Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1918-02-15
FLOOD and ICE IN RIVER
Steamer Northland and Naval Tug
Booth Bay Battle With Heavy
FIoes Near Steel Plant.

] FioeS Near Steel Pant.
Conditions on the Potomac along
Washington's water front are hour
" growing more nenacing. AquedUct
bridge has been closed to all trainc
and put under military guard, ana
army engineers early this morning
lynamited enormous ice jams IN an
effort to save it from destruction.
There were many narrow escapes
from death. Nine men were me-
rooned on a dredge off AnalosLan IS
land five hours before they were rea-
cued.
The river last night at Georgetown
was sixteen feet above its normal
level, the highest since 1889, When I
| slightly exceeded nineteen feet.
Ice is still jammed from the High
way bridge at Potomac Park clear to
High Island above Chain bridge, ard
in some places is fifteen feet high.
twenty-five persons faced death in
grinding mass of ice this morning
on board the naval tug Booth Bay
caught IN an ice jam off the mouth
of Broad Greek. just below Fort
Foote
At a nearly hour they had nc.
been rescued. 1t was impossible to
send help either from the navy yard
at Washington or from Indian Head.
Available boats could not hope 70
make progress through the jam.
Danger of the ever-increas:ng
weight of ice about the little vesscl.
crushing it and its human cargo IN
creased every ho:".
Seven persons, including a young
woman. made a perilous escape from
the imprisoned boat across NILE
and half of shifting treacherous :ce
to the Virginia shore.
The Booth Bay left Indian Head
Yesterday morning for the Washing
ton Navy Yard, bringing employees
of the proving grounds at Indian
Head to Washington. There were
more than so on board when the trip
was begun.
Safety CT the entire Potomac water
front depends on the breaking OF
an ice jam at the steel plant a short
distance north Of Alexandria.
Two powerful government tugs are
"bucl;ine the center of the river Ice
lam at point near the steel plant
assisted by the Northland, OF inc
Norfolk and Washington Steamboat
Company, which has been held there
ever since $50 yesterday afternoon
on her up trip.
Passengers on the Northland dcsir-
ous of doing so were landed at Alex
andrja. But few availed themselves
of this privilege. Most of those
aboard thought there was fighting
chance of getting through and re-
nained on board. As a result they
are held up.
The Northland was jammed in a
gorge a short distance below AleNan-
dria from early in the morning unill
late in the afternoon.
The tide at noon today had reach
cd the west building line &t hlng
ard Union streets. AZ that time II
was ehbing.
While mach inconvenience has been
experienced on the river front by
reason of the flooded conditions, but
little real damage has resulted from
the fact that merchants ana others
had been On the lockout anI had
their goods carried to upper foors IN
tieir warehouses.
1t was almost impossible TO reach
the most Of the wharres today on
account of the high water.
Conditions in the river had under
cone some markc! changes since yes
terday. While considerable ice was
still passing down the stream. t was
by no means as thick as yesterday
The wind was from the southwest
which was causing the ice to bank
upon the other side OF the river
leaving the channel comparatively
free
The Northland and Booth Bay were
still battling with the foes at the
entrance to Eastern Branch at noon
| today.