Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-20
On THE RIVER FRONT
WHERE GOVERNMENT BOATS ARE
LYING FOR WINTER.
Maryland Point Light Reported in
Danger-Steamer Returns to
Route-Other Matters.

Lightship No. II, which has about COM
pleted her tour of duty on Diamond shoal.
off Cape Hatteras, N c., will be relieved
from duty in a few days by No. ~, and
when relieved No II will come to Ports
mouth or Baltimore to be oyerhauled and
put in thorough order. While this work
is being done her crew will have their
trick ashore, to rest and prepare for an
other three months of loneliness on the
dangerous shoal.
The buoy tenders are at work in Chesa-
peake bay replacing as best they can the
numerous channel markers that have been
| moved out of position by the heavy ice
foes, picking them up and running them
out of position. The buoy tenders will have
a busy time when the ice leaves the bay
and rivers.
The tug M. Mitchell Davis is towing for
dredging company engaged in deepening
the James river near Newport News, and
the tug William III. YerkeS, IT.. is emploved
! in general towing on the bay Both tugs
are owned here, but are not expected back
on the river until early in the spring
feet of ten or twelve light oyster YES
sels is lying Icebound at the 18th street
oyster wharf. Nearly all the vessels tina
Were frozen in here in January succeeded
IN leaving port during one of the thaws
ana are now down river waiting an ,oppor-
tunlty to come into port again with their
cargoes There has not been an arrival of
an oyster-laden craft for about ten DAYS.
Ihe supply of fresh fish of all kinds on
SAFE al the wholesale fish market on the
Wharf this morning was very light and con-
sisted mainly of trout and mulIets with a
rev other varieties of fish The demand
was fair and prices keep up. AS soon as
the shores along the river are able to fish
their nets and river caught fish are on the
market a drop in prices can be looked for,
but not before
The entire supply of oysters on sale at
the wharf market lie Ia
waters about Norfolk and Old Point, new
stock being received almost daily on the
steamers of the Norfolk and Washington
line. Prices for oysters are at top-notch
OF General Interest.
The rain and snow of yesterday had but
little effect upon the ice-covered river. ex-
cept to make the ice thicker and harder
when the cold northwest winds of last
night begun to blow. There is now but lit
tie prospect of an immediate disappearance
of the ice and business along the wharves
will continue extremely dull
A report coming from down river states
that the large piles of stone on each side
of the lighthouse at Maryland Point have
been moved into deep water by the drifting
ice and the moving cakes struck the sup
ports Of the light structure. Several years
ago, after a heavy freeze, this lighthouse
was carried away by the moving ice, and
when rebuilt piles of stone were placed on
stated, these stone piles have disappeared.
The new tugboat under construction at
the boat yard of M. M. Davis at Solomon's
Island Md for a local sand company WILL
it is stated, pe launched in short time and
will be ready for service about June l. The
boat is larger than any of the river tugs
now in service, and is fine vessel.
The steamer Estelle Randall left here this
morning on special trip through the heavy
ice TO carry supplies to the army posts at
Fort Washington and Fort Hunt. No eff
fort to get further down the river was
made and will not be until the ice condi-
tons in the river improve. Reports coming
from the vicinity of Glymont state that the
drifted ice has piled ten and fifteen feet
high on each side of the wharf at that
point.
OF the fleet of government vessels en-
ployed on the Potomac all except two are
icebound here. The steamers Kearney and
Poutonier, tenders to the engineers battal-
ion of the Washington barracks. are lying
at the 9th street wharf of the American Ice
Company; the launch Mercedes is in her
boat house at the harbor wharf; the engi-
neers' tug General Warren is lying at the
wharf of the Home Ice Company at the
foot of 14th street southwest, and the Neva
Ia at the engineers wharf at Georgetown
The army tug Gibbon is at Fort Washing
ton out of service, and the steam launch
Santa Barbara the tender to the naval
proving grounds at Indian Head is lying
under the shelter of the big wharf at that
place These vessels will all remain out OF
service until the spring thaw sets In.