Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-16
GENERAL NEWS GATHERED
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT

The two-maSted schooner Martha Davis
purchased about two months ago by Capt
Charley Mckinney of Alexandria, was
sold short time ago by Capt. McKenney
to Capt. j. E. Gibson. Her new owner
has taken her down the river and will
use her in fishing work on the lower
Potomac.
After Capt. Nckenney purchased the
Davis he had her hauled out at the Alex
andria shipyard, where her hull was re-
built. and she was being made ready to
be placed In the oyster-running trade
when purchased by Capt. Gibson. The
Martha Davis was formerly a power
schooner and hailed from Norfolk, where
she was employed in the oyster trade
Early in the spring she was brought
to this city. Her Norfolk owners claimed
that she had been obtained by fraud
from them. The case was heard in the
Police Court and. after the usual delays
incidental to court procedure, she was
finally turned over to her Virginia owners
and was taken to Alexandria, where she
lay until purchased by Capt. Mckenney.
She will bring fish from the nets OPP
Grated by Capt. Gibson in the lower river
to the dealers at this city. The Davis
was built at Straits N. c.. in 1868.
The hulk of the old two-masted schooner
r. Mason is lying a wreck on the Mary
land shore a short distance below Liver
pool Point. and it is only a question of
short time before wind and weather COM
bined will have caused the old hull to
drop to pieces. The old vessel for many
years did good service freighter on
the Potomac and she was a regular Wis
itor to this port. Although over a half
century in age. the old schooner came and
went with full cargoes, and did as well
for her owners as did many Of the much
younger schoOners.
The time came, about eight months ago,
when extensive repairs were necessary to
the old craft in order to keep her in con-
dition, and rather than spend the money
on her she was beacheG where she now
lies, all parts of value were removed and
the battered hulk was left to disintegrate
The X. Mason was built at St. MichaerS $,
Md, in 1856, and practically all her life
was spent in freighting on Chesapeake
bay and its tributaries. She was vessel
of fifty tons register, and was seventy
one feet long, twenty-five feet beam and
six feet deep in the hold
The Norfolk line steamer on her way
up the Potomac to this city ran into
patches of fog from below Marshall Hall
to Alexandria. The fog banks were not
very large, the steamer running into them
and out again in a minute, but they We're
heavy enough to make fog whistles neceS-
sary and to cause the usual fog precau-
tons to be observed by the crew. The
river men say that fogS are rather un-
common when the air and water are as
cool as they are now
Arrived: Tug Fortuna towing two coal
laden barges from Baltimore for the deal
ers; schooner Agnes Quillan, lumber from
Newbern. N. c.; schooner w. E. P.
Evans, oysters in the shell from Poto-
mac point; barges Magnolia and Minerva,
coal from Baltimore for Georgetown and
Alexandria; schooner Mabel and Ruth,
lumber from a North Carolina point for
the dealers; scow Daniel. cord wood at
Alexandria; tug Minerva with a tow from
a river point; schooners c. A. Holland
and J. D. Marvel pine lumber from the
Pamunkey river. Virginia.
Sailed: Tug Rosalie with tow of light
scows for a river point: schooner Ur-
| bana, light, for Virginia point to load
lumber: sloop Daisy, light. from Alexan-
dria with a general cargo for Pennington,
Md: schooner Camp, light. for the lower
river to load back to this city; sloop
Maud. light, for the Potomac oyster beds
to load back to this city.
Memoranda: Schooner Rover is at Bowl
ers wharf loading lumber for this city or
Baltimore: schooner Salisbury has sailed
from Newbern, N. c.. laden with lumber