The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-04-07

THE MCDONALD FISH WAY.-The model OF
the Mcdonald fish-way, which all mill own
ers are compelled to erect, has been received
and can be seen by calling on VIM. A. Bur-
nett, at the county clerks Office.
A brief description of the fshway may prove of
interest and service to many Of our readers: The
model sent Is built to scale of onesixth, or two
inches to foot The sides and bottom are of inch
and quarter or inch and half plank. The int.
ror division Of inch boards The metal upcast buck
cts are made of galvanized iron heavy sheet iron
The rods are three-eights of an inch wrought iron
with thread and nut at each end, and when they are
screwed up, the whole structure is firmly bound
together. Every part should be true to dimensions
so that when the bolts frightened there may be
no leakage from one bucket to another which would
impair the efficiency of the way; the iron buckets
may be replaced by wooden ones, constructed after
given pattern If this Is the case the whole fshway
may be put together without nails only using a rod
every three or four feet as tie. The shway should
be set up so as to rise foot three the lower
end AUDITING against log logs bolted to the bed
of the stream, or resting on crtbbing filed with
stone, where the bed OF the stream la composed Of
mud or clay. When the lshway is in position, the
surface OF the water in the pool below, should be
up to the second Of the middle row OF buckets The
upper end OF the shway rests against the fall of the
dam and Is firmly secured to 1t by means that vary
with the construction of the dam but such as will
readily suggest themselves to any builder. The lev
81 Of the upper end Of the way will vary with the
depth Of the water the of the dam at the or
binary stages which prevail In March, April and
May Assuming that there are four inches of water
passing over the dam in the usual spring stages.
then notch in the dam twelve feet wide and eight
deep is cut to let the water into the hshway, and
tha lavt1a hat Tho xta
hshway ia set to be continuous with the notch
in the dam. II only one inch of water passes over
the dam in the ordinary spring stages, then the
notch in the dam is made eleven inches Deep the
rule being to establish the level of the upper end
of the dshway that there will be twelve inches of
water between the bed cheek blocks at the ordi.
nary spring stages.
The model represents single way two feet wide
such as is adapted to the smaller tributary
streams. For foot way the same arrangement OF
the interior construction Is repeated-that is four
foot way composed Of single each two feet
wide placed side by sde adjacent sides being left
OF in the construction. Fishways four or even six
feet wide, will be necessary in larger streams and
where provision ia to be made for the passage Of
shad three or four feet is the minimum width that
can allowed and the angle Of rise should be one
foot in four.
Judgment must be exercised in the location of the
shways Ordinarily 1t should be close to one or the
other bank, and on that side where 1t will be best
protected from drifting timber or Ice. Further
security may be obtained by triangular pen or
crib of logs filled in with stone projecting from the
bank above the hshways to fend off floating
timber. Often a floating boom Of logs will answer
the same purpose. fthe dam is high will be best
to build the nshway with elbow, so as to return
upon itself and deliver the water to the foot of
the dam. In all cases where the water discharged
by the fshway is an inconstderabie part Of that
passing the dam, the construction should be
80 planned as to place the discharge line with
or very near the face of the dam.
AS some mill owners have intimidated their de-
termination to refuse to erect the ishways on the
ground that the law is unconstitutional, 1t may be
well enough to state that long line OF decisions es-
tabllshes the right of Legislature to such
law, the following principles being settled by
cfsions of the highest courts
l. In any grant from the public to individuals,
privilege which is not expressly granted is with
held.
Q. A river Is public way.
8. The right to the Water and nah Ia stream Is a