Evening star., 1904-02-01
ON THE RIVER FRONT
ICE HAS COVERED THE POTOMAC
FOR TWO MONTHS.
Schooner Sanford Makes Quick Trip
Bay Vessel Changes Owners
General and Personal.

The steamboat men and those who are
dependent on the river for livelihood are
praying for warmer weather and the open
ing of navigation on the Potomac, so that
they can return to work and have their
semi-mOnthly pay days. For exactly one
month the river has been closed to naviga-
ton, except to the propeller boats, and it
has been nearly two months since sailing
vessel has come up the river under SAIL
There has been more ice in the river this
winter than for many years past. Since the
latter part of November there has not been
a day when the river could be said to be
free of ice, and from the looks of it now
it will be several days before that now COW
ering the river will disappear. Fortunately
much of the ice made in the past four or
five days is largely snow. and will soon dis
appear If the weather becomes warmer.
There was but little business doing in the
fish houses at the 11th street wharf mar
ket this morning, there being but few fish,
except frozen stock, on hand to meet the
light demand. Prices are high and will
continue so until the river opens and there
is large increase in the receipts
The arrival of a tow of oyster-laden
boats added a small quantity of Potomac
river oysters to the stock on hand. The
demand for oysters has been very light for
the past day two, but the dealers are
holding prices at 75c. to $1.25 per bushel
for good stock Much of the demand for
oysters is being filled with stock received
shucked from the dealers at Norfolk.
The receipts of wild ducks have been very
light during the past ten days, while the
demand has been good.
The three-masted schooner Mary L. San
ford, Capt. Mcdonald. unloaded cargo of
Florida pine lumber here early in Decem-
ber and was caught by the ice. She was
forced to remain here for several weeks,
and did not get away until Monday. when
&.1.ox l,n vix NV trrcr
Camilla. She had a quick trip down The
coast, and was reported at Fernandina Sat
urday, ready to take on another cargo Of
lumber for this city or Baltimore.
The managers of the steamboats, running
to the wharves on the lower river will
make an effort to get boat from this city
to the lower Potomac this week, and the
start will be made on the first indication
of the ice Softening at all.
The wharf-buildng machine of Dean &
Sons is being overhauled at Alexandria in
preparation for a busy spring in wharf
work on the river. A large amount of re-
pair work is to be done to the wharves in
the harbor here before the busy season
opens in the early summer.
Capt. John H. Jones has sold the little
three-ma sted bay schooner Hattie E. Giles
to Capt W. T. Marshall, formerly owner
and master of the schooner Janet. The
Hattie Giles is a well-known trader to this
port, making frequent trips here with car
goes of lumber from Virginia ports Her
new owner will continue here in the gen.
eral freighting trade on Chesapeake bay
and it's tributaries.
Four or five oyster-laden boats were tow
ed into port by the tugs Saturday evening,
and 1t is expected a trio of light boats will
be taken out today.
The steamer Westmoreland left Balti-
more Friday afternoon for this city, but
finding the ice in the upper part of the
bay very heavy, she returned to Baltimore
and abandoned the trip.
The fishermen operating seines in Pohick
bay and creek had two days fishing last
week, but had but poor success. Their
catch was sent to the market here on the
steamer Estelle Randall.
The report that Stuart's wharf on the Po-
tomac had been damaged by the drifting
ice is incorrect. The steamer Wakefield on
her trip up the river Friday last found the
wharf in good order and made landing
there.
Capt. Record of the Schooner Agnes s.
Quillan is spending his holiday rendered
necessary by his schooner being frozen up
at his home in Seaford, Del.
Capt. Arthur Ellitt has taken command
of the schooner Phineas w. Sprdgua IN
place of Capt. T. w. Dunn, who has been