Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-08
TO AVERT AsFLOOD
BUSINESS MEN WANT Ne RIVER
CLEARED OF icE.
Petition Filed with the ca,,nissioners
by Many Firms-congess Asked
for Funds. 200

All the principal corporationsrmerch
and firms doing business on THE Potomac
river between the Long apd-Aqueduct
bridges having petitioned the Commission
ers to take the necessary steps'to have the
ice broken up In the Potomac river, to avert
flood and to open navigation, the Commits
siOners today, upon motion OF Commission
er mcfarland, determined to ask Congress
for special appropriation for breaking the
ice, since the District has no available
funds for the purpose. A measure proyid-
ing for the required appropriation was &C
cordingly prepared. The Commissioners
have asked Congress repeatedly to give
them an annual appropriation for this
purpose, but Congress has preferred to wait
until an emergency came.
The petition was presented to Commits
sioner mcfarland, as president Of the
board, by a committee representing the
signers late yesterday afternoon, and the
matter was brought to the attention Of the
board as promptly as possible.
The petitioners set forth that the naviga-
ton of the river is now impossible On ac-
count Of the ice.
The Conditions Dangerous.
Continuing, the petition says:
Your petitioners desire to call your at
tention to the fact that the condition now
existing is dangerous to their properties sit
uated on the river bank. In case of a thaw,
or heavy rain, along the line of the upper
Potomac and the consequent freshet which
former experiences have demonstrated
would in all probability follow the same,
your petitioners would undoubtedly suffer
great loss unless the ice between the Long
and Aqueduct bridges is broken up and
channel cut from the Long bridge to the
forks of the channel of the river sufficiently
wide to permit the current TO carry on the
accumulated ice.
Your petitioners further desire to call
your attention to the fact that the closing
of the navigation of the river from the forks
of the channel to the Aqueduct bridge en-
tails great hardship upon them and their
patrons by reason of the fact that they are,
in many instances, unable to renew their
stocks Of seasonable merchandise which
have become depleted by reason of the Sc
verify Of the winter.
Your petitioners therefore pray Tor i'm
mediate relief in the matter above stated
and further request that should this petit
ton meet with your favorable consideration
that you will also endeavor to take such
steps that will result In the navigation OF
the river, between the points mentioned, be-
ing kept open for the remainder of the win
ter, which, from present indications, prom
ises to be most severe.
ing Co., by r. A. Richards, Superintendent
Littlefield, Alvord & Co., M. II. Ascheson,
vice president; A. Geary Johnson, VIM
King & Son, J. Edward Libbey & Son.
American Ice Co., per John D. Bartlett,
manager; Joseph H. Lee; Chast 6, Smith &
Son, by Wayne Smith; the G.. w. Cissel Co.,
by S. S. Cissel w. H. Tenney & Sons, Lewis
Hopfenmaier, Mayfield & Hieston; ]. Maury
Dove Co., Inc, per w. II. 81, manager; the
Washington Gas Light Company. VIM B.
Orme, secretary; the Crawford Paving Co..
by ]. H. Crawford; the Consolidation Coal
CO nv VIM A. Leetch, agent; the National
Roller and Ball Bearing Co., J. G. Buchan-
AN. manager: the Brennan Construction Co..
by r. E. Boiseau, secretary and superln-
tendent; Georgetown Gas Light Co., Robert
L.. Middleton, general manager; pistrlct OF
Columbia Paper Mfg. Cos per John b.
Thomas, treasurer.
Provides for $4,000.
The bill forwarded. toJCongress by the
Commissioners today provides an appropria-
ton of $4,000 to be used in clearing the 20
tomac river of ice. In previous years the
District authorities have asked for only
s., 900 each year for this work. In their let
ter to Congress the Commissioners state
that the reason for the increase IN the
amount requested over that provided IN
former years is based on the PROBABILITY
that the early beginning Of the formation OF
ice In the river this season renders IT proDa-
BILE that 1t may be necessary to again open
the ice in the harbor before the approach
Of spring.
A further reason for the desired increase
in the appropriation over the amount pre-
viously granted for the purpose Is that ex-
perience has suggested the great advantage
of attacking the ice farther below the city
in order to facilitate the outflow than mas