Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-30
ON THE RIVER FRONT
SURVEYS OF POTOMAC CHANNELS
NOW BEING MADE.
Progress of Work on Eastern Branch
Rebuilding Schooner Bell
Other Marine Notes.

A party of engineers has been engaged for
several days past in making surveys along
the western channel bank of the river be-
tween Mann's old fertilizer factory and the
United States naval powder magazine. 1t
is stated that the surveys are preliminary
to improvements to the river below this
city.
The handsome new sailing sloop OF Mr.
Arthur King OF Alexandria, which has been
lying at Jones' Point for ten days past,
receiving her finishing touches. has been
completed and has gone into service. She
IS now down the river on a cruise with
pleasure party aboard.
The supply of fresh fish on sale at the
nth street wharf wholesale fish market this
morning larger than it has been for
several days, while the demand was also
fair. Trout, small tailors and butterfsh
constituted the bulk of the stock on hand,
though there was a supply of rock and
other choice fish on sale. Prices are firm.
There is yet an ample stock of water
melons of all grades on sale at the 11th
street wharf oyster market. and vessels are
coming in daily and keeping the supply up.
The demand is but fair, and choice grades
of melons are selling at $15 per hundred,
while the poorer grades of the fruit can be
bought as low 81 per hundred.
Crabs are very scarce, and are selling at
s.. 80 to 81 per barrel
The dredge Dewey. engaged in deepening
the water in the Eastern branch channel
to the navy yard. is forcing the liquid mud
taken from the river bottom through fully
mile of piping, upon the part of the East
ern branch flats to be raised above the high
water mark. 1t is expected the contract
for the dredging of the Eastern branch will
be completed some time during the fall. The
Dewey has now completed the work for
about three-quarters of the distance she is
to dig. While the new channel has been
made deeper it has not been Strengthened
md IN, hfc thn -nrY fc
something of a disa ppointment.
The following charters of vessels to load
for this city at Alexandria are reported:
Schooner Fred A. Davenport. to load about
soO tons of plaster at Walbrook. Nova
Scotia; the schooner A H Quinby, to load
railway ties on the Great Wicomico river,
Maryland, for Philadelphia and hard coal
back to this city; the schooner w. H.
Mcguire. to load lumber at Nomini Va,
for this city, and the bugeye r. H. Stuart,
to load wheat at Upper Machodoc for Alex
andria
The river schooner ]. D. Bell was hauled
out on the marine railway at Benefits
boatyard yesterday afternoon and will have
such repair work done to her as will put
her in thorough order Exactly what Is to
be done is not known and will not be known
thorough inspection. 1t is expected the
Bell will be out of service for fully two
weeks. When she is launched the Osceola
will take her place on the railway
exandria, being made ready for the opening
OF the oyster season, in the middle of next
month. The pungy will be under the COM
mand of Capt. Keeth Davis during the
coming oyster season. The schooner Bran
BILE. owned by Capt Joseph Elliott and UNI
der the command of Capt. Robey. will also
be employed In running oysters during the
season.
Alexandria say that while perch fishing
with hook and line is yielding good results
black bass are quite scarce
Several of the large sand-carrying barges
OF the Columbia Sand Dredging Company
OF this city are at Deans boatyard near
Alexandria, to be rebuilt and made ready
for service again.
The pleasure sailing craft building at
Deans for parties here will be ready for
launching early next month.
General Port News.
The barge Sirius of Philadelphia was
brought up the river by the Philadelphia
tug Columbia and locked at Alexandria
yesterday The Sirius has aboard a big
cargo of fertilizer material, and is one of
the largest barges that has ever come up
the river The tug Columbia Is also pay
ing her first visit to these waters.
Plans are being made for the enlargement
of the big hotel at Colonial Beach before
and for the putting in of several amuse-
ments. 1t is also more than probable that
a new and faster steamer will be secured
by the Randall line for the Colonial Beach
service before the spring opens.
The handsome power launch Mary, own
ed by parties at Alexandria,, is hauled out
on the marine railway at Deans boat yard
for the cleaning and painting of her hull
and for such other repair work as may be
necessary. Her engines will also be given
general overhauling.
The pile driving machines of ]. o. Carter
and Winston & Co. of this city are en-
tn nd nth
tary to the Potomac in Virginia building
new trestles for the tracks of the Washing
ton Southern railway line. which is being
doube-tracked from Richmond to AleXan-
dria.
The new sand dredging machine of the
Potomac Dredging Company has been put
in good working order. Mr.. Frank Phillips
of the company is in Alexandra hurrylns
the work on number of new ScoWs
The three-master schooner Lula Qulllan,
with a large cargo of glass-making sand
from the Severn river Md. aboard, has
arrived at Alexandria. consigned to one
of the bottle making plants there.
The two-masted schooner John Maglnnis'
laden with hard coal from Philadelphia,
came into port yesterday afternoon.
The bugeye Samuel Kerwan. with cargo
of about 10000 feet of pine lumber aboard.
came into port yesterday afternoon, con-
signed to the dealers.
The S c. Kirby. H. NJ. Lowe and ]. T.
Richards have arrived in port with carsoes
of watermeIons for the local market
The McMasters is in port with a cargo
of lumber from the lower Potomac for the
dealers and is unloading her cargo at Ihe
wharf foot of 9th street
The ram schooner Levin Marvel is lying
at the wharf foot of 1872 street unloading
a cargo of shingles and lumber and the
schooner Sebago, with cargo of laths
from Nova Scotia, is unloading at the
lumber wharf foot of 18th street south
west.