Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-27
ON THE RIVER FRONT
ICE IN HARBOR BLOWN AWAY BY
WESTERLY BREEZE.
Open Water Showing at Last - New
Propeller Wheel for Tug Boats
Other Matters.

The strong westerly winds which blew
Saturday and yesterday caused the broken
up ice in the harbor to drift down toward
the arsenal and from the Randall wharf
to the forks of tbs channel, near Buena
Vista wharf, the harbor was free OF Ice
This is the first time open water has been
seen off the city wharves for nearly two
me nths. Between this city and Alexandra
patches of open water could be seen, but as
yet there is general movement of the
frozen mass down stream. With warm
rain and the continuation of the thawing
weather the river men believe the ice will
be soft enough to allow the steamers to
run before the 4th of March. The ice is
reported immovable from this city to
point below Maryland Point.
The heavy ice covering the fishing
grounds on the river has prevented the
catching of Potomac fish and all the fish
now on sale at the wholesale market on
the wharf come from southern sources,
principally from Georgia and Florida. Fine
shad from Florida are on sale and some
few North Carolina herring have been re-
ceived by the dealers. The receipts at the
wharf market this morning were light, but
the demand was quite fair, the fish selling
at the prices quoted Saturday.
There is ample supply of oysters, both
in the shell and shucked, on sale at the
oyster wharf and the demand for them is
fair at high prices The dealers are eX-
pecting the arrival of oyster-laden boats
from the lower river next week If the Ice
continues to soften
The Baltimore and Ohio railway tug
Beaverton, which broke her wheel in the
Ice several days ago, was hauled out on the
marine railway at the navy yard Thursday
and a new propeller was placed on the tug.
Saturday the tug William II. Yerkes, ir.,
which broke her wheel in the ice while
fI,1 -I,-ng
the navy yard and is to be hauled out to
have wheel put on her. The navy author
tiles allowing the use of the railway by the
tug boat owners is a great convenience,
it is the only railway in this vicinity
that is now available for emergency re-
pairs.
The Yerlles was particularly unfortunate
in breaking her wheel. She had been work
ing on Chesapeake bay in heavy ice for six
weeks and had made a record for herself
in towing without trouble. She came
through the thick ice on the river, joined
the fleet off Fort Foote and had not been
with the other boats half an hour when her
wheel broke.
General River News.
Hampton Roads is crowded with coastng
vessels detained by contrary winds and ice.
in the ports to which they are bound. Fully
seventy-five large schooners are in the fleet
in the Roads. with cargoes of coal and
lumber aboard bound north. Among the
fleet is the Swedish bark Manlock. bound TO
Alexandria with a cargo of bone from
Buenos Ayres, Argentine Republic. The
Manlock sailed from the River Platte jan
uary and anchored in the Roads February
49, Her cargo of bone will be converted
into fertilizer at one of the Alexandria
plants.
The lighthouse tender Holly is reported
in the lower Potomac taking up the gas
buoys at Ragged Point and off the mouth
of Coan river, in order to save them from
damage by drifting ice When the Ice is
ont of the river the buoyS will be replaced
in position and lighted.
Although the ice in the harbor has soft
ened considerably and is scanned with cracks
in all directions, party of eight or ten
bows were out upon the frozen surface play
ing for an hour or more Saturday afternoon
off the foot of 9th street They took great
risks in jumping wide cracks, but no harm
hefel them.
The tug D. NJ. Key, which has been on the
marine railway at Benefits boatyard for
the past month, was launched Saturday,
the tide having run high enough to float
the vessel While on the railway the hull
of the tug has been caulked and covered
with heavy metal and she has been fitted
with IAN ice-breaking pillow The engine
given an overhauling, and the boat Is now
in the best of order
The recovering of the plough of the tug
Jane 0. Carter with heavy metal has been
completed at Benefits boatyard and the
ice breaker has been attached to the tug.
All the other boats of Commodore Sutton's
ice fleet are again ready for service.
The tug Marion Cameron built at Balti-
more for service on the Potomac, punctured