Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-17

regulations necessary as safety measure and
calls for added vigilance ON the part of the
harbor police. Fines for violations of these
rules range from 81 to 600, and special efforts
are being made to warn all pilots and to inn
press them with the need of holding their speed
down to a safe pace while in traffic"
INVENTIONS men comprise the force upon
whom these duties fan. They are split
into three eight-hour watches and assigned to
various beats Many Of them have had sea
duty, either in the Navy or with shipping COM
panies; some are licensed pilots, all have had
river training and all who man the boats are
skilled in frst-aid methods Their headouar-
tiers is ON the river front near the foot Of
Seventh street. next door to the harbor fire de-
partment and the morgue, and here their fleet
Is moored, ready at all times for instant duty.
Commanding them is Lieut. Edward T. Har-
ney harbor master, able officer and seaman
Under him the harbor precinct has become a
model Of efficiency. Realizing the need of
speed, alertness and shipshape orderliness in
performing q service which includes the fire.
quent saving of human lives upon the water
Lieut.. Harvey keeps everything ready to spring
into action at moments notice Men and
machinery are groomed, prepared, and delay il
an unknown word at the harbor Headquarters.
Harvey knows his men, and he knows the
river. He Is q licensed pilot and years of ex-
perience on the waterways in and near WASH
ington have laid these courses open to him like
the pages OF book. He knows all the tricks
and caprices of the Potomac and its tributaries
In high and low water, In Summer and in VIM
ter, and he knows the ways and habits of the
numerous and varied types of craft that breast
the currents.
But Harvey withal. is a modest man. He
refuses to take credit for the splendid service
the harbor police have performed since he has
been In command. He points to the men on
his force. he speaks Of their record of the work
they have accomplished. AS a matter of fact,
you don't hear great deal about these men
unless you talk to Harvey They seem to have
caught the spirit of slipping into the back
ground from him. They go about their duties
quietly, not seeking glory or praise, performing
their tasks in silence, reluctant to talk about
their achievements. Yet there are heroes
among them; men who have risked their own
lives countless times to save the lives of others;
men who have performed daring feats of brav-
cry In the line Of duty. And there are vet
Grams in the service, one old-tirner in particu-
lar, who for 40 years has patrolled the upper
river, of whom more anon.
FIVE boats, each equipped with first-aid and
hfeSaving apparatus, comprise the feet of
the harbor police. These are the steel tug and
auxiliary hrefghter Charles A. Evans, the mo-
tor boats HesSe and Sylvester, the speedboat
Sullivan and a small cupboard motor boat. In
charge of this fleet, as chief engineer, is Pvt.
@. G. HUMPHREYS who is also pilot of the Sui
Ivan answering all emergency calls.
HUMPHREYS might well be called the right
hand man OF the force. His talents are many
and his work is indispensable. He keeps the
motors groomed and tuned up to their highest
degree Of efficiency. From the 5-ton Diesel
which powers the Evans to the little portable
clamped astern of the fleets smallest boat, he
fixes his constant attention ON all the ma
chinery and keeps 1t in perfect order. In a
completely equipped machine shop adjacent to
the precinct which he designed himself, he
makes his own repairs
But Humphries is no simple mechanic. He
is a skilled marine engineer and boat designer.
He drew the plans for the 55-foot, all-steel
harbor tug Evans himself; designed every part