Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-16
ON THE RIVER FRONT
REPORTED SALE OF STEAMER
wEsTMoRELAND.
Trials of Machinery Of New Ferryboat
Changes in Vessel Masters
-Harbor Notes.

| The big side-wheel steamer Westmore-
| land. which was acquired by the Maryland,
| Delaware and Virginia Railway Company
when 1t purchased the Weems line steam
ers about a year ago, is to be sold, 1t Is
| stated. to an excursion company doing
| business on the great lakes, and the con-
| tract for the sale of the steamer will be, 1t
| is reported, closed within the next day or
| two. The Westmoreland was for several
years upon the route between this city and
| Baltimore, in conjunction with the steam
| ers Potomac and Sue, and was one of the
| most popular boats ever on the route. She
made her last trip here about two years
ago, and was caught by a sudden freeze
and had to remain for several weeks. she
| has recently been employed on the Patux-
| ent and Rappahannock river routes from
Baltimore, and has rendered effective serV-
/ ice. She was built at Baltimore in 1855,
| is of $40 tons burden, and is 1898 feet long
| and 1878 feet wide. Representatives or a
| Chicago steamboat company were In TINS
| city last week looking at the Maryland,
| Delaware and Virginia railway steamer
Northumberland with view of negotiat-
| ing for her purchase.
| Business was dull at the fish wharf mar
ket this morning, the buyers on nand being
very few although there was an excellent
supply of the As. on sale, and they were
offered at prices much lower than those or
| the past week. The supply embraced all
| varieties of both river and saltwater fish.
A fleet of ten or more vessels have arrived
here since Saturday with oysters in the
| shell aboard from the beds along the lower
| Potomac; but the demand Is not heavy.
Prices continue to range at about ooc. TO
| 81 per bushel.
Grabs are still ON sale but the demand
| for them is light and they are selling at
| low prices
| The big four-masted schooner Eagle,
| Wing, Capt. Morgan, laden with paving
| blocks from Rockport, Mass, for this city
and Baltimore, has arrived at Baltimore
| and will unload a portion of her cargo
| there. The schooner has aboard $50 tons
| of the blocks, fifty tons of which will be
| discharged and the remainder brought to
| this city. The vessel is expected to arrive
| here about the end of this week. The
| blocks to be used, 1t is stated. In some
| of the street Improvement work now going
| on in this city.
| Daily trials are now being made of the
| engine and machinery of the new propel-
| Ter steamer Woodbury., which is to run on
| the ferry route between this city and Alex
| andria, in the dock at the shipyard in wal
| mington, where she is being built and the
| officials of the Norfolk and Washington
! company who have seen her working, are
satisfied she will make the high speed re-
| quired of her in order to make the sched-
ule on the route as arranged. These trials
are for the purpose of having every portion
of her machinery limbered up and IN
smooth working order, so that she can take
her place on the route as soon as she is
brought to this city, about the 10Th Of this
month.
General River Matters.
Capt John T. Beauchamp, who for sew
eral years past has been master Of the ram
schooner James H. Hargraves, in the bay
lumber trade, has retired from the COM
mand of that vessel, and is at Sharptown.
Md, experimenting the fitting out Of the
new schooner Samuel J. Cooper which is
about ready to be put overheard. Capt.
Beauchamp Is to command the new vessel
when she goes into commission. The Cooper
will have capacity OF about SOO tons.
Capt. George New of Urbanna, Va, will
succeed to the command of the Hargraves.
The barge Kate N. Latta, which was haul
ed out on the big marine railway at the
Alexandria shipyard for repair work to her
hull, is again ready for service, and was
launched from the railway Saturday after
noon. She will be employed in carrying
cargoes Of gas making coal from the rail-
way dumps on the Eastern branch to
Georgetown for the gasight company.
1t is stated that Mr.. John r. Dos Passos
of New York, who formerly owned the
steam yacht Giavota, in service on the Po-
tomac, has purchased larger and more
modern yacht, and will shortly bring her
around to this city. He will keep her sta
toned here for trips to his country place on
the Potomac, In WeStmOTeldnd county, Va.
Capt. William Robertson, who was master
of the Giavota, rumor says Is to command
the new yacht.
Plans have been prepared for many i'm
provements to be made in the amusement
features at Colonial Beach before the next
excursion season opens there. A big dane
ing pavilion is to be built on the excursion
pier, new attractions put In on the big hotel
grounds and Capt. Randall has secured a
steamer and will have her in service next
season that will carry 5000 persons and
will make the trip from this city to the
| beach in four hours.
The steamer E. James Tull has arrived in
port from Occoquan creek. with a cargo of
| 300 piles aboard for use in the new bridge
| over the Anacostia river The steamer re-
| turned to Occoquan with cargo of general
! stores.
! The schooner William Young has arrived
] in port, laden with a cargo of laths and
| shingles, from Norfolk. Part of her cargo
| was discharged at Alexandria, and she is
now lying at the wharf foot of 9th street to
| unload the remainder.
The tug Curtin arrived in port Saturday
| with the barges Diamond State and Agnes
| McNalley In tow from Philadelphia The
| barges have aboard cargoes of coal for the
| Washington Gas Light Company, and have
been taken to Georgetown to unload. The
| Curtin sailed yesterday with the light
| barges Arasapia and John Mentally for Nor
| folk.
| The schooner Earl Biscoe has gone to
| Maddox Creek, Va and will there load a
cargo of cordwood for this city
The schooner William Thomas Moore is at
| sea, bound to this city from New York with
a cargo. supposed to be building stone for
| use in the new buildings now in process Of
| erection in this city
| The tug Camilla brought into port Satur-
| day five oyster-laden vessels from the beds
| in the river in the vicinity of Blackstone S
| Island. and berthed them at the oyster
wharf foot of 18th street southwest
| Capt. Frank Posey, who has been the dock
| captain for the Norfolk and Washington
| Steamboat Company for the past two years,
has resigned and will return to active steam
| boat work on the river.
Mr. John Wheeler, mate of the tug Sea
| King, has been transferred to the tug Lead
| er in the same capacity. He has been sue
| ceeded on the Sea King by Mate Corsey.
The barkentine Shawmut has been deliv-
cred at Benedict's wharf on the Patuxent
| river. by the tug William H Yerkes of this
| city, and will there load a cargo of railway
| ties.