Evening star., 1936-02-28
SW|RL|NG RIVER
|CREST IS EXPECTED
TOBEG|N DROPP|NGI
High Tide Today May Brinet
Peak of Flow About
Washington.
BOATS AGAIN PLANNING
REGULAR SCHEDULES
Forty-Foot Section of Dam Below
Williamsport Washed Away.
Other Damage Done. /!

The brimming Potomac River raced
unchecked toward the sea today, dis
gorged Of one of the heaviest ice
burdens in history.
Colder weather last night failed to
check the rapid thaw started by
this weeks Springlike temperatures
and the river ice near Washington
had all but disappeared.
Flood danger was not thought to be
serious, however. The river is brim-
ming but not overfowing. The per-
iod of "crisis" may be when the
water is at high tide, at 12:39 pm.
today.
Danger Declared Past.
The Weather Bureau today reit.
Grated assurances there was virtually
no danger of flood, predicting a slow
fall in the river level tomorrow "if
the ice continues to move without
any blocking"
At 2 am. the river level at Key
Bridge was 81 feet. about feet be-
low flood stage. It has since fallen
somewhat.
The Potomac, above Harpers Ferry.
the bureau said. is falling slowly. Be-
low this point there will probably be
some fuctuation caused by the ice,"
said a Weather Bureau bulletin.
Apart from this, little change is ex-
pected in the river stage during the
next "a hours. A definite but slow fall
will begin tomorrow"
Ice Swept Away.
Ice formations which had been
checking the current between Key
Bridge and the Washington Channel
had been swept downstream and either
submerged or slapped up on the banks.
Damage apparently was limited to
piers of canoe clubs near Key Bridge.
Seventh precinct police had been
| prepared to evacuate families living
| near the shore. but today said danger
seemed past. Police reported the river
level had been going down during the
past IL hours
Boats again began to ply the river.
The Norfolk Washington line planned
to resume regular steamer schedules
from both ports tonight. Trial runs
were completed yesterday for the first
time since February /. the Northland
arriving here, while the District Of
Columbia reached Norfolk last night.
Neither vessel carried passengers or
| freight.
Portion of Dam Destroyed.
| River ice late yesterday carried
away 40-foot section of dam be-
low Williamsport, Md. The dam is
the fourth of series of six between
Brunswick and Cumberland erected
many years ago to -egulate the flow.
Andrew Way, superintendent of the
Potomac Edison Co.'S power plant at
Williamsport for more than quarter
of century, said ice conditions on
the river were the worst he had seen.
The damage to the dam, however, did
not affect power or water supplies, he
said.
At 8 am. today the Potomac was
16 feet inches above normal and
slowly rising at Williamsport. Reports
from farther upstream, however, said
the ice had broken and run of with
out causing damage and that the
river was receding slowly.
Engineers Relieved.
Officials of the United States En-
gineer Office rested easier with danger
of a major flood here apparently
vanishing.
While water rose to 20 feet at Chain
Bridge, the officials did not consider
this alarming. They were advised
by the Weather Bureau that the river
is falling at Cumberland, Md, and
Riverton, Va. While the water Isl
still high at Hancock, Md, little
menace is seen for Washington in
that.
c. Marshall Finnan, superintendent
of National Capital parks, was con-
graduating himself because the ice
jam near the Titanic Memorial
stopped just short of where his
beeches and other small trees have
recently been planted. In some cases
the ice showed up on the short by
the swift current and tidal action
stopped right against the trees, but
did no damage, he said.