Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-21
ATTACK ON RIVER ICE
FLEET OF TUGBoATS TO BEGIN
WORK TOMORROW.

The weather tomorrow promises to be
propitious for the attack of the fleet OF
tugboats and steamers upon the thick ice
in the Potomac, which Commodore sui
ton. the harbormaster, announces Will take
place in the morning.
1.-The temperature will continue moderate
tomorrow" said Prof. Garriott this after
noon, but the mercury may go down near
the freezing point tonight, only to soar
upward in the forenoon until it reaches
about the temperature of today
There will be more clouds in the sky to-
morrow and there is no cold weather or
rain in sight. Reports from Western
Maryland today where there are little
streams tributary to the upper Potomac
state that the ice and snow on the noun
tans and hllsides are melting and running
down into the streams, but 1t is the opln-
ion of the weather bureau officials That TINS
thawing will not contribute sufficiently TO
cause serious trouble in the river here
abouts, the expectation being that When
the ice is broken up by the Steamboats, ana
tugs it will gradually float downstream 10
the open water below.
Under Harbormaster's Direction.
The attack of the fleet of tugs and steam
ers upon the thick ice covering the Potomac
in this vicinity will be started tomorrow
morning. under the direction of Harpor-
master Sutton, and the masters the varl-
Gus boats under charter for the work have
been notified to have their vessels at the
barbor office pier by s am. tomorrow. L ne
ic.. is very hard and there is believed to be
very little danger just now OF II giving
away suddenly and jamming at the brldge.
Commodore Sutton proposes, however, 10
begin the work time. AS the warm
weather is softening the ice and it meits
much more rapidly in salt water than IN
fresh, the breaking away OF the ice On lhe
river below Indian Head is looked LOT d.
any time and when it is adrlft with tne
tides down there the tugs will widen the
channel made by the naval tugs ana NOT
folk line steamers until the drlIt ice can
flow off with the winds and the tldes. Coni-
modore Sutton will start the fleet breaking
the ice about the bridges, and when 1t Is
thoroughly broken up there they Will go
down the river, breaking wide channel 10
GIymont and Indian Head. -,
Commodore Sutton estimates that IL VIII
require about ten days to complete the
work and get the river in this vicinity thor
oughly open. He has at his d1spoSal one
steamer and fourteen tugs, an armed WIN
ice-breaking plows The draft of the boats
ranges from about seven feet to less than
four feet so that they can be USED IN an
parts of the harbor and many of them on
the flats, if it is deemed necessary 10 preah
I'D the ice there.
Vessels in the Fleet.
The feet includes the steamer Estelle
Randall and the tugs VIM. H. Yerkes, )r.,
Camilla, James o. Carter, Edith g. VIM
ship. VIM. H. Mohler, Minerva, Walter 6.
Meade, D. M. Key and ]. T. Selectman OF
this city and the Juno, Rosalie. George w.
Pride and Bartholdi at Alexandria. The
District police tug Vigilant is also to be in
cluded in the list. The tugs Yerkes and
Camilla have. been employed in towing on
the bay for the past six weeks, but orders
were sent their masters last night to re-
turn home at once, and they are expected
to arrive here tonight or early tomorrow
morning. An inspector will be kept aboard
each tug.
Unless another freeze comes, and that is
not expected, the work will be prosecuted
to finish. Commodore Sutton thinks it
can be completed without difficulty in the
ten days he has the boats under charter.
A force of men was engaged on Pennsyl-
vania avenue today clearing away the ac-
foundations of black mud and ice which
has made pedestrianism a most disagree
able task for some time past. There are
other forces of workmen engaged on some
of the principal thoroughfares cleaning the
roadways and the cutters in which the
snow and ice are piled high.