand for fresh fish of all kinds was
rather hgnt at the wholesale fish market on
the wharf this morning but the SUNNY
was also light and prices kept up to the
ngures given yesterday. Bass rock and
otEer hsh from the nets in the river with
good demand.
On the oyster wharf business was fairly
brisk for Saturday morning there being
! quite number of buyers on hand and the
oysters sold at the fig ares quoted yesterday
The stock on hand is ample to meet all de-
mands upon it. Ducks are scarce, but
when In good condition command ready
sale at high prices
That barges are more remunerative to
their owners than sailing vessels has been
demonstrated, and number of sailing yes-
sells have recently had their spars and sails
removed and have Joined the barge fleet
The owners of the schooner White Cloud
are now preparing to change that vessel
into barge. 1t is calculated that with her
sails and spars removed the schooner will
carry 500 tons of cargo in her hold. or 49,
OOO feet of lumber. instead of 400 tons or
3SO.OoO feet Of lumber. as she now does The
White Cloud is three-masted schooner
and was built in 1853. She has been an oc
casional visitor to this city.
Ihe suction caused by a passing steamer
Thursday morning pulled cleat out of the
steamer River Queen and caused the
steamer Estelle Randall to surge SO hard
against her lines that she broke two of
them.
One of the smaller pile driving machines
belonging to VIM. Banks of this citv was
yesterday taken to the Eastern branch
where she will be employed in driving piles
for work in connection with the imnrove-
ment OF that waterway. The driver has
started work on the southern side of the
stream, near the grounds Of the Govern
ment Asylum for the Insane.
General River News.
The four-masted schooner Brina P. PEN
dleton was brought up the river yesterday
afternoon by the tug VIM. H. Yerkes, jr..
and locked at the wharf of the Bryant
Fertilizer Company. The schooner has
aboard a cargo Of about 400 tons Of phos-
phate rock from Charleston. s. c., which
will be used in the manufacture Of fertf-
lizer The Pendleton sailed from Charles
ton October q and had speedy trip up
the coast, coming in the capes OF the Chesa-
peake Thursday evening.
The three-masted schooner William Lor-
man Roberts,. which was recently rebuilt
at Sharpstown, Md, has been renamed the
Brelah C. McCabe. after the wife of the
chief owner OF the vessel. The McCabe
was built at Bath in 1881.
Capt. Fowles. master of the ferry steam
or George Washington, reports that Ice an
eighth OF an inch thick had formed In the
DIRE buckets aboard his steamer yesterday
morning This 10 the first Ice reported 20
Tina little schooner Bertha May q hauled