The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-23
THE FISH HAWK.
The First q. S. Fish Commission
Steamer to Come Here.

She Will Investigate the Mackerel-Capt.
Robert PIatt Surveyed This Harbor
Twenty Seven Years Ago-Capt. A, E,
Adams Has Charge of the Mackerel In
Observation-Disclosures Written
VIII Ask for a Hatchery.
A handsome white steamship, her polished
brass flashing in the sun, sailed into the
harbor yesterday forenoon and is now at
anchor in the stream. She is the United
States fish commission steamer Fishhawk.
There are three vessels in the service of the
fish commission, viz: two steamers, the
Fishhawk and Albatross and schooner,
the Grampus.
The Fishhawk was built in 1879, at Will
mington, Del. Her gross tonnage is AL, .and
her net tonnage is 205. She is 146i feet in
length and q feet beam. About four days
ago there arrived at the United States hotel
a man who registered as Capt. A. E. Adams.
Hs came from Gloucester, Mass, where he
has been in charge of the United States fish
hatchery there. He is a Maine man and an
old fisherman; that is he has had command
of fishing vessels. He has been in command
of the Grampus above mentioned. He is a
fish expert in regard to the habits of the
fish, especially on the coast of Maine. He
is to have charge of the mackerel investiga-
ton which is the object of the Fishhawk in
coming here. He came here from Gloucester
to await the arrival of the steamer, and
went aboard of her today. He will be
assisted in his inv designations by DR.. VOL
hampter, who has been surgeon on board of
the Fishhawk, and who is a naturalist as
well as physician.
They will make trips all along the coast
with Portland as headquarters and make in
quiries as to the number of mackerel fisher
men, the quantity of mackerel caught, the
prices therefor, the time of appearance and
disappearance of the fish, their condition,
etc.
The Fishhawk is of course thoroughly
equipped with various experimental appara-
tus and has hatchery capable of holding
5,000,000.of eggs and fry. The steamer has
just come from Philadelphia, where she has
distributed this spring l0,0O0,o0U0 shad fry
for the rivers of Pennsylvania.
Lieutenant Robert Platt, captain of the
Fishhawk, came to Portland harbor in 1867
on the steamer Corwfn. He made a hydro
graphical survey of the harbor and the out
lying coast. That is he made map of the
bottom. He has known MI. Alexander Long
fellow for many years, they being associated
together in coast surveying. Captain Platt
in the photographed and Mr.. Longfellow
in the typographical department.. He Has
not been here since, and notices a great
change in the harbr during the past
twenty-seven years. When he.was here, the
Cape shore was very shallow. and the eel
grass extended far out towards the middle
of the stream, also on the Portland side it
was not possible to get up to the wharves at
low tide. There was only narrow channel
of deep water running up the harbor.
In connection with this arrival of the
Fishhawk it is pertinent to state that Fish
Commissioner Written is making move in
the direction of inducing the government to
establish a hatchery for Holsters and cod
somewhere on the Maine coast. He hopes
to bring this highly important matter to a
successful issue.
Yesterday seemed to be government day
in the harbor. Besides the Fishhawk the
U nited states Lighthous schooner Glover
and the United States supply steamer
Myrtle arrived, also the Woodbury., that has
been undergoing repairs here, sailed and the
light house tender Lilac was on the Marine
Railway.