Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-20
ON THE RIVER FRONT
STEAMERS REPAIRING DAMAGES
RECEIVED IN ICE.
Large Fleet Of Oyster Graft Frozen Up
leo Injuring Wharves-
River Matters.

Of Chief Engineer VIM. A. Moore of the
Randall line. IL at work repairing the
plough and renewing the galvanized IRON
on the side Of the steamer Estelie Randall.
which was torn of during her run through
the hard ice between Fort Warrington and
Giymont Monday In order to carry the mall.
The plough OF the steamer. built OF heavy
timbers and braced in every direction. was
damaged moro Monday In the Ice than on
any day during the freeze.
The Fort Washington tug Gibbon is also
having much trouble with her fce-breaking
plough. On every trip through the heavy
Ice she rips or a part Of the metal covering
the woodwork and has to lay or trip or
two for repairs.
The supply of fresh fish on sale this
morning at the 18th street wharf market
consisted chiefly Of few white perch from
the James river and salmon trout, jumping
from southern waters. Smelt and other
frozen fish were also on sale. Prices ranged
high, with good demand.
On the oyster wharf business was very
dull, the only oysters on sale being those
in the oyster houses, which are selling at
prices ranging from s.. rs per bushel up.
Shucked oysters are selling at prices rang
ing about 100 per gallon. The Norfolk
line steamer this morning brought up about
It's barrels for dealers here.
Some few ducks are on sale and are In de-
mand when of good quality. They are SELL
ing at high prices.
The freeze caught the oyster craft In
port that had brought up the Christmas
stock and the fleet at the oyster wharf Is
large Among the vessels are the schoon-
ers Metompkin. Mary Elvis. Raymond
Oliver. M. J. Stevenson. Willie, Clarance.
Kathleen, Martin Wagner, E. P. Evans, T.
H. Kerby, Ruth and Ella. E. R. 8. Dough-
erty, Enolia, Winnie Windsor, John A.
Cunningham, Seabird and Eta.
The meager reports coming from DOWN
river points state that the ice drifting about
in the lower part of the river has damaged
many of the wharves. and extensive repairs
will have to be made In the early spring to
pu. them in condition for good service II
Is feared by the wharf owners tnat Wneh
the big masses of ice come down from the
upper part of the river further damage Will
DO done.
General Port News.
The new tug Hamilton of Baltimore,
owned by a coal company of that city. has
gone into commission under the command
of Capt Benz. Dorsey, with William Klages
as mate, Daniel BIankinship, chief engi-
neer. and Thomas Leonard, assistant en-
greer.
The big cast iron pipes to be used by the
Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific dredging machine
in forcing the liquid mud from the river
channels upon the Potomac Park are being
delivered at the wharf foot of 18th street.
opposite to where the dredging machine Is
lying In the ice, and the crew OF the ma
chine is putting them in trim for work
They will be placed in position on the pom
ICONS and taken to the entrance of the
harbor as soon as the weather conditions
will permit The big dredging machine Is
ready for work at few hours notice
The ice houses of the farmers along The
creeks on both sides of the Potomac are
being filed with clear ice from fourteen 10
eighteen inches thick. This Is the heaviest
ice that has been cut along the river for
about ten years.
Mr.. Jack Phillips. wharf clerk for the
Randall line has been sworn In as spe-
cial carrier of the United States mail, and
will take charge Of the pouches going 10
New Glatz, Fort Washington and other
points while the steamer Estelle Randall Is
unable to run.
1t Is said that Dean & Son at Alexandra
are building sailing sloop for parties here
that is expected to be very speedy craft.
She will be about thirty feet long. will
have an unusually large spread OF sail, ana
will be ready for service in the early sum-
mer.
The four-masted schooner Orlando V.
Wootten. Capt. Steelman, which was re-
ported ashore in Chesapeake bay near
North Point has been fioated, and in charge
of the tugs Easily and Ida was taken down
the bay outward bound. The Wootten is
frequent visitor to this port
The two-masted schooner T. Turner, nall
ing from New York, is reported to have
been purchased from her northern owners
by parties in Baltimore and will be used in
the Chesapeake bay trade.
The United States lighthouse tender Holly
left for Baltimore yesterday for the pur-
pose of replacing the buoys that have been
moved by the drifting ice. The changes
will be made in all buoys the tender can
reach