The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-07-23
GIANT POWDER.
It's Use NJ Sea In Procuring Rare
specimens OF Fish.
From the San Francisco Call.

From the San Francisco Call.
Mr.. A. W. Chase, Assistant of the United
States Coast Survey, read the following
interesting paper Monday evening, at the
meeting of the Academy OF Sciences, in
regard to the use of dynamite at sea in pro-
curing rare fish for specimens: During
the winter of 1878 made some expert
ments off the island OF Santa Catalina with
giant powder, which have some points of
interest. They were not undertaken at
first as offering any field OF research, but
for the more utilitarian purpose of obtain
ing fish for chowder' was, however,
so much struck with the
VARIETY AND NUMBER OF FISH PROCURED,
a Id also with some curious facts connected
with the suspension O.. animation in the
nerve centerS OF the fish stunned, that
wrote to the late lamented Agassiz on the
subject. In his reply, which is dated June
Is, 1873, he states that the letter is full of
interest, and that the experiments should
be continued and varied, and, o. course,
asked ME to send specimens, etc. But
further correspondence on the subject
which, to ME, promised to be exceedingly
interesting, was Gu. short by his DEATH
and the specimens asterward obtained are
lying IL alcohol, with the exception of a
tea that DR.. Steindachner to ok with him
70 Vienna. As you are al doubtless aware
giant power No. is simply nitro glycerine
with the addition o. an absorbent earthly
powder, an infusional earth obtained in
Europe being the principal material used
in the factory here. The powder thus
prepared has the appearance and consis-
tency OF soft putty, and is put up in cart
ridges the length and shape OF an ordinary
candle In using it for eXpI osi0n in water
the can is fitted on the end of the fuse and
both burned deep in the soft powder, 4
string being then tied tightly around the
fuse where it comes in contact vita the
edges OF the paper wrapper. The top of
the cartridge is then tallowed, and it is
ready for use. have found that the ordi-
nary waterproof fuse will burn about one
foot to every twenty five seconds, and by
experiment that a cartridge will explode
IN from four to six tathoms with from three
to four inches OF fuse. | have, however,
made no exact experiments on the sub
ject.
THE SHOCK OF THE EXPLOSION
is most severely felt downwards, as the re-
sis:ance is greater: and the different vavis-
ties OF sea fish found near the rocky shores
OF the islands as rule being found on or
near the bottom, It Is desirable TO explode
your cartridge about midway between the
surface OF the water and the rocks beneath,
as you thus reach the deep-lving fsh and
those, like maclSerel and smelt which
swim between Let me now describe to
you the modus opArandi, as practiced by
myself Oft Catalina. | would take a small
skiif and pull of to the kelp beds that sur
round the island Here. in six or eight
Iathoms OF water, the bottom is distinctly
vlslole-the water, owing to absence OF
currents or OF sedimeutary deposits, around
the rocky shore being beautifully clear and
limpld. Fastening my skif 10 tue floating
weeds, put OF the stems and look down
into the depths below. It is a most Won
dertul and interesting study. You see the
stems OF the ke p rising UP from the bot
tom like twisted pillars, often many being
twined together. Through these
SUBMARINE FOREST ISLES
you see great numbers and variety OF fish
aud crustuced. The large vieja. or red
fish, so called Totally distinct from the red
fish OF our markets.; the spleniidlv COL
ored red perch, or mullet, a vivid scarle. ::
the elegantly snaped sea bass; the pompin-
DO; the smelt and mackerel, in schools
darting hither and thither: and OCCASION
ally a conper eel, uncoiIing himself from
around some stone that he had selected to
lie in wait for prey. have often been so
much interested in watching the move
ments OF these fnny tribes that have for
gotten the GRAND, came on. But whsn
an unusually large school OF fish would
swim by, would quietly light the fuse
and drop the cartridge into the water gent
~ Ii the water was say eigh. fathoms
deep would graduate the fuse for exples-
ion at four. The cartridge would slowly
generally in the spiral-and few bubbles
oil air or smoke arise to the surface. The
| fish didn't seem, as general thing, to be
much alarmed. (Once remember large
red fish took the cartridge for something
good to eat. and reached it just in time to
allow small portion OF his tail to reach
the surface. When the fire reached the
illuminate OF mercury there would be 4
sudden white fash. then q quick, SHARP
defamation, the blow striking the bottom
OF the skit as though some one had struck
it with a hammer. Then in space Of
time varying from eight to ten minutes,
every fish within radius Of forty OF fifty
yards would