Ice Brings the River Fleet to a Standstill

The first real cold snap of the season set in Monday. On Tuesday the thermometers along the river front registered 19 degrees below. In other localities it varied from zero to 9 below. A strong wind was blowing most of the time and this made it inconvenient for pedestrians and stock.

There was so much ice running in the river at this place that the steamboats had to stop service. The Ruth failed to get into port until about 10 o'clock at night on Monday. The river is freezing over in the vicinity of Dalkena and boys were skating clear across the stream above Albeni Falls on Tuesday morning.

The mail was taken to lower river points by sleighs from Newport, and this service will be continued as long as the river remains in the present condition. Two years ago this winter the river was frozen over at Newport and for a number of miles below and river traffic was suspended for more than a month altogether.

The Pend Oreille river is frozen over most of the distance between Albeni Falls and Box Canyon. Navigation is entirely suspended, all of the steamers being tied up at their docks in this port with the exception of the lone, which was compelled by the heavy run of ice to tie up at Ruby.

It will probably be a week or ten days, with milder weather prevailing, before the boats will resume operations, as the ice from the upper river will not be cleared before that time. The river is closed earlier than usual, the cold snap generally coming in the latter part of January instead of the earlier.

Capt. Jim Stewart is taking a vacation on account of the closing of navigation. He will spend the next 10 days visiting friends in Spokane and other seaports. This is the first chance that the Capt. has had to rusticate for some time.

Capt. LeClerc tied the lone up at Ruby and drove to Newport with the Northern Mercantile Company Ltd. passengers from that boat on Tuesday night, arriving here about 11 o'clock. The party was nearly frozen when they arrived.

The Ruth was grounded on the Napoleon bar for several hours the other day. After clearing they took no chances on the Yocum bar as the passage in that channel is extremely difficult at the present stage of water.

The crew of the Hookane has been taking their meals at the Hotel Newport on account of being short of a cook at present.

Engineer James Prewett and Mate Robert Baker have resigned their positions on the steamer Ruth. Mr. Prewett will enter the employ of the Pend Oreille River Navigation Co.

The river reached its lowest stage in a year last Thursday. The water fell 21 inches on that night and the night previous. The chinooks and rains that have prevailed since have caused the water to raise and there is now a better volume than for some time.

The Newport failed to arrive in port on Sunday to take up the new schedule on Monday, so the lone was held here and went down on the Newport's run on Monday morning.

About 40,000 pounds of freight, destined for down river points, is tied up at the I. W. N. freight house, waiting for the river to open.