Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-07-26
FISHING FOR ALEWNES.


I
CrisHeid, Md.-How the Fish are Caught
and Made Into Oil and Guano.
CRIsFiELD. Nd, July 23.-The fish.
ing season on the Chesapeake bay is now
at its height, and great many fish are
being taken with lines, traps and nets.
Perhaps the most exciting aud interest
ing of these methods of capturing fish
is purse-net fishing, the method EN-.
| ployed to supply the fish factories. The
boats OF the alewife fishers start from
the fish factory of L. +. P. Dennis &
Son, at Old Island, about mile from
| Crisfield, before sunrise. This is the
only factory in the State of Maryland,
although there are nine in Virginia
one on the Eastern Shore and the
others on the Western. The odor
at the factory is one never to be
forgotten, and it was suggested to Mr..
Dennis that one factory was all that
Maryland could stand, but he piously
asserted that the odor was healthy, and
that no better tonic could be found.
The 30 stalwart, healthy looking men
employed at the place were reassuring.
At 3 o'clock in the morning the fleet
started and were soon sailing over
Tangier sound and the Chesapeake bay
in search of fish, In the fleet were four
lookout.boats, So called because each
has at the masthead man who is pro-
vided with field glasses to search for fish.
Each lookout-boat tows two purseboats,
which look very much like lifeboats.
These purseboats are loaded with nets
and are used to purse the fish. More.
over, two caraway-boats accompany the
| lookout-boat, whose duty il is to trans.
| port the fish to the factory,
FISH AHEAD
The boats had not proceeded far on
Tangier sound when the cry of "Fish
ahead !" was heard from the masthead.
Far out ON the water could be seen sew.
eral schools of fish, their fins cleaying
the water and flashing in the sunlight.
The schooners were sailed as near as
practicable; then the purseboats We're
manned and cast Off. Our boat goes on
one side of the school and one on the
other, while third boat, called the
strlker-boat, drives the fish into the net
and helps hold up the corks. The purse
seine used is 1850 feet long and 70 feet
deep. On the top are corks to keep the
net af1oat and on the bottom are pieces
of lead to sink the lower part. On the
bottom of the net are also series of
|
rope, the euds of which pass through
tom, piece of lead which weighs 200
pounds. When the boats come together
the tom is thrown overheard, aud by
pulling on the ends Of the rope the
bottom of the net is brought together,
forming pocket. This process is called
pursuing.
IN THE NET
The fish now make frantic efforts to
escape, and, hundreds of them making
a dive at one part of the net, often lift
it Is inches out of the water and make
the water foam around. When the fish
dive under the net before it can be
pursed, as is often the case, it Is called a
stab. One man now pulls the coils and
several pull the web and one man coils
the rings in position to be ready for the
next set. This is called webbing. In
this work there must be rapidity and
accuracy, and there must be no Sinking
of duty. About 20 men are employed
on the boats, and life becomes in
tolerable for any one who is derelict in
his duty. BY webbing a portion of the
large net the fish are driven into the
strongest part OF it.
LOADING THE BOATS.
One of the caraway-boats now comes
alongside and prepares to take the fish
on board. A rope is run through a
block at the masthead and fastened to u
large scoop.net which holds about two
barrels. To the bow of this net are at
tached pieces of lead to sink it among
the fish and a trip line to upset it over
the hold of the vessel. The net is guided
by long wooden handle AS soon as
the ne5 is filled man ascends the rig.
ging, grasps the halyards and falls. His
weight hoists the net. Three men are
employed to chase one another up the
rigging and fall down, which looks not
, unlike party of boys playing tag. On
this day the rope was some " hat defec.
, tive and broke, which caused one man
, to descend distance OF 80 feet with
, more than his usual velocity He es.
/ capped with severe shaking up. In
, one of the other crews on the same day
i a clumsy fellow tumbied into the not
, He was tished out by the scoop in an
: unconscious condition 20 minutes after.
r ward and resuscitated.
+. THE CATCH.
The catch of fish varies. Some weeks
! they catch as high as 100000 fish, OF
: about $500 barrels, but the average /,
!, 100000 per month. Very few fish be
; sides alewives are taken-not enough L
: supply the table of sit gle family. Tn,
!, fish are plentiful this year, but poor
y Not one.half as much oil has been made
= : this year as was made last year, and tue
: same report comes from other section!
!, of the country.
? PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.
d The caraway-boats take the fish to
IT the factory, where they are cooked in
/ tanks holding from so to 20 barrels. Th,
3 water and oil are here drained off. The,
d are then pitched out into curbs OF
Z hydraulic cars, which are rolled under
II hydraulic press and there subjected to
d pressure of 60 tons. Tie fish are theI
it dumped from these cars and rolled GU
y upon large drying wharves. They arc
&c then turned and worked by shoyels ant
5, harrows, taking about one fair day t
dry them down to II per cent. Thel
will then run from 10 to II per cent
ammonia and to8 per cent phosphori
81 acid. If all is not dried, ii is treateC
;e with sulphuric acid, which drives OF
Z, the water and fixes the ammonia. Thes
y fish, after being dried, arc mixed witt
a other fertilizers and sold to manufac
: turers to ammoniate other goods. Tn
i oil always commands good price il
d the market.