Evening star., 1918-02-15
FLOOD RECfDES ON
POTOMAC AS GORGE
PASSES DOWN RIVER
Traffic Over Aqueduct Bridge
Closed Over Night, But Is
Resumed Today.
WATER FALLS THREE FEET
AT GEORGETOWN BY NOON
Channel on Virginia Side Free Of Ice.
Jam in Georgetown Course
Remains Firm.

Danger of a serious food along the
Washington river front for the present
passed today, in the opinion of expert
enced rivermen. Ice foes jammed in
the channels above the city broke and
passed down the Potomac, and with this
movement the high water began to re-
cede rapidly.
Because of the big ice Jam at Aqueduct
bridge and the continued rise of the water
late Yesterday afternoon the police OF the
seventh precinct, in conjunction with
military officers, closed the bridge at 5 "a
o'clock last evening. This was done as a
precautionary measure. and not because
1t was believed the bridge was seriously
Threatened after the ice forced a passage
through the channel known as Little river
during the afternoon. At I o'clock this
morning the barriers were removed from
both ends of the bridge and traffic was
resumed.
At that time the water had receded un-
Til the b & o. tracks along Water street
were clear and the fall was continuing
Before noon the water had fallen more
than three feet, while the channel opened
on the Virginia side of the river was prac-
tically free from floating ice.
Jam Remains Firm.
tending from Highway bridge to the Three
Sisters. remained firm. Resort to dyna-
mite to loosen the ice was made unneces-
sary by the opening of the passage through
Little river and Army engineers this
morning said it would be useless to try
to dynamite the jam along the George
town shore for the reason that the ice
is packed solidly to the bottom Of the
river. 1t is held in place by the receding
Of the water and probably will not go
until warm weather melts it out
Precautions were taken to safeguard
the powerhouse of the Capital Traction
Company. on the river front near the
foot of Wisconsin avenue, last evening.
coal were placed on the railroad tracks
about the building, and bags filed with
earth were provided to barricade the
doors and lower windows against an
tinue to rise The rapid falling Of the
river. however, made these precautions
unnecessary.
Great Damage to Canoes.
This morning owners of boathouse
and boat club property along the river
near the Aqueduct bridge began taking
stock and estimating damage. Members
of the Washington Canoe Club esti-
mated damage to the building. to hun
dreds Of canoes that could not be re-
moved from the building in time and
to other property, at about $4,000.
Dempsey's boathouse and contents. it
was stated today. sustained damage
amounting to at least the same amount
1t is believed the boathouse itself will
be a total loss, as the entire front of
the building is crushed in and will
surely collapse when the ice jam that
now holds it up melts or goes out
tomac Boat Club, 1t was stated. will
show from $4,000 to $4,000 damage
when a complete inventory can be
made; while the building of the Great
is damaged probably to the extent of
about $4,000. Capt. Moores boathouse,
his large power boat and smaller craft
were absolutely splintered and wreck
today at about $4,000. Conservativeiy
estimated, 1t was said today that the
clubs and lighthouses had suffered COM
bined damage of from $4,000 to $50. 1000.
Dredging Concern Loses.
The Columbia Granite and Dredging
Company. In the wrecking of two tugs
and several barges. sustained a loss of
about $4,000. This does not take into
and shanties at the company's quar-
ries near Chain bridge, no estimate of
which has been made as yet.
Havoc wrought by the ice and water
at points all the way from Georgetown
to Great Falls has been great, it was
stated today by persons who have
made trips to Sycamore Island, Little
Falls. Stubblefield Falls and other
points. though no estimate of damage
at these points has been made.
Rivermen today expressed the belief
that practically all of the high water
and big ice has passed down the river
and that no further danger is to be an
tfcfpated unless heavy rains along the
headwaters of the Potomac and its
tributaries cause another rise.
Ice Eas Not Moved.
From the railroad bridge, past the
Highway bridge. and up to Georgetown
the ice in the channel has not moved
since yesterday evening. On bot!
sides the river there is open water and
the current is rushing along at high
speed Little ice. comparatively is be-
ing brought down, and it is carried but
few hundred yards below the railroad
sHfdSe, where IL strikes a jam that eX-
TENDS to the wharf of the Washington
Steel and Ordnance Company. at Gies-
boro point.
The jam. both above the bridges and
at Giesboro. seems to be to the bottom
OF the channel. and there is no move
ment of water through it, as far as car
be seen.
The tug Baby has been carried unde,
the Highway bridge and has had hel
smokestack knocked of and her house
twisted, but there is a possibility she
may be saved. The tug Minerva is ly.
Ing on her side in the jam and is al.
most entirely covered by the ice.
If saved at all she will be badly dam.
aged. The big sand dredge Great Fail.
is lying in the shoal water on tn,
District side of the river with ice al
about her and she may be saved, but il
Is only possibility. power launch i.
caught in the jam a short distance
above the Highway bridge and wher
the ice does go out it is probable sh,
will be taken out with 1t and sunk
Caught in Ice.
The steamer Northland of the Norfolk
and Washington line and the steamer
Booth Bay. which runs between Tho
navy yard and Indian Head, are in
the ice below Giesboro wharf and thi.
morning two of the big navy yard tug.
were hammering at the ice with al
their power in an endeavor to open