Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-02


harbormaster explained that all of the ice
from the upper gorge will have to pass be-
tween four piers and the draw of the Long
bridge. because of the direction of the cur
rent
Danger at Long Bridge.
The danger of a gorge forming at the
Long bridge it was pointed out. is increas-
ed because of the fact that the piers of the
proposed new bridge across the Potomac at
that point. have been erected about hun
dred feet distant from the old structure,
and these standing piers will interfere with
the free passage of the cakes of ice down
the river
At the Long bridge the harbormaster has
stationed a tug boat for the purpose of
crushing the huge blocks of ice which float
down the stream from the gorge above the
Three Sisters
AS the Vigilant continued its journey up
stream Mr.. Sutton pointed out the various
spots along the river which would likely be
submerged in the event of a flood and re-
counted interesting stories of the FRANKS
of the high waters in times gone by.
During the flood on the Potomac at the
time of the terrible Johnstown disaster"
said the harbormaster the old boat house
of the Analostan Boat Club, which stood
near the site of the present building on the
opposite bank. was totally destroyed and
carried down to the bay in small pieces. The
morning after the night of the flood three
masted schooner was found beached on the
stood. a looking glass that had been hung
in the boat house was found 105 miles down
the river. where it had been washed ashore
And though the mirror was a rather deli
cate AFFAIR and was carried away with the
mass of debris there wasn't so much as
a crack in it.
The harbormasters noted that the low :.
lands in the vicinity of the gas plant would
possibly be submerged in case of a flood
and also that portion of the District sur
rounding the 18th street sewer.
The most interesting scenes were wit
messed in the ice field. where the three
doughty little tugboats were ramming the
huge gorge of ice
Backing off short distance in order
to gain Roadway, the valiant little boats
would steam forward and drive the long
plows into the wall of ice and snow. The
prows of the boats would be lifted entirely
out of the water from the force of the
blow and the plows would be lifted up
onto the top of the gorge Time after
time this ramming process would be re-
peated, and finally huge block of the
mass would become loosened, and, break
ing away. would turn over and over as
1t was borne into the current.
Mass of Small Boulders.
While the top of the gorge seems to be
covered with snow. the part submerged is
a compact mass of small boulders of ice.
which in their rough journey down the
stream have been worn smooth and round
by contact with the rocks in the river and
with other pieces of ice
The boats frequently stick in the ice
ana one of the other boats heaves a line
10 the grounded tug and drags 1t from it's
position. In ramming the ice gorge from
various angles the boats yeer from side
TO side, and in many instances there seems
danger of their oyerturning, but the men
in charge appear not to notice it, and after
backing off for running start, again at
tack the ice wall under a full head of
steam.
What would you do in case the gorge
should suddenly give way?" one of the
tugboat men was asked.
Me for the tall timber" he replied in |
dicating the wooded hill to the south side
of the river. |
Harborma.ter Sutton has had the tugboat |
heet at WORK breaking up the ice for the |
past five days. He deems it very in,- |
portant that the present immense gorge |
be broken up and quietly eased out and |
down the river. in order to avoid dsas- |
trouS consequences
1t is his intention. if possible. to clear the !
channel as far as the Chain bridge in order |
that when the thaw comes the ice above
the Chain bridge will have long sweep in |
which to break up into small cakes before |
1t reaches the Long bridge.
The ice boat fleet Will be kept at work on |
the gorge while the money holds out or /
untll The river below the Chain bridge is |
cleared The work is necessarily slow but |
long stretch has already been cleared |
away and the habormaster homes for IA
vorable conditions and time before the |
warm weather sets in
The tug boat William H. Yerkes is on the |
way to Washington from Baltimore. and II |
viii be added to the fleet battling with tho
ice above the '"Three Sisters" This will
make fleet of four boats at the gorge
one at the Long bridge and another boat
working the ice between the gorge and the
bridge.
In Tidal Basin
The ice in the tidal basin was broken I'M
yesterday by the tug boat J. o. Carter The I
other boats composing the ice-breaking
fleet are the w. NJ Mohier, The Edith q.
Winshp. Minerva and the Camilla. Con-
gress yesterday granted the District an an
preparation OF So, 900 with which TO co,i;n,a
the river work. The Commissioners re- |
quested 5000. The amount apurops IN fed /
yesterday 1T Is estimated will last several
Gays. but 1t Is deemed hardly sufficient for
the needs which now apparent
III Is thought that few days Will settle
the question as to the ps,oisa bIiity of q flood
IN Washington. 1t is stated that siould I
the Ice gorge at the Long bridge the aew-i
ers of the city would likely be flooded md |,
Pehnsyivania avenue may be turned into, I, I
river
No Parallel Recalled.
Harbormaster Sutton said he has been
lighting ice on the Potomac during the
winters for the past twenty years. and |
that he has never before seen SO much ice
in the river as at present
District Commissioners Macfarlana. West
and Biddle this afternoon wcre taken to
the scene or the ice gorge or the yiglart
accompanied By Harbormaster Sutton The
Commissioners desired to see for them |
selves the actual conditions which threaten
the city. II has been suggested that if the
o. Congress would go to the