Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-22
ON THE RIVER FRONT
HULL OF STEAMER COLUMBIA
MAY BECOME A BARGE.
Efforts to Raise Sunken Tug Abandon
ed-overhauling at Alexandria Boat
yard--Marine Notes.

The old ferry steamer Columbia, the
burned hulk of which lay at the wharf
here for nearly two years, has been berth
ed at the Alexandria ferry wharf for cie
past month and is now being used as a
receiving ship for the old piles pulled up
from the slip at this terminal The hull is
In good condition. having entirely escaped
the flames that destroyed the rest of the
wood work of the boat. The boiler 1t is
stated, was also but little damaged by the
fire, and the engine has been more dam
aged by exposure to the weather than It
was by the fire. What is to be done with
the old steamer Is not known, but 1t Is
thought she will pass into other hands and
Will be made into a steam barge The
Norfolk and Washington Steamboat Com
pany. which purchased the burned boat
when the other property of the Washington
Steamboat Company was sold. will make
no use OF the old hull and machinery, but
will dispose Of tt as soon as possible
The demand for fresh fish of all kinds
was very dull at the wholesale fish market
on the 18th street wharf this morning while
the supply on hand from all sources was
fair. Some fish from the nets in the river
are on sale. but the bulk of the stock is
coming from the fisheries on the Atlantic
coast.
There was no increase in the supply of
soft or hard shelled crabs this morning, and
the stock on hand, which comes mainly
from river sources, was quickly bought up
at high prices. oysters also continue quite
scarce, with fair demand for them. CLANS
are also on sale, but they are more plenti-
full and the supply is quite large.
The steamboat men, whose steamers visit
W1lkersons wharf. on the lower Potomac,
state that all effort to raise the sunken
tug. A. j. Hoole, seems to have been
abandoned by her owners and the boat is
lying under the water at the wharf with
a Of hnv ,D1yo ,ny~ ,h<
above the water. The Hoole is owned by
one of the local sand companies and was
brought here from New York about three
months ago to tow sand-laden barges from
the lower Potomac to the market here.
She had made but few trips for her new
owners when the accident happened to her
that caused her to sink.
The charter of the steamer Estelle Ran
dali to the War Department for service
between this city and Fort Washington
and Fort Hunt, on the Potomac, will ter
inmate at midnight June 80. and she will
shortly after being released resume her
place on the mail route between this city
and Glymont, Md Before she takes up
the route again she is to have some repair
work done that will require two or three
days to complete. The Estelle is under the
command of Capt. Charles Raley
Of General Interest.
The schooner Nettie, owned in Alexan-
dria. which was hauled out on the marine
railway at the Alexandria shipyard has
been put overheard, the repairs to her hull
having been completed. She has gone to
the lower river to load a cargo fer-thts,
city Alexandria. The longboat Five Sis
tiers. now in port here discharging a cargo
is to follow the Nettie on the railway, and
coal-carrying barge will be hauled out
when the longboat is launched.
The oyerhauling of the hull of the old
steam launch Dixie at Reagans railway
will it is stated, be completed this week
and the boat will be launched. Her owner
1t is stated, will repair the joiner work
himself while the engine and boiler are
being repaired, and the rejuveaated craft
will be ready for service early in the COM
ing month. She is to be used for pleasure
parties on the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
from Georgetown to the Great Falls.
The tugs Leader and Sea King have
been employed to assist In the trials of the
new naval drydock Dewey at Solomon's
placing the ships in the dock and remov-
ing them after the tests. The dock will
not leave for the Philippines for several
weeks.
Mr. Henry ]. Daniel has been appointed
keeper of the new beacon light at Sturgeon
Creek. in the Rappahannock river, Vir-
ginia.
Shipments of lumber and building ma
terial to points on the river continue in
large quantities and vessels with the ma
terial aboard are leaving port daily. This
morning the schooner John P. Robinson left
port for a point on the river with building
material aboard.
The handsome new tug Edward F. Gum