Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-01
! ON THE RIVER FRONT
DEEPENING OF AN INTERIOR
wATERWAYsADvoCATED
Ice Continues Heavy in Potomac
Steamer Daniel 4. Jackson
Raised-otherf Matters.

The American Association of Masters and
Pilots of the United States, which held it's
nineteenth annual voyage In this city last
week, during the sessionspassed resolution
asking Congress for an appropriation of
$4,000 for the preliminary surveys for the
deepening and widening of the Delaware
and Chesapeake canal, in order to accom-
modate deep-water craft, and thus facilitate
commerce and make the waterway avail
able for coast defense in case of war. This
canal which connects Delaware bay with
the Chesapeake, is one Of the most impor-
tant waterways on the coast, but unfortu-
nately it is only available for small craft, as
it is but ten feet deep and its locks are only
twenty-four feet wide 1t was built over
eighty years ago, and it is the wish of the
mariners to make it larger. The question
of widening and deepening the canal is of
local interest from the fact that thousands
of tons of coal and MERCHANDISE to and from
this city pass through the canal each year.
The supply of fresh, fish sale at the
wholesale fish market the 18th street
wharf was again this morning quite small
and consisted mainly OF mullets, sheepshead
and a few trout from the fisheries about
Norfolk. The demand for the fish was light
and they sold at high prices, mullets selling
at to ) cents per pound sheepshead 3 to 5
cents per pound, and trout at to 10 cents
per pound. Business was dull on the oyster
wharf, there being but very few buyers on
hand and the bulk of the oysters disposed
of this morning went In small quantities.
Prices still keep up, and range from 80
cents per bushel for the small oysters up to
$1.25 for the larger and finer stock.
There were but few wild ducks or geese on
sale at the wharf market this morning, and
those on hand sold readily at high prices.
The Potomac river is now frozen to it's
mouth, and ice is encountered several miles
out in the bay. From Lower Cedar Point to
this city the ice is heavy, varying in thick
ness from four to seven or eight inches, eX-
cept where it is packed, and then it is much
thicker. On Chesapeake bay ice has formed
of sufficient thickness to give the steam
boats running out of Baltimore to bay
points considera BILE trouble, and all sched-
ules are upset. The Baltimore ice-breaking
steamers are kept in service night and day
assisting the Baltimore steamers in and out
of port. There is as yet but little prospect
of the ice breaking up and the continued
cold weather is adding to its thickness daily.
The Norfolk line steamers and the govern
ment tugs are still making their regular
trips up and down the river, and will con-
tinue to do SO unless the ice should become
Unexpectedly heavy.
General River News.
The steam barge Daniel X. Jackson,
Which filled and sunk on the dock adjoin-
ing the wharf of Johnson & Wimsatt sew
eral days ago, has been raised and is
agian ready for service as soon as the
weather will allow. Beyond the wetting
She received, 1t Is stated the vessel is not
harmed. The Jackson is owned by Capt.
Thos y. Owens OF this city.
The cold and snowy weather of the past
two or three days has stopped work on the
tug, d. NJ. Key, at Benefits boatyard, but
work will be resumed as soon as possible.
with heavy metal to protect it from cutting
by ice while in service on the frozen river.
The tugs Eugenia and Spray are out of
service at Alexandria, being overhauled and
put in condition for service on the river
soon as the weather will allow.
Among the vessels that have sought shell
ter on the PatuXent river from the ice in
the bay is the tug Rondout, with barges
90 and q of the Standard Oil Company,
bound from this city 10 Baltimore
The steamer Governor Mclean of the
Maryland oyster police force will have the
asbestos covering on her boiler renewed
and her engine and machinery overhauled
before she returns to the Potomac to keep
watch on the oyster dredging boats. While
the Mclean is laid UP the, schooner Bessie
Jones is performing police duty.
The ice III the 'harbor is said to be over
six inches thick where 1t has not been
broken by the wheels of the tugs and
steamers. For four or five days past boys
have been running about on its frozen sur
face
Capt. j. T Marshall Of the schooner
Stansbury was taken III aboard his vessel
at Baltimore. He was sent to Johns Hop
kins fer treatment. ..,
Capt. Ollie Crowder, master of the tug
VIM. II. Yerkes, jr., of this city, is spend
ing a leave of absence ashore at his home
here. Capt Bob Brown of the tug James
O. Carter has taken Capt. CroWder's place
on the Yerkes. Capt. Jim Marmaduke is
also on the Yerkes as; mate with Capt
Brown.
Mr.. VIII Reed chief engineer of the
steamer Wakefield, is experimenting the
overhauling OF the boiler Of that steamer,
which is lying at the ferry wharf here.
Mr.. Irving Wisiger manager OF the Vlr-
ginia Steam Navigation; Company of Rich
mend, was a visitor to the Washington
steamboat wharves yesterday.
Capt. Frank V. Kentz IS temporarily IN
command of the tug james O. Carter dur
ing the absence of CapK Brown.
Mr.. Chap Sly, first officer Of the steamer
Harry Randall, has gone to his home at
Rock Point on the Yeocomico river In
Maryland to remain until the Ice on the
river softens sufficiently to allow the Ran
dali to resume her trips.
AT Indian Head, Nd, the les has piled
about the government wharf several feet
high above the water and there is danger
when the ice begins to move That the
wharf will be damaged.
Mrs. Garnett, the venerable motner OF
Purser T. B. Garrett Of the river line
steamers, who broke her hip by ran al
her home in Westmoreland county ABOUT
three weeks ago, is now reported out OF
danger and Mr.. Garnett and his sister
Mrs. Mills, have returned from the peo-
side of their mother.