Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1867-02-09
THE sHAD T1sHnR1ns ON THE sus-
QUEHANNA.

pointed under an Act of the Legislature of
March, 1866, to make some examinations In
relation to the Dams in the Susquehanna,
which obstruct the passage of fish up that
stream. The Report contains matter OF in
terest to all along the line of the Susqne-
hanna
REPORT.
HARRISBURG, PA, December 8, 1866.
DEAR Sin In fulfilling the duties de-
volved upon me under the act OF Both March,
1866, "relating to the passage of fish along
the Susquehanna and certain of its tributa-
ries," have the honor to report as foilows
Immediately after my appointment, ny
your Excellency, consulted all the author,
ties on the subject within my reach, ana
finally devised plan which was in the form
of steps commencing at the comb of the
dam, and falling or stepping down, one after
another. at the rate of six inches per step;
each of these steps being also trough ten
feet wide, to contain a constant supply OF
water two feet deep for the fish to rest In
during their ascent
The width of the fight of steps was to be
from two hundred feet on the main stem OF
the Susquehanna to proportional width
for its smaller tributaries, and the whole
was to be constructed of good sub
stantial crib work, such as is employed and
approved in the construction of dams in
Pennsylvania.
had this plan carefully draughted and
specified, and before the first of June I sent
it in, plan and specification, to the following
corporations owning dams on the streams
mentioned, namely: The Susquehanna canal
company the Wyoming Valley canal COM
pany, and the North Branch canal company.
As these corporations owned all the lower
dams on the river, and which, If not altered
for the passage of fish, there would be no
use in altering dams located above them,
and as knew that they all, except the
Susquehanna canal company, held their pro-
perty by purchase from the State, without
encumbrance, as alleged, and deemed them
selves, therefore, exempt from the operation
of the law, 1 did no. notify individuals or
corporations owning dams above them for
even should such accept notice, comply
with the law and alter their dams, fish would
be debarred from reaching them by the neg.
lected dams below. and there would be ex-
pense ard trouble for nothing.
In pursuing this course have not obey ed
the letter cf the law, but I trust to be for.
given when the circumstances are consider
ed.
My surmises in respect to these companies
proved to be correct. None, except the
Pennsylvania railroad company, regularly
acknowledged even to have received my no
tiication, nor have l heard from any of
them since.
The Susquehanna canal company, owning
the dam ut Columbia, however, have com
piled with the law in every respect, as fa
as was able to direct them how to do so
On or about the first of June met Mr.. B
Andrews Knight, their president, at Colum
f bia, and conferred with him on the subject
and lie expressed his willingness to carr!
out the plan, but suggested some modifca
tions, which did not like to accept, until
could sustain myself by other authorities CT
. the subject, and our meeting was adjourne'
! until in July, that might be enabled in tn
:, meantime to do SO.
proceeded Immediately to the New Eng
land States conferred with the chairma
D of the Fish Committee of the Legislature o
;. Connecticut, the Hon. Mr.. Avery, and pre-
= sentiEg credentials from your Exceilency, t
the Governor of Massachusetts, GovernC
. Bullock, was introduced by the Hon. Olive
n Warner, Secretary of the Commonwealth {
G Massachusetts,, to Theodore Lyman, Esq
n who has charge of the subject in that Stat
- In Connecticut / was informed by nj
Avery that they did not consider the rive
s (the Connecticut) obstructed by any work
# of theirs which existed in it, and that the
SO Intended to answer the State of Ne
Hampshire, that State having officially n
l. quested to know if any such obstruction
J. existed,
:, In Massachusetts I found that they ha
il not advanced in these improvements turth'
!, than we had, they being just then engage
l. in devising plans for the Merrimac, an
/ perhaps other of their streams.
They, however, had given intelligent col
sideration to the subject.
e Mr.. Lyman is well known as Naturalis
% and he had availed himself of consultation
with Prof. Agassiz, whose reputation, nee
. not say, is, in the same pursuit, world wild
., could not learn that in the other States
q New England would be able to add to u
Of information obtainable from these hie
d sources in Massachusetts,, 30 proceeded !
=, further than Boston.
% In July met Mr.. President Knight aga
on the dam at Columbia, and there, in CO
sultation with himself and Mr. Daniel Shul
a. the able superintendent of the Susquehan
st canal, plan was devised, chiefly by n
q. Shure, with some notifications suggest'
- by my New England experience, which pl
Vi has been since carried out, at cost of sor
q $4,000 to that company, and have reas'
IN to hope that it will prove to be success
of If my hope should prove well-iounde
some small number of shad will make the
'. way as far up the river next spring as Du
er cans island, distance of nearly fifty mil
ls higher up than they have been able to rea
ut for many years, and this number will
q. crease from year to year, if not too mu
" thinned out by fishing, until we may no
for an adequate supply of this spring deli'
cy, being brought buck to localities 30 10
he unjustly deprived of it.
ST. / say small number, for have recently
On celved letter from Mr.. Lyman, OF Mas
chusetts, the gentleman before alluded
to whom had communicated .ne progr
of our operations, warning me that INT
IL. not be disappointed if my shad do not
up SO fast or so far as hope. H. is not
ry tendency usually of fish to make much {
te, ertion to pass beyond the beds where ii
III, were spawned" and he particularly wisl
Ca me to "cause reliable observations to be ma
ed on this very point, and if the fish do go o.
De- the dam and pass far above it in really lal
Ia numbers, that would tell him Of it, as