Evening star., 1904-01-23
AN ATTACK ON THE ICE
TUGBoATs BEGIN WORK OF OPEN
ING RIVER CHANNEL.
No Danger of Flood Apprehended Here,
but Harbormaster Takes
Precautions.

1
| order to obviate any danger of an ice jam
| at the piers of the two railroad bridges,
| was begun this morning. all the larger
| tugboats which were in the harbor being
| employed in the work under the direction
! of Harbormaster Sutton. The warm rains
of last night and the sudden rise in the
river at it's head waters in consequence
| of the melting of the mass of snow on
| the mountains, caused Commodore Sut-
| ton to take measures to prevent any pos
| sibility of danger. There is some reason
| to expect sudden rush of water, bring
| ing a mass of ice from the upper river
| Should this occur with the river already
| filled with the frozen ice there would be
great danger of a jam at the bridge, and
| this acting as dam would surely back the
water up in the sewers and the flooding
| of the city would follow. This is what
| happened about fifteen years ago. when
| a portion of the Long bridge was carried
away by the ice pack and large section
of the city was under water.
At the time of the Johnstown flood the
avenue and the section of the city between
| 10th and 5th streets was under water
again. but this was from a freshet in the
river. and was not caused by the ice.
Rapid Work Necessary.
The determination to begin breaking the
| ice in the river caused some rapid work
| this morning to reach the tugboat owners
| in order to get the boats out as soon as
possible. Messengers from the harbormas-
ter's office were sent out after the crews,
and the telephone wires were kept busy. but
within an hour after 1t determined 10
begin work the crews were aboard the
boats and steam was being gotten up on
them. The Camilla, Capt. Henry Davis,
was the first to report to the harbormaster,
and she followed in quick succession
by the James O. Carter, Minerva w. H.
Mohler and Edith Goddard Winship, and
the harbormaster notified that the
Rosalie at Alexandria was ready for serv-
ice and would join the fleet at once.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the boats left the
harbor office wharf and started down the
river On each boat was an officer of the
harbor force to direct the operations of his
particular boat, a general plan of work
having been arranged before the tugs left
this city. Commodore Sutton was aboard
the tug James o. Carter and from her will
direct operations today. The fleet this
morning steamed down the river and was
to go to a point near Gunston wharf, about
twenty miles away, if it was found neces
sary.
With that a starting point they were
to work up the river, widening the chan
mel through the ice. made by the Norfolk
line boats, the naval tugs and the steamer
Estelle Randall. in order to give the water
ample room TO flow and this afternoon they
will attack the ice in Georgetown harbor.
While the ice above the Long bridge has
been softened greatly by the warm weather
and the rains it is still hard enough to
cause damage should it be broken up by
freshets and jammed at the bridge. This
ice will be broken up into small parts this
afternoon and tomorrow so that it can
go between the piers of the bridge WITHOUT
danger of jammng. and the tides and
northerly winds will send ashore what is
not carried to the open water below Gun
Ston.
With the river here full of ice in the deep
er water of the channel, but little danger
CT 10
upper river should there be freshet, for 1t
will be well broken up by tumbling on the
rocks before this city is reached. The
smaller tugs of the ice-breaking fleet will
be sent above the Aqueduct bridge tomor-
row, and the ice in that part of the river
as far as the tugs cam go will also be
broken up. This it is stated, has never
been done in past years, the fleet never
going above the Aqueduct bridge. The tug
VIM. H. Yerkes, Jr., which is next to the
largest of the local fleet of tugboats, is ON
her way here from Baltimore, and will take
part in the ice-breaking operations tomor-
row, and it is expected the steamer Estelle
Randall, which is armed with an ice plow
will also take part in the work tomorrow
if the work being done on the metal
sheathing on her hull is completed in time
Work Insures Safety.
1t is safe to say that by tomorrow night
all danger of a food will be over and tie
Ice on the river will be moving freely With
the tide. 1t is thought that the work will
be completed by the middle of next week,
as the tugs will be kept in commission
about the Long bridge to prevent the gorg
ing of the ice there and to break up gorges
that may form in the river below this city
and prevent the free movement of the ice.
Western Trains Late.
Western trains over the> Baltimore and
| Ohio railroad were late reaching here yes
terday on account of the high water in the
| vicinity of Pittsburg. One train was as
much as eight hours late, but today's trains
| were much nearer schedule time. No in
| formation had been received at the railroad
| station this afternoon to show that there
| had been any rise in the Potomac river at
| points which would affect the water about
| this city. 1t was said al the depot that the
| ice at some places is much as fifteen
| inches thick. In the vicinity of Shepherds
town log hauling over the ice has been 60
| ing on some days. 1t has been number
| of years, it is said, since the ice was SO
| thick at that place.
| Pins welded into a solid mass and weigh