Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-19
ON THE RIVER FRONT
TAKING SAND FROM RIVER FOR
BUILDING PURPOSES.
Black Bass Scarce in Potomac-Broken
Buoy in Kettle Bottoms-Mat-
tiers Around Harbor.

"A large sand and gravel-digging machine
belonging to the Columbia National Sand
Dredging Company has been taken to the
point on the Maryland side of the river op-
poslte alexandria and will begin the dig
glng OF sand there. Gravel and sand are
now being taken from the bottom of the
river on Greenway fats, at Fort Hunt
wharf, and in Piscataway and Mattawo-
man creeks in Maryland. Three companies
operating five or six towboats and thirty
or forty scows, are now engaged in taking
sand from the river for the local demand
and fourth company, the Tangier Sand
Company, has recently secured wharf room
here, and as soon as a tugboat can be Sc
cured will begin the shipping of sand and
graVel from the river beach at Colonial
Beach to this city. Many thousand yards
or sand are used here each month.
There has been an improvement for the
better in the condition of the wholesale fish
market at the 18th street wharf this morn
Ing the supply of fish on hand being fair
and of better grade than has been on the
market for several days. The fish auctions
were fairly well attended and the market is
firm for good grades of fish, Winter shad
have made their appearance on the mar
kets. There was a good supply of oysters
on sale at the oyster wharf this morning,
some vessels with Potomac river stock
aboard having arrived since yesterday noon
Prices range from o5c to Toe. per bushel,
according to grade. The demand for the
bivalves was good.
The United States naval tug Tecumseh
yesterday took a barge on which were two
new naval guns to the Indian Head prov
ing grounds, where the guns will be tested
before being sent to the ships for which
they were built. On the way down the
river the men aboard the Tecumseh shot
and secured two OF a bunch of three mall
lard ducks which were discovered in the
river near Craney Island.
The question Of what has become of the
bass, rock and other game fish which a
year two ago were so numerous in the
river is one that the fishermen for pleas
ure and profit are debating, but no one
seems to be able to answer it. 1t is a fact
that the bass and rock seem to have al
most deserted the Potomac, and where a
hundred were caught two years ago one is
caught now. The absence of the bass is
giving the fishermen for profit but little
uneasineSS, as it means an increase In Shad
and herring in the spring.
Vessel Charters Reported.
The four-masted schooner SALISBURY has
been chartered TO load lumber at Jackson
vile, Fla, for lis city. This will be the
second trip of the SALISBURY to this city
with lumber aboard.
The schooner Sidonia Curey has been
chartered to go to the James river for a
cargo of Zine lumber for this city.
The schooner Manchester Haynes, which
unloaded {. big cargo of ice at this city last
overhauling. AS soon as the work on her is
completed, she will load a cargo of coal for
+ orto Rico.
The schooner William H. Yerkes. under
charter to bring the last cargo of ice this
season to this city has sailed from Boston
TO Bath, Me, to go to the ice houses on
the Kennebec river to load The Yerkes will
arrive here in about two weeks.
The two-masted schooner NJ. Colbourn,
which came up the river Monday and an
chored off Giesboro' Point, with a cargo of
lumber unloaded the lumber on a barge
yesterday, and it was landed on the point
to be taken back into the country, where it
will be used in the erection of a dwelling
The schooner will bring the remainder of
her cargo, cordwood to this city.
The officers of the river steamers reported
that one of the tall buoys marking the
channel through the Kettle Bottoms is
broken off and only about two feet of the
spar is showing above the surface of the
water. The spar appears to have been
broken off by passing vessel.
The tug William H. .Yerkes, jr., of this
city was at Speddens ship yard at Balti-
more yesterday to have some repair work
done to her machinery. On a trip down the
bay the crank bearings of the tug became
hot, and she returned to port to have the
trouble corrected.
The tug Neptune yesterday brought the
barge George b. Roberts to Alexandria and
the S. M. Provost to the arsenal here. The
barges have cargoes of hard coal aboard.
The schooners Matte f. Dean, Isaac
Solomon, Earl Biscoe and Mary Francis
have arrived in port with full cargoes of
cord wood Tor the dealers.
The tug J. Il. Selectman yesterday after
noon brought into port eight large scows
laden with sand and gravel from the dig
ging machines at work on Greenway flats.
The Annie Croswell, J. F. Robinson.
Amanda Lewis, Fannie and J. E. Cunning
ham were among the fleet that left here
yesterday for points on the Potomac.
The steam barge Dennis Simmons came
up to this city yesterday to complete the
unloading of a cargo of lumber and Shin
giles from Edenton, n. c.
The schooner Maria o. Teel, laden with
ice for this city, is at sea and is expected
to reach here early in next week.
The schooner Norman has been taken to
a wharf on the Eastern branch to complete
the unloading of her cargo of laths.