Evening star., 1904-02-24
ON THE RIVER FRONT
BARGE REPORTED ADRIFT IN ICE
OFF ALEXANDRIA.
Fish and Oyster Market Building
Scows at Nearby Boatyards-
General River Notes.

A large sand barge owned at Aiexandria
is reported adrift in the ice a short dis
tance below that city. The barge was seen
by the officers of the steamer Estelle Ran
dali. but was too firmly imbedded In the
drifting ice for them to be able to get a
line to 1t. 1t is feared that the boat will
be carried ashore and broken up by the
drifting ice.
The fish market on the nth street wharf
was fairly well supplied with fresh fish
from southern waters this morning and the
demand for them continues. Prices are
high and will continue so until river caught
fish come on the market in good quantities
Trout, drum, sheepshead with a few herring
made up the bulk of the stock this morn
ing. The fishermen are expecting to get
their nets overheard early next week and
by the middle of the week river fish will
be on the market
No oysters from the beds in the Potomac
are for sale in vessels at the wharf. but
If the tugs can get through the ice in the
next day or two, a tow of oyster laden
vessels Is expected at the wharf. The bulk
of the supply on sale is coming from the
lower part of Chesapeake bay. via the Nor
folk line steamers.
Cumberland d Son have the contract for
the building of large freight lighter for
parties in this city, and are now engaged
in shaping the material to be used in the
beat The actual construction of the
Hghter VIII be started in about ten days.
and before the end of March it will be
launched and ready for service.
The building of the sand and gravel car
Ring scows of the new sand company
Which Is to begin operations on the river
this spring will be started at Alexandria
as soon as some needed material arrives.
The tool sheds and other buildings neces-
sary in the work have been erected and
all the preliminary work
rarged. Manager Frank Phillips states he
expects to have his new plant ready for
service by the middle of May or the 1st of
June.
General News of the Port.
Work is being pushed on the coast sur
vey steamer Blake In order to have her
ready to sail for the coast of Porto Rico
early in next week. The Blake. with the
steamer Bache, will be employed in max
ing surveys of the coast of the island for
several months to come
Bennett is building several large batteaus
at his boat yard at the foot of 11th street
for private order. The boats are to be
sixteen feet long and wide BEAM and will
be used for pleasure purposes on the river.
The warmer weather of the past two
days has had a very perceptible softening
effect on the ice, but it will require a day
or two of warmer weather to soften it
ChouSh u diioW tIe SiueWneef DOatS TO
run without danger of tearing their wheels
to pieces
Capt. Russell Deane. pilot of the harbor
police boat Vigilant is confined to his home
by Illness During his absence Mr. John
Perry is acting as pilot of the Vigilant
The barge Chicka hominy. which went
ashore near Occoquan during a gale last
summer and was SO badly damaged that
she had to be brought to Alexandria and
practically rebuilt, has been damaged by
ice in Chesapeake bay and is on marine
railway at Baltimore for general repair
work.
Capt. Reagan has completed the over
hauling of his marine railway at the foot
of 18th street. Eight or ten power launches
are at Reagan'S waiting to be hauled from
the water
The two-masted schooner c.. c. Wheeler
has been taken to Rileys wharf and is load
ing full cargo of fertilizer material for
Norfolk. The Wheeler brought cargo
here over two months ago and has been
frozen in here since that time.
The pungy Zephyr is lying at the wharf
of Thomas r. Riley. laden with lumber
and building material awaiting an oppor-
tunity to sail for Colonial Beach.
The schooner Elizabeth Doyle. now lying
at Georgetown, has. 1t is stated, been char
tered to load coal for a New England port.
The schooner John McGinniss will leave
here as soon as the ice will allow for a
Virginia lumber port to load pine boards
for this city.
The schooner Harry r. Hayward laden
with phosphate rock from Punta Gorda,
Fla. is to go to Baltimore to unload the
cargo and not to Alexandria, as was re-
ported.