Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-06
ICE CH0KES THE BAY
Only Heaviest Steamers Able
. to Break Way Through.
NEVER so SERIOUS BEFORE
Oldest Navigators Say Conditions
Are Unprecedented.
APACHE JOINS IN RELIEF
Revenue Cutter Will Make Effort
to Reach People Marooned on
Holland Island.
APACHE JOINS IN RELIEF
Special dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
BALTIMORE, Md, February & - The
zero weather of the past few days has
tended to increase the ice blockade in
the Chesapeake bay. This morning the
weather bureau observer at Sparrows
Point reports the bay frozen over as far
as the eye can see. Where the channel
has been opened by the ice boats new
ice formed last night, knitting the old
ice into almost an impenetrable mass, in
some places three to five feet thick.
Captains of vessels who were able to
force their way through the ice packs re-
port conditions the worst in the memory
of the oldest bay navigators. Conditions on
the eastern shore have not improved, and
until the situation becomes better no
steamers Will be sent out to those points,
as the conditions at present are insur-
mountable for vessels of the usual bay
type.
New Ice Has Formed.
Capt. Smith of the steamer Northum-
berland. which reached port this morning
from Leonardtown and landings on the
Potomac river. reports considerable trou
bic in making the trip. Much new ice has
formed, which has knitted together the
heavier ice, through which it was very
difficult for the steamer to break
According to Capt. Rynning of the Nor
wegian fruit steamer Vera, which reached
port this morning, the present cold wave
extends down the coast as far as Dia-
mond shoals. where the sudden change
fro. the warm air of the gulf stream
made necessary the battening down of
the matches in order to keep the cargo of
bananas with which the steamer was
loaded from fraQZiQR The Vera sailed
from Port Antonio last Wednesday, and
experienced strong head gales and heavy
seas until the Virginia capes were
reached. From Hatteras bitter cold
and crew, direct from the balmy air Of
Jamaica, felt the change keenly.
Revenue Cutter to Enter.
DEALS ISLAND. Nd. February 6.-At-
temps were renewed today to relieve the
inhabitants of Hollands Island, In Tan
Sier sound, who have been marooned by
the ice for the last four weeks. The
revenue cutter Apache, laden with food
supplies, sailed from Baltimore today for
the island. The Baltimore ice boat An
napolis left Tilghman Island for Cam
bridge, where she Will assist the state
steamer Gov. Thomas, also food laden,
in breaking a passage through to the is
landers.
While IL Is thought that the residents
of Holland Island are amply supplied
with sea food. it is feared they are lacking
in other necessities, and all efforts will be
made to relieve any possible distress.
Suspense at Its Height.
Suspense is at its height. for no one
here knows whether the residents of Hol-
land Island have been able to survive,
without sickness or distress, the four
weeks which have elapsed since the island
was heard from. 1t is thought that the
marooned families have n sufficient sup
ply of meat, but that their breadstuffs
have been exhausted.
Daniel Webster, mail carrier. was the
last man, SO far as is known, to return
from the island. He came back to Deals
from that place January 4. and since then
the ice has formed barrier to all inter-
course between Holland Island and the
rest Of the world. In the absence of tele-
graph telephone lines there has been
no word concer- ing the welfare of the
families whom the weather has cut Off
from the mainland
Dr. John l. Ruby, the Holland Island
physician. whom the ice has prevented
from returning home. is on Deals
Island He declared today that when
he left home four weeks ago there
was no sickness of moment on the
island. In spite of this there is grave
apprehension that the people are suf-
fering from privation-