Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-14
ICE ON RIVER AS
FAR AS GLYM0NT
Potomac Covered for First
Time This Winter From
Shore to Shore.
COAT ON THE HARBOR
DISAPPEARS RAPIDLY
Rivermen Surprised at Lightness of
Freeze-Say Signs Point to
Warmer Weather.

For the first time this winter the river
in the vicinity of this city and for twenty
hve or more miles below this morning
was covered with a sheet of ice that
extended from shore to shore and in the
channel varied from a quarter of an inch
to about an inch in thickness.
That thicker Ice did not make Ia a mat
ter OF surprise to river men, as the tenn
perature along the harbor this morning
is reported to have gone as low as 8
degrees above zero. and this should have
made the ice much heavier
Officers of the steamer Wakefield
which arrived here early this morning
report having run into Ice at Glymont
and to have run through it all the way
to this city. The harbor was coated
from shore to shore, but the ice was
very thln and soon broke. and under
the influence of the westerly breezes
was carried away
At 10 o'clock the harbor was clear of
ice. but 1t was practically solid up to
Georgetown, the only track through it
having been made by a passing tug
boat
Open Spots on Tidal Basin.
While the tidal basin is for the most
part Ice covered. there are u number of
large spots of open water to be seen
The ice that made on it last night was
very thin and stick could easily be
showed through it.
The rivermen say the signs in the sun
moon and stars, or whatever they fore
tell the weather by, make it look like
warmer weather is coming and that the
present freeze will amount to but little
mere Is a provIso with this prediction.
however. and that is the freeze will
amount to nothing if a heavy snow does
not come. snow followed by cold
weather would mean. the rivermen say,
the making of heavy ice.
Winter of 1911 Recalled.
The advent Of weather cold enough to
make ice is causing masters of vessels
that have recently discharged cargoes
here and are ready to leave to wait for
day or two to see how the weather will
turn out. They recall the winter of 1911,
when, on the night of the full moon of
January. came northerly gale and drop
in the temperature that froZe everything
up solid and closed the river to naviga-
ton for several weeks. The vessel mas-
tiers say that if freeze is at hand they
than be caught in some out-of-the-way
place along the river. where they would
be forced to seek harbor
In consequence of the heavy blow the
water in the river is considerably below
the normal level, and at the oyster wharf
vessels in the shoal docks are lying on
the bottom the greater part Of the time
AT low water yesterday evening the river
flats had but little water over them and
the gulls We're having fine feast on the
little fish and other species of mar ne
life in the little pools left by the receding
ha IN no. oh IN,
the, fish. for the pools quickly froze after
being exposed.
During the heavy gale Monday after
noon the spray from the seas swearing
across the tidal basin was thrown over
shrubbery lining the edge of the basin on
Potomac Park, and, freezing, covered
every branch and twig of the shrub bery
with a coating OF ice, that in the sunshine
yesterday glstened like millions of d a.
monds Those who were in the park
Yesterday and saw the ice-incrusteu
bushes felt wei repaid for Drawing the
cold Winds