Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-22
GENERAL NEWS GATHERED
ON THE RIVER FRONT

The two-masted schooner Nettie, laden
with cargo of about hundred thousand
feet Of pine lumber from the Rappahannock
river, was brought into port Wednesday
by the tug James o. Carter, who picked her
up about Fort Washington. The Nettie
went to the Rappahannock about six weeks
ago for her cargo and was caught by the
freeze. She was thought to be somewhere
in harbor along the lower river, but it is
now said that she did not sail from the
Rappahannock until the ice in that stream
broke up and she could come out without
trouble. The ice in the Rappahannock is
reported to have been very heavy, if any
thing, heavier than on the Potomac. The
schooner Sidonia Curley, which arrived here
Tuesday with a cargo of lumber and has
been taken to Georgetown to unload, also
loaded her cargo on the Rappahannock,
but she succeeded in reaching the Wicomico
and was in harbor there during the freeze
When navigation on the Potomac opened
she was brought here by the tug Camilla
Preparations have been completed for the
resumption of the digging of sand and
gravel from the bottom Of the river, and
yesterday three scows loaded with the ma
terial were brought to Alexandria. The tug
Eugenia went into commission yesterday
and took tow Of empty scows to Piscata-
way creek. where one of the Smoot dredg-
ing machines is located and work will be
commenced there at once. 1t is stated that
the Columbia National Sand Company will
within the next day or two send a dredge to
Greenway flats and will start operations
there. There is said to be an unusually
heavy demand for sand and gravel and
good prices are being paid for the material
The lighters used in carrying the sewer
pipe from the storage yard on the eastern
branch to the point where the new outlet
into the river is being constructed was
yesterday taken to the yard for the last
sections Of pipe to be laid at the outlet
The pipe will be brought down to the out
let today and will be placed in position.
The little tug Powhatan, used as tender to
the pipe-laying outfit, which has been laid
up for several days, went into service yes
terday.
The tug Edward c. Gunmell sailed thi.
morning towing the barge Wissahickon
laden with gravel for Norfolk and the light
schooner Edward Naird, jr.. and barge
Chesapeake for Baltimore. The schooner
Baird arrived here about a month ago
laden with building stone from the Maine
coast for one of the public buildings here.
Before she unloaded her cargo the freeze
came and the schooner was forced to re-
main on account Of the ice. She will load
cargo at Baltimore for a port in the
south.
The schooners John Branford, Rena Cox,
Amanda Lewis, Escort, Millie K, Kirby
and Bessie Lafayette are the recent ar
rivals in port with cargoes Of oysters in
the shell aboard. The arrival Of the boats
has caused a drop in the price of the biv-
alves. and this morning good oysters could
be bought for 60c. per bushel, and prices
ranged from that figure up to 81 per BUSH
ell There is now at the wharf aboard YES
sells about 2, 200 bushels of Potomac oysters
Several Of these vessels sailed up the river
and only took a tugboat when about Fort
Washington.
The schooner Clara Leonard is reported
In Nomini creek loading a cargo Of cord
wood for this city; schooner J. c. Cunning
ham sailed from Alexandra yesterday for
the lower river to load a cargo of lumber
for this port; scow Roam has gone to a
nearby point on the river and will load a
cargo Of cord wood for dealers here; schoon-
err Curley has been chartered to return to
the Rappahannock river for a cargo Of
pine lumber for dealers here.
The officers of the ferry line steamer re-
port having seen hundreds of wild ducks
on the river fats on the Virginia side be-
tween this city and Alexandria yesterday
and not hunter was to be seen after them
There has been little If any hunting of wild
ducks on the river in the vicinity Of this
city this year. and as a consequence the
birds are reported to be very tame. The
ducks seen yesterday were mallard red
heads and some smaller varieties.