Evening star., 1909-02-15
GENERAL NEWS GATHERED
ALONG THE RIVER FRONT

A heavy fog covered the Potomac river
almost its entire length yesterday. ac-
cording to masters Of steamers arriving
here yesterday afternoon. 1t upset boat
schedules to a considerable extent
The officers of the steamer Wakefield,
which reached here last night shortly
after Z o'clock, after an hour and half
late, report having had fog in MattoX
creek when the steamer left there yester-
day morning. She ran through it all
day.
In the vicinity of this city and Alexan-
dria, and to a point some distance below
Alexandria, the fog did not form until
| afternoon. About dusk it was so thick
| that lights a boat length away could not
be made out.
| The Wakefield succeeded in making all
her landings except those in Mattawo-
man creek. Fog was too thick to at
tempt to find the narrow entrance to that
waterway.
Rivermen state that fogs have been
more numerous and thicker this winter
than In any winter within the recollec-
| ton of men engaged in traffic on the 20
tOmac for over half century.
The warm open winter and the almost
| certainty that there will be no Ice thick
enough to interfere in any degree with
| the movement Of power boats whose hullS
are metaled has started the owners OF
these craft thinking about the boating
season that is expected to open within
the next month or six weeks.
At the local boatyards and the head
quarters of the yacht clubs power craft
are being overhauled preparatory to be-
Ing painted and placed in service. Yes
terday afternoon there were dozen or
more launches out, and this number will
be increased each week from now until
the summer, when Sunday afternoons
they are as thick on the river as flies
about a molasses barrel. Several of the
larger boats, 1t is said, will take parties
| to Hampton roads this week to witness
the homecoming of the battleship fleet.
In order that the steamer Wakefield
may be here for inspection before it, with
the other steamers and the river lines
of the Washington and Potomac Steam
boat Company, is sold at auction by the
trustees for the bondholders. Thursday
afternoon next. change has been made
in her schedule for this week. Instead
of leaving here Wednesday afternoon at
4 o'clock for the river landings she will
not sail until Thursday afternoon after
the sale.
Arrived-Bugeye Imperial, oysters in the
shell from a down-river point for the
Eastern branch: tug Rosalie. with tow
from a down-river point; U: s. Army
steamer Gen. Swartwout, from Fort
Washington.
sailed-Schooner Emily S. Burton, light.
for Reedville. Va: tug Camilla. light.
for Point Lookout after 5. q. Co.. tank
barge with oil for this city; tug James 0.
Carter, with a tow for a down-river
point; bugeye NJ. J. Stephenson. light.
for river point to load back to this
city.
Memoranda-Pungy Cora Mckenney has
gone 70 q river point to load oysters for
The Alexandra market; schooner Emily
-. Burton Is chartered to load fish scrap
at Reedville for Elkton. Nd: schooner
g g Kimball Is at Colonial Beach with
a cargo of oysters In the shell bound to
this City: schooner Lottie Carter has
sailed from Coan river for this city with
lumber aboard: schooner E. P. Evans is
at river point loading oysters in the
shell fer this city.
The work Of loading the big Baltimore
barge Atlantic with railway ties, which
it is to take to New York. was begun at
ties will be placed aboard the vessel at
that point and In about ten days or two
weeks 1t will be brought to Alexandria to