The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1888-07-10
THE SALMON WHEEL.
A Fish-Des:-Oying Agency Unsurpassed

The man who invented the Colum-
bia river salmon-wheel was a genius.
The LATEST fisherman who ever baited
a hook could ask for no easier way OF
landing fish. And only the fact that it
can only be used at certain points on
the stream prevents this machine
from exterminating the salmon in on c
season. Imagine common undershot
wheel, with the buckets turned the
wrong way about. This is set in ahigh,
narrow hume near the bank of the
river where the current is very swift.
From the down stream end of this
aume, extended outward, at an angle
of forty five 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 a
platform, from which box-hume runs
to the shore. This is the machine.
Now let us see how it works. When
the salmon are running, as everybody
knows, they come up the Columbia
river by millions. The stream is very
deep, and large percentage always
succeed in getting to the breeding
grounds in safety. When salmon are
running up a river, they are con-
stantly on the lookout for small
streams in which to spawn. Also,
where the current is very swift. they
are unable to make headwGy in the
center OF the stream and consequently
seek the more quiet water near the
bank. OF these two instincts, the in
ventor of the fish wheel took a mean
advantage. At the Cascades, for in
stance, where tho 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 resoiuteiy up
stream. Nothing can turn them back
ward. That wonderful instinct of
nature which insures the preservation
of species is nowhere better developed
than in salmon. But in this instance
it proves his destruction. Now they
are Just below that widespread fence.
Thecurrent which is rushing through
the hume and turning the big wheel
at lively pace attracts their Rtten-
ton. The upper fence, which sets
nearly squarely across the stream,
makes quiet water here, and this flow
seems to come from the bank. This,
to the salmon's mind, is evidently the
mouth of shallow creek. Here is n
spawning gound to our liking, and
up this little stream we will go. So
they crowd up between the two mar
rowing fences toward the fatal wheel.
The first fish reaches it, goes in with
rush to overcome the current, is
caught by bucket and up he goes
high in air, while every bucket
brings up another and another till
there is procession ofascending fish.
At the top the velocity throws the
fish violently upon the platform, from
which he shoots down the hume to a
great tank on the shore. Here come
the fish, crowding each other forward
to that busy wheel. None can go
under, nor to one side. None will go
back. And once school starts for a
wheel, the owner can consider that
he has title deed to the entire lot.
One wheel will run n cannery. Day
and night, while the run lasts, they
come flying up the wheel and shoot
ing down the flume, in a continuous
stream. Fortunately there are but few
places on the river where wheels can
be worked with this result. Where
the fish 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 canneries are
idle this season, and the fshermen's
prices per fish is rising every year.
Surely, this engine of destruction is
largely the cause.-Lice5moTe, cal,
Herald.