Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-07
ON TIE RIVER FRONT
TEREDOs I. BADLY DAMAGING
LIGHTHOUSE STRUCTURES.
Army Launch Neva to Be sold-over-
hauling Potomac Tugboats
Other Matters.

havoc with all wooden structures standing
IN SAT- water, particularly in the waters Of
the south Atlantic states, is giving the
lighthouse authorities in this district some
trouble The worms attacked the pile
structures supporting the beacon light at
Swan Quarter range, rear light In Pamlico
Sound N. c., few days ago and ate the
piles SO badly that they fell, and the light
ing outfit went down with the piles. The
teredos is not known here, but ask ship
master about them and he will tell many
stories of their destructive powers They
bore through piece Of wood until nothing
is left of it but the shell, and the only pro-
lection from their ravages, it is stated, Is
to cover the wood under water with metal,
and this protection is only good as long
as the metal remains firm. The lighthouse
authorities will replace the destroyed bea-
con soon possible.
There was but a small supply of fish on
sale at the wholesale fish market this morn
ing, but small as was the supply the de-
mand was still smaller, and fish were sold
at figures lower than they have been for
several days
A large fleet Of vessels laden with water
melons filed the docks at the oyster wharf
this morning and business was fairly brisk.
1t was estimated that there were fully
100000 melons On sale and prices are drop
ping. This morning select fruit could be
bought for SIS to $50 per hundred. primes
at ~ to $40 per hundred and cullS as low
as s. per hundred.
Grabs are scarcer and have advanced in
prices. They were selling at & to s. per
barrel this morning.
The Baltimore tug Bohemia, which came
Into port here Saturday with a tow of coal
laden barges. Is paying her first visit to
this city under that name. She was for
merly 1t Is stated. the tug R. Ellis. but
having been recently rebuilt her name was
changed. Mr. Rufus Chesser of this city is
mate on the Bohemia
The steam launch Neva. which was for
merly the United States army engineers
steamer in service on the Potomac. Is lying
at the engineers wharf in Georgetown, and
it is reported she will be disposed of by
the army authorities in a short time. The
Neva has not been in service since she was
replaced by the tug General warren ABOUT
a year ago.
Charters of vessels to load for the city are
reported as follows: Schooner Mabel and
Ruth, lumber, at Newbern, N. c., and
schooner Belmont, cord wood, at Nomini.
The barge Laura V. Groves, which unload
ed cargo of coal here, has been chartered
to load a cargo of lumber at Plymouth, N:
c., for Philadelphia. The barge has sailed
In tow of the tug Peerless for her port of
loading.
The big tug NJ. Mitchell Davis came into
port Saturday for the purpose of taking
away light vessel. but it was found neces-
sary to make some repairs to her machin-
cry, and the tug Yerkes took the tow down
the river. The work on the Davis has been
completed and the tug has returned TO
service.
The tug William H. Mohler is laid up at
Georgetown while some necessary repair
work is being done to her machinery.
General River Matters.
The Baltimore tug Neptune. which was a
frequent visitor to this city before she was
sold to the marine hospital service for use
in the harbor of San Francisco, was last
heard from at Punta Arenas, in the straits
of Magellan. where she stopped for coal.
The tug Is on her way to San Francisco.
She sailed from Baltimore June II last. Her
next stop will be at Coronel, Chill.
The schooner Eagle Wing has arrived at
Baltimore and is discharging a cargo of
l31 800 granite paving blocks at the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad pier, which will, it
is stated, be brought to this city by rail for
use in street-paving work. Why the Eagle
Wing should have gone to Baltimore to un-
load a cargo to this city instead of bringing
it direct to this port is not known. She
loaded cargo Of coal at Georgetown about
a month ago.
The tug Progress, under charter to the
Potomac Dredging Company of this city,
spent Sunday in port here. while several of
her crew visited their homes in Baltimore,
where the tug belongs. The new scows and
digging machine, which were put overheard
about three weeks ago, are now rapidly APP
preaching completion and will be ready for
service before the end of this month. The
dredge will start work in Pisca taway creek.
The barge John F. McIlvane, laden with
a cargo of about 700 tons of fertilizer ma
ter;al from Baltimore for the Bryant Chem
ical Company, has arrived at Alexandria in
tow of the tug Bohemia.
Standard Oil barges 81 and II have com
pleted the unloading OF cargoes OF oil here
and have sailed in tow of the tug Radiant
for Baltimore to load again.
The schooner Amelia Price has arrived in
port with a cargo of pine lumber from a
Virginia lumber port consigned to the deal
ers.
The schooner Clara Leonard is lying at
the wharf foot Of It'll street unloading a
cargo of cord wood from the lower river.
The schooners Ward and Earl Biscoe are
among the recent arrivals in port with car
goes of cord wood from river points con-
signed to local dealers.
The steam barge Lily and Howard has
gone to Occoquan, Va, to tow raft of pine
piling to this city for the use Of the i'm
provements being made on the Eastern
branch She recently unloaded q cargo of
oak piles at Alexandria to be used in the
building of the new slip for the ferry
steamers.
The schooner B. F. Keene, laden with a
cargo Of lumber and material for the con-
struction of cottage, left for Colonial
Beach Saturday.
The barge Cecilia McIlvane in tow of the
tug Bohemia, and the barge Florence Nc
Naughton, In tow of the tug Peerless, have
arrived at Georgetown. The barges are la
den with hard coal and have each about 500
tons of the fuel aboard. The barges brought
their cargoes from Philadelphia.
The barge Worcester has arrived at AL
exandria with cargo Of fertilizer material
aboard from New York. The tug Dauntless
brought her into port.
The schooner Estelle Phinny is at sea la
den with ice from a Maine port consigned
to this city.
Thanked for Cour+oev