The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-13
GREAT FISH SHOW
To Be Seen at the Worlds Co.
lumbar Exposition.
PORTION OF GoVERkMENT EXHIBIT.

Salt Water fish and fresh Water Fish In
Hugo Aquariums Where Everybody Car
See Them-Tiie Crab Which Carries His
House With Him-Display Which Inter.
ests Everyone.
WORLDS FAR, June IL -[Speciali -
There IS one place in the exposition where
crowd may always be found, place
where the visitors seem never TO tire of
looking and wondering. 1t IS the aquar-
iun furnished by the United States Fish
commission. BY happy arrangement
the exposition Elected the great Fisheries
building and devoted one of the polygon2l
pavilions TO tae show which the govern
menS wished to mike. SO locating the
building that this pavilion IS near to AID
apparently para CT the governments vast
exhibit. Thus il is that we see sll that
Ursle Sam has TO show-his own building,
the light house, life saving service, camp
or marines, battleship, weather bureau,
etc, all together. There Is nothing that
Uncle Sam shows which gives more pleas
ure TO the multitude than this aquarium
Go with me Tor a few moments TO the
interior of this pavilion and you will cease
to wSnder why the people flock hither by
the thousands. You will not be surprised
that they stand as closely packed as they
can, hour after hour, those in front un-
willing to give up their places and those
IN the rear patiently awaiting better
chance to see. We enter the central part
Of the Fisheries uiliing and pass out
through a long, curved corridor. Then we
find ourselves in rotunda sixty feet in
diameter, in the middle of which is basin
or pool twenty-six feet in diameter. This
pool is one OF the most beautiful things 10
be found in the whole exposition. 1t il
beautiful in itself, for from its center rises
. towering mass of rocks covered with
moss and lichens From clefts and crevices
In the rocks crystal streams of water gush
forth and trickle to the wreaths, rushes
and semi-aquatic plants in the basin be-
low. A delightful scene it is, cool and re-
freshing, when seen On hot day. But the
pool is even more beautiful in its contents;
for in its clear waters thousands of fish |
disport-gorgeous gold fishes, golden ides, |
golden tench, bass, perch, carp, pickerel- |
q hundred varieties of the funny tribes |
There are fish four feet long and little fell !
lows so small you can scarcely see them. !
The water is phenomenally clear, and the
picture is one Of surprising loveliness. All |
day long the pool is surrounded by thou
sands OF visitors.
IL one ever doubted that the people love |
fish he may here have his doubts removed. |
Of all the creatures Of the animal world
the fish is certainly one OF the most beau
tiful and graceful. He has a fascination
all his own. The trouble is, ordinarily, !
that we cannot see him alive. He hides
himself in his native element, and affords
the curious eye Of man but passing, I'M
satisfactory giimpses Of his charms But
here he may 20 seen and studied and adj
mired in all his glory. There are such con-
trasts, too. The fish are big and little,
active and lazy, pretty and ugly. Some
have color and many have not, some are
playful, prankish, others stupid, sleepy.
But it is not alone in the big pool that
fish are to be SEEN There are fish every
where in this building. One may here
easily imagine himself gifted with the
power CT walking on the bottom OF the sea
and holding communion with its fnny in
habitants. Running around the rotunda
are two series Of tanks-great iron tanks
with glass sides, all filed with water and |
fish. In these are shown hundreds OF |
varieties OF denizens OF the sea, the lakes /
and the Fivers-iIshes, turtles, crabs, lob |!
sters, eels. Spoon5ill fish surgeons, por-
cupine fish, and many others rarely or /
never before seen IN public exhibitions are /
here.
The crabs appear to be general favorites. |
They are such queer creatures, and have !
such funny ways of moving to and fro, /
that the people are fascinated By them. /
One of the qUaintest of the lot is the rock /
crab. He is not very big, some four inches /
long, but he always plays 10 large aud
fences. On his back is q formation of |
rock. 1t looks like little house, and, in
deed, that is v hat it is TO him, for il helps
him to hide from the monsters of the deep
who might convert him into Jonah did
he not lie still and fool them. lie takes
his house with nina wherever he goes, of
course 1t is part of him, and he could
not leave it at home If he wished to. He
is all the time moving backward and for
ward
Starting at one end Of his tank he never
stops till he gets to the other, constantly
throwing out his little feelers to see Il
there are obstacles in the way. If he en-
counter an obstacle-a piece of rock,
larger crab or q turtle-he obstinately re-
fuses TO turn from his path, bat climbs
straight over with the most awkward and
comical movements you could imagine.
Arriving a. tie end of his journey he
pauses q moment and then starts IN the
other direction but without turning
around Apparently he can travel for
ward and back ward with equal ease. In
deed, il is difficult 10 tell which IS forward
or backward Cor him. This rock crab re-
minds me of the curious man who went
from Indiana 10 the dime museums some
years ago. He was afflicted with some
sort of disease which required him to keep
walking eli the time. He walked night
sad dar, and wore g deep, smooth path
around his cabin. AT least, that was the
story. Wei, the rock crab q just Ike
him. He knows NJ paacc.
OF course the crabs and al the salt
water fish must hare salt water ii which
TO live How 10 secure supplies 81 salt
water was a problem which the managers
OF the 40 Garia had to solve at the very out
set Ther did il very neatly. AZ TIE
Woods Hoil station Of the United states
Fish commission, away down n Asssa-
ehusetts. they evapcra.ed a large cushItF
OF sea water 20 about oae-aIth OF is blk
That Is, lefJ the SAT- II bat took away
four-dfths OK the water. TAis FsTy salty
salt water was drawn i1ta big tanks On
wheels. Just such tznE-cayz as 4ye Ssssfi ioT
the transportation Ct ca bT railway.
Here tnis water IS ~esscTei 20 ia proper
density 6y The Addition q SISTER frcsn Lake
Michizan. and n tne resulting, 11la The
ccean creatures appea- - fcrige quits -
eel 81 K tncv ware - tne atlantic itssa
So fsr as can 5e .s6gsss, tl4lzy haven Z EAe
-. 4 = /