Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-06
DYNAMIT|NG THE ICE
Experiments Tried on the
River This Afternoon.
EFFECT ON THE GORGE
BELIEVED 1T WILL PROVE BENE-
FICIAL WHEN THAW COMES.
Work Delayed by the Explosive Be
coming Frozen-Thawing It Out
for Immediate Use.
EFFECT ON THE GORGE

The experiment of blowing up frozen
sections of the Potomac with dynamite in
an effort to lessen the danger from the
threatened ice gorge when thaw sets in,
was begun this afternoon.
About 1870 o'clock dull thud-like sound,
followed by a great upheavel of ice, snow
and water in the Virginia channel, between
the railroad and highway bridges,
nouuced that the work had been inaugural
ed under the direction of Mr.. W. ]. Doug
lass. District engineer of bridges.
AS Il reporter of The Star was approach
ing the highway bridge across the mid-river
flats today in quest of the dynamiters. he
came upon Policeman Cowne of the fourth
precinct and demure looking colored
man. standing by a tree on the snow-cov
cred shore. The men were standing at ease
and conversing good-naturedly over what
appeared to be Il smouIdering fire at the
foot of the tree.
The reporter requested the policeman to
direct him to the place where the dynamite
was to be exploded. The officer pointed to
a group of men away out on the snow-clad
surface of the river, and said they were
preparing for the blasts.
But they cannot Begin he added until
the dynamite is thawed out and that's what
this colored man is doing here He point
ed to the smouldering heap at his feet. in
which the negro was poking with stick,
and added: There's about twenty-one
pounds of dynamite in that heap-three
seven-pound charges. AS soon as it thaws
the work will begin and it's thawing rapid
ly and
But the last words died away in the dis
lance as the reporter sped over the ice and
snow toward the prospecting party far out
on the Potomac.
Cut Series of Holes
The workmen have cut series of holes
in the ice between the south sea wall of
the flats and the Virginia shore. Into
these openings seven-pound charges of dy
ramite will be lowered about five feet below
the surface and the blasts set off by
electric discharge from a battery. This is
in the Virginia channel between the two
bridSeS-the railway and highway.
Mr.. Douglass said to a Star reporter that
between the bridges there is a thickness
of about five inches of good ice. two inches
of rotten ice and three inches of snow.
For about 300 feet above the new high
way bridge, about 600 feet from the shore,
there is a gorge of ice almost to the bot
tom of the river, with a smaller gorge in
the channel. MIR. Douglass added that but
little can be accomplished until the ice be-
gins TO move, and that the present work of
dynamitins is largely experimental
When the ice has begun to move he
said, I'VE hope to help it along down stream
as much as possible by these explosions"
The theory upon which the dynamiting
is proceeding is to get the water under the
sions. which will throw great masses of
the ice and water up into the air, leaving a
temporary vacuum into which the surround
ing water will rush, then the additional mo-
tion 10 be brought about by the descending
masses.
Two tug boats. the Sunbeam and the
James JACKSON. owned by McMullen e. Nc
Dermott. the bridge contractors. are frozen
solid in the stream beneath the new high
way bridge. They were employed breaking
up the ice until it became to thick. and
they vii! assist, it is said when conditions
are favorable in the efforts to prevent a
disastrous gorging of the ice between the
new bridges
A Desolate Scene
The river as viewed from a point on the
surface of the frozen stream midway be-
tween the highway and the railroad bridges
today was a desolate scene, there being
long stretches of white snow fields as far
as the eye could reach, with craft of every
description frozen solidly at their moOrings.
East of the railroad bridge the river is also
solidly frozen and there is water motion
below the ice it is said.
Bad Entire Length.