Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-12
ON THE RIVER FRONT
ADVENT OF THE MAYFLIES
ALONG THE WHARvES.
Plans for New Pier at Fort Hunt
Repainting Of Police Boat
Vigilant.

| The annual plague of mayfies has start
ed and by Sunday night the river front
section of the city will be swarming with
them. During the past two or three nights
thu flies have had only their advance guard
out; the main body is due to arrive later.
Where the birthplace of the mayfiies Is
located is not known. but they generally
appear at about the close Of the fishing
| season on the Potomac and II is said they
| come from putrid fish. In the height OF
the mayhy season they are often so thick
| about the electric lights that they more
| than half fill the globes with their burned
| bodies. and the ground under the lamps is
thickly covered with them every morning.
They stay for a few nights. then disappear.
not to return again for another year. The
mayflies are thicker at Alexandria each
year than in this city. Why this is true is
not known, unless the Virginia city is near
er the birthplace OF the pests. The flies are
useful for one thing-they are the best kind
of bait for fishing with hook and line.
The supply of fresh fish on hand with the
| exception of gray trout, was very light.
and the demand for the fish heavy.
Shad and herring are both scarce and are
selling at good prices.
Soft crabs were sale this morning,
those coming from Norfolk selling at GO to
20 cents per dozen. while the North Carolina
crabs were cheaper. Hard crabs selling
at 81 % per barrel. SiarlS ana oysters are
also on sale, and the demand for them Is
firm.
1t is stated that the large steam launch
Joe Blackburn will not be put in commits
sion on the river during this summer as a
pleasure craft. but will be allowed to lie at
her wharf, unless sold away from here. The
Blackburn was formerly the harbor police
boat and was one of the most popular
pleasure craft on the river.
The plans for the building Of the new
pier at Fort Hunt artillery station have. lt
is said. been completed. but the bids for
the building of the structure VIII not be
asked for until after the army exercises on
the river are over. The site of the new pier
has been located by the army engineers
almost directly opposite the wharf at Fort
Washington.
The repainting and decorating of the har-
Dor police boat Vigilant has been completed
by the members of the harbor patrol force.
The Vigiant is now in thorough order and
is one of the handsomest boats on the river
| and Commodore Sutton is greatly pleased.
General News of the Port.
The Alexandria tug George w. Pride has
completed her charter tow boat for the
| Fairy Landing fishing shore and has taken
| up a short-time charter towing mud-laden
| scows for Deans dredging machine at work
| in the harbor The machine is now dreGg-
ing the dock adjoining the pier of tho
steamer River Queen at the foot of n street
southwest.
The large steam yacht Neaira. belonging
has been in port for several days, yesterday
took a party of the delegates to the rail-
way congress on short trip down the
river. The yacht will remain in port here
until after the congress concludes It's de-
alterations and adjourns.
The United States army torpedo planter
Maj. Samuel Ringgold ise lying at Fort
Washington, but has not yet begun the
laying of any dummy torpedoes in the river
in the vicinity of the Potomac forts, unless
she has done the work at night when no
one was around to observe where the mines
were laid. 1t is now stated that the plan
of mining the river has been abandoned.
and the Ringgod will be used as a school
of instruction for the officers and men
stationed at Fort Washington and Fort
Hunt during the army and navy drills next
month.
1t is stated that the wharf at Liverpool
Point, which has been closed as a public
landing for more than year past VIII
shortly be opened to the public again under
new management. The pier will also be
repaired and improved.
Vessels Coming and Going.
Mrs. ]. H. Trower, wife of Chief En-
gineer Trower of the Norfolk and Wash
ington Steamboat Company, with her
daughter, has gone to Burkes Station,
Va, for a short stay.
Capt. Austin Dolman will have command
of the steamer Jane Moseiey, running
cursions on the river during the coming
summer season.
The alec vapor launch Mary. owned at
Alexandria. has been made ready for serv-
ice and will take her owners TO the resorts
on the river during the summer months.
The large twin screw launch Jane now
on the marine railway at Reagan's boat
yard. will be launched ready for service
early in the next week
The schooner ]. Brambell has arrived In
port laden with cargo Of grain from the
lower river for the dealers here.
The schooner Alethea is in port with a
cargo of about 1900 feet Of pine lumber
from the Rappahannock river.
The schooners Isaac Solomon, Peri,
Charles H. Dagger, Ina Maclarn and Sid
ney Jones are among the recent arrivals
in port with loads of cord wood from lower
river points.
The barge w. E. Baker is lying at the
wharf foot of 9th street unloading cargo
of over 1oo,coo feet of lumber from Nor
folk.
The Baltimore tug Sandow has arrived
with the coal-laden barges John /. Brady
and George b. Roberts in tow from Phila-
delphia. The barges each bring about 800
tons of the fuel.
The schooner Belmont came into port
yesterday with load of cord wood from
the lower. river.