The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-29
Salmon-Stairs.

The discovery (for it deserves to be
called an important discovery of the
fish-pass, which is now capable of letting
fish so easily over mill-wears or naviga-
tion-wears without abstracting water
from the mill or navigation, is due to
the late Mr.. James Smith of Deanston,
in Scotland, who had mill-dam on the
river Teith, near Stirling, and who,
like many other millers, took great in
terest in watching the habits of salmon,
when jumping at his dam and trying to
get over it. He thought of several
plans in order to facilitate the passage
of the fish without hurting his mill, and
he did what most beginners do who
have engaged in this problem, he made
an inclined plane on the downstream
face of his dam. His dam was about
ten feet high, and he made an inclined
plane about two hundred and forty feet
long on the incline, having its head cut
below the top of the dam. His OWL
account of the result is highly interest
ing, for it throws light on mistakes con-
stantly made, with the same results,
even to this day: 81 found that the
water, in consequence of being allowed
to flow without any check down the in
cllned plane, acquired so great a veloci
ty at the bottom that no fish could stem
it; and that while it acquired this great
velocity, it had, by it's rapidity, become
SO small in depth that there was not
sufficient water to cover the salmon IN
less when there was a food in the river.
When l found from experience that this
did not suit the purpose, and when
saw the salmon attempting to get up
and constantly thrown back, 1 immedi-
ately set about to consider some mode
to insure their passage, and 1 com
menced by making some experiments
with loose boards. I drove spikes into
the jointing of the paving, and rested
the boards across on them, and placed
them somewhat in the form of steps,
one above another. When I first be.
gan to do this, put in only a few
boards at the bottom with a view of
trying the effect of them. It was then
in the spawning season, when the fish
were very DESTROYS to run up, and the
river was in about an averages tate OF
water. A few hours after I had put.
down these boards I found number OF
salmon on the different steps, some on
the first step, some on the second, and
some on the third and they were max
ing repeated attempts to ascend the
channel farther. but were generally
driven back in consequence of the great
force of water. then had continual
ton of the boards made to the very top
ny to the notch in the dam, and found
that the fish assembled with apparent
ease. The steps were about eight feet
from one to the other, and they did not
go right across the channel. Ea h alter
nate board came from the opposite side,
and they ran about two-thirds across.
There is pool and an eddy at each to
assist the salmon to ascend. By having
this kind of ladder it is possible to re,
concile the interests of salmon-fsheries
AMI the interests of the owners of the
mills. By the opening at the head Of
the ladder being lower than the general
surface of the dam, if there is any wa
ter at all to spare from the flowing Of
the mills, it is quite sure to come down
the channel and stairs. Edinburgh
ReUie2O