The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-01-24
LOWER POTOMAC
CLEARED Of ICE
HarbOrmaSter Gets Busy
With lee Breaking Fleet.
LITTLE DANGER FROM FLOOD
Much Property Has Been Destroyed
by the FreShets of
= Years Ago.

= Years Ago.
/ Harbormaster Sutton Is congratulate
/ ing himself on the success which yes
terday attended his forethought In
breaking up the ice in the river. His
determination to undertake this big lob
was reached suddenly yesterday morn
ing. because OF the softened condition
l of the ice. owing to the warm rains ana
the fog BY 10 o'clock he had assem-
bled the following feet of boats. each
armed with an ordinary ice pillow: The
/ Vigilant. the William Yerkes. jr.. Cam
/ lila. J. o. Carter. Edith Winship. w H.
/ Mohler. Minerva. and the Rosa Lee.
Going first down the river. each boat.
manned with a member of the Harbor-
masters force. the yigiIant in eharse of
Commodore Sutton. the passage kept
! open by the Norfolk boats was wldened
as far down as Alexandria. and the
river from Long Bridge to Alexandria
is practically clear Of ice.
Ice Yields Rapidly.
Such good luck and rapid work at
tended this effort, that Commodore Sut-
Ton was able to do that which he had
not contemplated attempting until to-
morrow-the breaking up OF the ice
/ above Long Bridge. He encountered
the greatest difficulty at the mouth of
Rock Creek. where the ice formed a
gorge which it was difficult to cut
through. This was accomplished. how
ever. and the ice was broken up as far
as the Aqueduct Bridge, An attempt
was made 70 go above the latter bridge.
! but the ice. ten inches thick, was too
solid for the boats 10 plow through. so
the plan was abandoned for the pres
ent. Below the Aqueduct Bridge the
Ice had decayed to a thickness Of five
inches
| There is very little current in the river
at present, and. owing to the situation
at Long Bridge. the ice broken up yes
terday has not been able to escape. This
situation is understood when il is re-
! membered that the piers Of the old and
new bridges are not opposite each other
| but alternate. affording a double re-
sistance TO the passage of ice In add
ton to this there are piles driven be-
4 tween the new piers for half the dis
lance across the river. to support the
temporary structure of the new bridge
and they are not more than twenty feet
apart. This practically forms an i'm
passabie barrier, unless the ice be
ground up and assisted through the mar
row openings, hence the danger OF a
flood.
No Danger From Freshet.
Now the ice is broken up from the
Long to the Aqueduct Bridge. but IL
has not been flOated down except be-
tween the Aqueduct Bridge and the Co.
lumbia boathouse. Below that point
it is piled. and there is only the slow
current to carry 1t through the obstruc-
tons described.
The plan Of the Harbormaster Is to 90
above the Long Bridge tomorrow with
his full feet of boats. and. by steam
ing them back and forth. grind I'D the
Ice and force 1t below the bridge. If
no freshet comes down. he will be able
| TO accomplish this If on the other
hand. full-fedged freshet comes down
today, Commodore Sutton says he would
not dare to take his boats above the
bridge, and Washington would have to
! submit 10 the conditions which prevail
ed In the great floods OF 1889 and 1881
| There Is only one condition, SAYS
Commodore Sutton. under which he
| could operate to diminish the danger
| Of such a flood, should IL come. and
that Is that the Pennsylvania Railroad.
which controls Long Bridge. would CON
sent TO keep the draw Of the bridge
open constantly while he worked. I'm
which event he would put one boat
above and one below the draw, and
help the ice through, but he would not
j risk boat In such a current II there
1 -
against which IT could be driven In
view of the reports from Cumberland
and Hancock. there is considerable un-
easiness on this score, and Commodore
Sutton left orders that he be called at
an carly hour this morning. in order
| that he might get In his work before
food conditions shall prevail. He rs still
/ confident that IL he cannot safely take
his boats above Long Bridge, he can
| clear the river so effectually that there
will be no danger.
Floods Have Been Frequent.
Floods in the Potomac have been fire.
/ quent. and In some cases great damage
has been the result OF the river over
flowing its banks. What is still known
| as the Great Freshet' occurred in
| June. 1896. when the wharves and cell
lars along the line Of water were over
| flowed and the Chesapeake & Ohio
| Canal badly damaged. Similar condi-
/ tons prevailed in April. and again in
September, lS43 and in October. 1917.
| on the latter occasion the canal banks
were so demolished that traffic had to
1 be suspended for months
! In April, 1852. there was another de-
structive flood, navigation on the canal
| being suspended during the entire sum
mer. the repairs 70 the canal costing
several hundred thousand dollars. The
water In the river was so high that If
oVertowed the causcWay which Joined
Analostan Island with the mainland.
washed away the stone wall, thereby
| creating new channel for the river
There were freshets in 1856. 1860. 1861
1890 and loG', but mono did great dam
age. October /. 1870. there was a freshet
which was very destructive More than
half the Chain Bridge was carried away
ana the wagonwsy and draw of Long
Bridge We're badly damaged Again the
canal suffered seriously. and traffic had
20 be suspended for months. In IS77. and
1881 some property was destroyed by the
FPotomac Oyernowlng its banks