Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-09-13
IsASS flSaAl,G.
An Exciting Time ., the City Ross

I:AS< FlSuI,G
An Exciting Time ut the City Reservoir.
Day before. SesteIday Superintendent
HAlbach, of the -city water works, COM
menced emptyine the western reservoir,
preparatory to the erection of stan6pipe,
for supplying water to the higher portions
Of the city. the western reservoir is
divided into two compartments by heavy
brick wall, some six feet high, runnin9
through the centre Of it. Tic southern
half Of the western basin was emptied day
before yesterday. Although there were
many fish in the basin mono were caught,
as there is no screen at the outlet, and the
fish passed out into the COnestOga
through the pipe leading from the basin to
that stream. 1t was the intention of So
perintendent Halbach to have emptied the
northern half "f the basin yesterday morn
ing, and this fact having become widely
known not less than two hundred men
and boys were present with q view Of
wading into the shallow water and cap
turing the fish. it being impossible for
them to escape, as the outlet of the dis
charge r;pe is covered with . close screen.
When superintendent Halbaeh saw
the mnit tllde of fishermen ON hand
he resolved to postpone the empty
ing OF the basin, and gave no
tice that it would not be emptied
at that time. The crowd left, aud the su
perintcnGent quietly notified about dozen
of his friends that the basin would bo
emptied las. night at 0 O'ClOek, invited
them to be present, and promised them
an abundant supply of black bass, catfish,
sunfish and big cells. The favored feW
v<Nksv
SchOenberSer. took with him three
bushel bag in which to carry homo his
share Of the spOils, and took his son George
along to help him carry the fish. On his
way to the basin he stopped at Philip
Dinkicberger' butcher shop and bought
yard or two oil smoked sausage as .
lunch for the boys who were to
help fill the bas. Lawyer Croft was
also on hand, and before leaving homo
cautioned his wiie not to buy any meat
ut market, As lie would have black bass
enough 10 supply his table for week.
Councilman Barnes spent 81 in treating
Larry Burns, Fred. kliEe and others, who
promised to give him the very biggest
bass that was caught. Alderman Barr, who
is an excellent feeder, arrived ON tho scono
with four foot % striDge-," saying that
it was unspOrtsmanlike to carry such fine
fish in q bag, or wrapped up in paper az
sOmo Of tho fishermen proposed to do.
Assessor VOndersmitl,, Of the second ward,
put on his oldest suit Of clothes and
pair of gum boots that reached to his hips,
intending to wade in and pick ont tho big
fish as they fluundercd in tho mud in the
bottom OF the basin after the water should
be drawn of. Superintendent Halbach
cautioned the fishermen not to be too
greedy, as he was under some obligation
to the water committee and . few other
friends, and had promised each of them q
fine mess of fish. He didn't care who got
the biggest cattle or eel, but he wanted
few of the biggest bass for
his friends of the committee. This
suggestion was met with significant wiDkS
between JOHNNY Barnes and Larry Burns.
The preIiminaries having been arranged
the valve was opened and tho water
rushed down the discharge pipe into the
ConestOga. Lower and lower it fell in the
basin. Fatty Gill, of the police force, was
the first to venture down the slOping, slip
perry bank of the reservoir. He had not
got half way down when he slipped aud
slid headlong into the mud and water at
the bottom. The boys all laughed at
his misbap, but, fearing that he would
capture all the fish, were not slow in fol-
lowing him. Jerry VOndersmith slid down
on his rubbcrs in much the same way the
boys slide down Dinah's hill in winter
time, Larry Barnes and Fred Kline. and
the rest of the party fearlessly walked in,
and grOped in the darkness through tho
mud at the bottom Of the reservoir. They
fished until about 3 o'clock in tho morn
ing and didn't catch as much as min
now. Every cody was mystiiicd. Hun
dreds of fine, big fish had been seen in tho
basin only lew days before; where
were they now? The only theory
thus far advanced Of their disappearance
is that when the superintendent began to
draw the water from the southern section
OF the reservoir the imprisoDed fish thought
it !. very good opportunity TO escape from
their circumscrlbetl feeding grounds and
made their way to the creek through the
Discharge pipe. The fish in the northern
half OF the reservoir, finding the water
getting lower and lower, instinctively
passed into the southern COMPARTMENT bo-
fore the water fell below the top Of the
dividing wall and followed their fellows
into the creek. This theory may satisfy
tho scientists, but is very unsatisfactory to
the fishermen. Johnny Barnes says he las
lost all confidence in Jake IIalbach's man
agement OF tue water works Jake Barr's
political principles are much shaken
Lawyer GrOff's market basket is empty;
Fatty Gill has 4 terrible cold, and
g Schocny'' is compelled to substitute
sourkraut luncl, for the black bass he had
promised his customers. The only one Of
tine party who is supsemely happy il Sam
my Croft, who knew all along that they
wouldn't ca:,h any fish ami only went
along fOr fun -