Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-28
NO POTOMAC FLOOD,
NOT EVEN HIGH TIDE
River Steamboatman'S Prog
nostication, Based on the
Existing Conditions.
LEVEL BELOW AVERAGE,
FLATS BARELY HIDDEN
Effect of Rains in the Hills Visible
Only in the Muddy
Current.

CAS- long as the wind blows from the
northwest, particularly as strong as it
did last night and this morning, there is
little prospect of even an ordinary high
tide. let alone danger from high water
in the river at this city. To cause rou-
BILE here. the winds will have to shift to
the east and southward. and by backing
the water, UP against the freshet coming
down cause the wafer to raise here. This
would be the only danger of a flood here. !"
This Is the manner in which Potomac
steamboatman. who has been studying the
whims and moods of the river for the
past thirty years, this morning summed
up the danger situation here. The COM
ing Of the heavy northwest gale yester-
day did away with all prospect of trouble
here from high water, and today at noon
the rivermen were having trouble from
low water. The Northwestern is causing
the tides to run small and at low water
this morning. About o'clock the level
was fully three feet below the average,
shoal docks in the harbor were without
water. and the river fats between this
city and Alexandria were barely covered
The Potomac at this city, instead of suf-
fering from a surplus of water, really
looked as if it might be going dry.
Up-River Rains.
The effect Of the recent rains in the
country about the headwaters of the Po-
tomac and the Shenandoah, its principal
tributary. is being seen here in the cur
rent coming down from the upper river.
The down rush of water started last
night and during this morning it has in
creased in force and this afternoon is
rushing under the Highway bridge in
frlS xI,o% H.
huge fire was under 1t causing it to boil
and bubble. Some little debris is being
brought down. This consists Of drift
wood and some small tree limbs. but riv-
ermen look for the usual quantity of dead
trees and the like to come down before
the current stops running.
The weather bureau states that no re-
ports have been received from HarperS
Ferry that would indicate a food there
This morning the river at that point was
stu several feet below the danger mark.
Stormy conditions continued on the
river yesterday and last night, and as a
consequence only the larger steamboats,
were in service, all small craft that were
in harbor remaining there. and those
that were not, seeking it as soon as
possible.
Tug Seeks Harbor.
The tug Camilla of the Taylor fleet,
which brought the Standard Oil Com
Ttany's tank barge from Point Lookout
to this city, was forced to anchor the
barge and seek harbor for several hours
in the height of yesterdays gale. The
tug D. M. Key, which left here Wednes-
day morning to shift a barge from Oc-
coquan to Quantico did not get back to
this city until today, the heavy winds
delaying her in her work. Yesterday
about noon. when the wind shifted from
the southwark to northwest, the gale
seemed to gain additional strength by the
change, and unusually big seas are re-
ported to have been made in the river
When the Northwestern blows itself out
the rivermen are looking for pleasant
springlike weather. but they say we have
got to pay now for the pretty weather
must either come in or go out "a-roar-
ing"