The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1888-09-26
THE BIG SALMON WHEEL.
The --LATEST Scheme Ever Invented for
Capturing the Finny Tribes.

THE BIG SALMON WHEEL.
The --LATEST Scheme Ever Invented for
Capturing the Finny Tribes.
The man who invented the Columbia
River salmon wheel was genius, says
the Livermore Herald. The LATEST Usher,
man who ever beited hook could ask
no easier way of landing fish. Aud the
only fact that it can only be used at GER
tair points on the stream prevents this
machine from exterminatiny the salmon
in one season. Imagine common under
shot wheel with the buckets turned the
wrong way about. This is set in high,
narrow fume near the bank OF the river,
where the current is very swift. From
the down. stream end of this fume, ex-
tended outward an angle of forty-6ve
degrees, are two upright fences, formed
by pickets driven closely together into
the bottom of the river, and wired to
keep them from washing away. just
above the wheel-Which is some ten feet
in diameter-at the upstream end, is
platform, from which box hume ruus
to the shore.
Now let us see how it works. When
the salmon are running, as everybody
knows, they come up in the Columbia
River by millions. The stream is very
deep, and large percentage slways
succeed in getting to the breeding
grounds in safety. When the salmon
are running up the river they are coii-
stantiy on the lookout for small streams
i'll which to spawn. Also, where tue
current is very swift they are unable
to make headWay in the center CT the
stream, and consequently seek the more
quiet water near the bank. OF These
two instincts, the invention OF the fish
wheel took mean advantage. At the
cascades, for instance, where the Water
is very swift, he sets his wheel. Here
come the fish, hugging the bank by
thousands-great black fellows, from
two to four feet long, heading resolutely
up stream. Nothing can turn them baca,
ward. That wonderful instinct of nature
which insures the preservation OF species
is nowhere better developed thau LII
~almon. But in this instance it proves
his destruction.
Now they are just below that wids-
spread fence. The current which is rush-
ing through the hume and turning the
big wheel ut lively pace attracts ther
attention. The upper fence, winch sets
nearly square across the stream, makes
quiet water here and this flow seems tu
come from the bank. This, to the sal
mons mind, is evidently the mouth OF a
shallow creek. Here is spawning
ground to our liking and up tins little
stream We go. So they crowd up between
the two narrowing fences toward the
fata. wheel. The first fish reaches II,
goos with rush to overcome the current,
Is caught by bucket and up he goss
high Ill the air, while every bucket brings
up smother and another, till there Is a
procession Of ascending ish. Atthe top
the velocity throws the hsh violently on
the platform, from which he shoots down
the hume to d great tank on the shore.
Here come the fish croWding each other
forward to that busy wheel.
None can gu under nor to one side.
None will go back. And once school
starts for d wheel, the owner can consider
that be has q title deep to the entire lot.
One wheel will run cannery. Day and
night, while the run lasts, they come
hylng up the wheel and shooting down
tie tume in continuous stream. Fortu-
nately there are but few places on the
river where the wheels can be worked
with this result. Where the tish can keep
in the middle of the river few can be
caught in this way. But the men who
control these points are making fortunes.
As it is, salmon are rapidly disappearing
from the Columbia. Many cannerles
are idle this season and the fshermsn's
price per fish is raising every year. Sure
ly this engine of destruction is largely
the cause.