Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-11-02
THE SALMON WHEEL.
Novel Way Of Catching Fish on the Column
blH River. Oregon.


lumbia River (Oregon) letter to the
New York Eoening Past!
How are so many fish caught? !
haven't noticed any nets"
"Ncts are Of no account now. Go
and see the snail said the captain, as
be bent over and rang the slowing bell
for the Dallcs.
Some time after | saw the snail"
and most ingenious, successful. de
testablc engine of destruction it was.
The owner had admirably planted it
Just above the Upper Cascades, on the
north bank Of the river, the south
bank being at that point almost impass-
able TO the fish. II was placed Just
where the swift edge Of the current
makes a most inviting eddy, through
which the salmon must naturally run"
on their way up stream Here thecur-
rent was about eight feet deep. The
salmon never swim lower than four
feet below the surface. Erected over
what would be the entire width of the
run" was a huge frame. Suspended
within this an immense wheel re-
yolved, so adjusted on pulleys as TO rise
and fall with the changing depth Of
water. Upon the spokcs or arms of this
wheel, eight in number, were fastened
as many wire nets, each thirty feet in
diameter, loose and baggy and movable,
resembling in appearance the pouch Of
pelican. The current itself is the
force that turns the wheel like an un-
dcrshot, Very slowly it goes around.
The great scoop nets spread lazily
through the water, one after another.
at just the depth where they are most
fatal. Their arms almost pause and
float no'ionlc>, through the stream.
But, though slowly, the great wheel
called from this motion the "snail.
does move" and with just the right
tardincss. for rs the nets emerge from
the water they are So filed with the
struggling prey that Mr.. Williams,
owner Of one OF the wheels, pronounced
500 an average catch. At the proper
angle above the net is turned upside
down. Its content, are dumped along
the arm Of the wheel 10 what might
be termed its hub. striking which
they rebound along a trough to the
bank 1t is n stirring hut cruel
sight, for there are many small
and unmarkctahlc fish in every
haul" The theory is that these are
returned to the water and live, but IL
is like the returns Of the killed and
woundcd" after hattle--so stunnca
and manned are they that few sur
yiyc. The wheel presents busy
scene, and the profits must he cnor-
nous; for the simple contrivancc costs
but about 500, and requires but half
a dozen attendants, There are four uf
these wheels on the river. and a gentle
man engaged in the fishing business in
formed me that the calculation was they
caught about half the salmon that 20
up. There is \ wheel on Brldfurdi-
island, above Bonneville. the work of
which has become 50 notorious inot
merely killing ncrclautahln fish, but
in SO doing destroying a dozen times
as many Of a size as yet too small for
commcrccJ that the puhIic press has
demanded is suppression. But an
these wheels. n ha, been said. are "thc
production of a brain which aims to
live without work" Probably
from $500 to 5000 salmon
(for proprietors Of the wheels are very
chary about giving actual fgurcsl.
large and small. are caught every hour.
night and day, Of the week, save from
Saturday t. sunday night Compute
the amount. | know Of one actual
catch Of 6,iO0 salmon in day-largc
fish. suitable FOR the cannerics. An
experienced fishermen stated It as the
result of his observation that about
one in ten Of those caught were used. /
Even Of the number used. packed and f.
sent down in barrels. one wheel kept
the large cannery at Warrcndale busy /.
all through the season. and then the .
cannery couldn't take care Of ALI
Looking at the descending stream of /
half-dead fish literally broken on the .
wheel" / could not but regard the 4
question for moment in the light 7
Of an angler and an economist.
day and night, the "bar-
barous and murderous" 1 am using an
intelligent fisherman's phrase) small