Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-02-03
SOME sTEAMBoAT NOTES

SOME STEAM NOTES
Carriers Greek is full of vessel,
from all over the river taking refug,
from drift ice.
Stiff's wharf, on the upper Poto
mac, which is carried away ever,
winter, has carried out its usual pro
gram. .-,.,u .-
Urbanna creek is "block frozen
Little mail steamer was unable t.
reach that point Monday or Tuesday
consequently We had no Richmond
mail from Saturday to Wednesday
The case of Andrew y. Reeder and
others VS.. the Peoples Steamboat Co.
for wharf rent on the Rappahanrock,
was compromised by the steamboat
people paying half of the demands
No steamers are able to reach
Fredericksburg on account of heavy
ice in the Rappahannock, and the
schedule will not be resumed for 8
week or more, unless there is a sud-
den thaw.
The Rappahannock on the South
ern side is a sheet of ice from one.
quarter to one-balf mile in width
from the mouth up, but on the
Northern side of the river there is
very little ice.
Steamer Middlesex did not have
enough freight on her trip to Balti-
more Monday to pay for half her
coal bill, it is said. Steamers on the
b, Q. & A. have not ATTEMPTED to
leave Baltimore so far this week.
The magnificent wharf at Somer.
set Beach on the upper Potomac has
been destroyed by ice. The wharf
was built few years ago at cost
of several thousand dollars, and was
the largest and finest structure of the
kind on the Potomac river.
The importance of a permanent
route and frequent trips to Norfolk
from the liappahannock has been
clearly demonstrated during the past
two weeks. When Transportation
and mails were cut off by other
rontes this was still open-but few
boats to ply it.
Wellford's wharf was carried away
Monday by large drift of ice strik-
Ing 1t. 1t occurred while steamer
Middlesex was just turning the mid
die of the river to go in and while
about 600 or 500 yards away. The
ware house and other storage houses
on the wharf tumbled into the river
and the whole wharf is complete
wreck to about half its length to the
shore.
But one steamer left Baltimore
this week, and that on Tuesday.
Under the new deal no freight for
lrvington or Weems is brought on
that trip. Consequently large
portion of Lancaster is without ex-
pected shipments that might have
been made. That steamer, the Pc
tomac, went to Norfolk yesterday
morning, is expected to return today
and leave for Baltimore Saturday.
Steamer Calvert did not get any
further than Tappahannock last Sat-
nrday. The river from this point to
Fredericksburg is one solid sheet of
ice. For fear that Tappahannock
wharf, which is tottering, would not
stand the strain the steamer put
back to Sharps and lay there until
Tuesday morning, when she ran up
to Tappshannock and returned to
Baltimore on her regular trip.
The beacon light constructed on
Russ Rock last snmmer,. which was
an unusually strong structure, con.
structed of nine piles, three at each
corner, securely bound together with
wire rope and with 100 tons of rock
on the upper side, is holding a large
held OF Ice from coming down the
river. The structure is leaning
about four feet out of plumb. AS
soon as strong ebb tide moves the ice
1t is predicted shat,it will carry the
beacon with it.
Transportation on the upper Rap
pahannock and the entire length of
the Potomac is suspended. .Mer-
chants and others from the middle
Northern Neck are passing through
King George and Stafford en- route to
fredericksburg, with big wagonloads
OF eggs, oysters and produce for
shipment by rail- to Washington.
Some of these enterprising "Neckers"
have to travel fifty to sixty miles to
reach the "burg" with their produce
and to procure merchandise for their
stores. Such winters and weather
conditions as the present bring
forcibly to the mind of Northern
Neck people the need of railroad
facilities.
MR. CHAMBERS SUES THE wEEMs.
Tuesdays baltimore SUM-
The story of perils undergone by
James Ed. Chambers and injuries
alleged to have been sustained BY
him because of alleged negligence in
the operation of the steamer CAL
vert, of the Weems Steamboat Com
panY, is told in a suit for $4,000
damages instituted by Mr.. Chambers
against the Weems Steamboat Com.
pany in the Superior Court yesterday
through Thomas G.. Hayes and Dam
lei b. Chambers, attorneys.