When the Ice Broke: Newport's Steamboats Reconnect the Pend Oreille

The management of the Pend Oreille River Navigation Co. and the Metaline Navigation Co. have entered into an agreement whereby the boats of these two companies will be operated in connection in the future.

The new plan provides that the steamers Ione and Newport will ply the waters of the upper river while the Ruth will attend to the traffic between Blueslide and Ione.

The boats will connect at Newport with the trains of the Idaho & Washington Northern. One will leave for Blueslide on the arrival of the train from Spokane which gets here at 9:20 a.m., returning in time to connect with the 5:35 p.m. train for Spokane. The other will leave Blueslide in the morning to connect with the 1:50 train to Spokane and return to Blueslide. The Ruth will meet both boats at Blueslide.

The river is now open to Box Canyon and boat service of all classes has been resumed. The Ione arrived in port Thursday after having been tied up by the ice at Ruby for the past month. She was brought to Newport by Capt. Al McInnis.

Otto McLaughlin has secured the position of engineer of the steamer Ruth, and will go out with that boat as soon as she resumes her regular trips.

The Spokane has resumed hauling barge loads of lumber from Dalkena to Newport.

The Metaline has been raised and repaired after her recent accident. She is now anchored at the Stevens dock. The frame was found near Dalkena. She was injured but slightly.

Capt. LeClerc is having the Metaline put in shape ready to start service as soon as the river is opened to Ione. He anticipates getting ready to run some time next week and will announce a schedule later.

A petition is being circulated asking the postoffice department to establish daily mail service between Cusick and Ione. At present the lower river mail is carried but three times a week, but with the improvement that will go on in that section the coming year it is plain that better mail facilities are needed, and the department will doubtless accede to the request.

On Wednesday the river was clear of ice from Newport to LeClerc's point. It is thought that the ice in the lower river will give way nearly any day and that traffic to the lower river points will then be resumed.

River men say that never in the history of navigation has the ice gone out of the river between Newport and LeClerc's point before the river has been open below the point until this season.

M. J. Costello, assistant traffic manager for the Great Northern at Seattle, was in Newport on Monday on business connected with the steamer Ruth.

Mr. Woldson, one of the principal owners of the steamer Ruth, was in Newport on Monday and Tuesday. Mr. Woldson has had the management of the Metaline Navigation Co.'s business since October last. He is a prominent railroad contractor, and has crews at work at several points in the Northwest. He is the contractor on the Great Northern work across the river.