The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-07-06
WITH THE FISH WHEELS
The Upper Columbia Canning
Industry is Half Paralyzed.
PACK WILL FALL VERY SHORT
Thirty-three Wheels are Totally
Destroyed Entailing Very Great
Loss on Their Owners.

Special correspondence of the Astorian
The Dalles, Or. July 4, 1S94.-The con-
dition of affairs on the Upper Columbia
as far as regards the lsamon fishing
industry, is unprecedented in the history
Of the business, and while the flood has
wrought much harm and caused a loss
OF a. great deal Of valuable apparatus,
1t has also been the means Of increasing
the run of salmon so greatly that in
all probability half of the drawback
created by the destruction of appliances
will be overcome by the enormous guam
tity Of salmon caught In fact all the
cannerymen are worrying themselves
into a fever by their calculations con-
cerning what the pack would have been
If only the flood had not damaged their
wheels and gear, but as a man can't
eat his cake and have 1t TOO, so such
figuring, outside of the temporary
dreams Of bliss it causes, is veritable
waste Of time.
Before going into the general theme,
It. may be well, so that your readers can
better understand the condition of af-
fairs, to tell them what portions Of the
river contain fishing appliances, how
the fish wheels work, to whom they be-
long, and what their capacity Is. To
begin with, there are between Vancou-
yer and Cello about two hundred dip
nets. These contrivances are simply
butterfly nets, considerably enlarged
and strengthened. The operator stands
on an open platform supported by piling
driven into the bed Of the river, and
juttdng out over the swiftest eddies al
either side Of the stream. Polling the
net up-river, he let's 1t rush down with
the current until 1t has reached the
limit Of the handle, below him, when
he gives 1t sudden jerk and hauls II
into the air. Nowadays he has a Ash at
every raising, and sometimes two, which
he turns out of the netting into q re-
cepticle behind him with the same swing
that la crosse player uses when he
throws ball. The salmon, swimming
up stream choose the most difficult
eddies, and these being more or less
muddy, they are In the nets before they
can stop themselves. The fish wheel,
which works on exactly the same prin-
ciple, operates itself, and requires no
manual labor Of any kind to assist II
in catching fish. The owner of the wheel
or the overseer, whichever he happens
to be, can sit by and smoke, watching
the shining beauties tumbling into his
scow like logs coming down wood
shute. Wheels are Of two kinds, and are
always located at the edge Of the river
in a rapid eddy. There is the scow
wheel, which Is attached to a large
scow and can be hauled to any loca-
ton that is desired on very short notice.
And there Is the stationary wheel, held
to an enormously strong and very ex-
pensive crib" or foundation OF granite,
and which occupies the same spot year
in and year out. While they are called
wheels, in reality the name Is not a
correct one for they are not wheels at
all. The affair, as nearly as ! can de-
scribe It, consists of four big nets work.
ing on, and attached to, one axle. These
nets, which are built in the form of
scoops are turned by the current itself.
AS each scoop enters the water, II is
driven along by the force OF the river,
and moment after sacends into the
air, with probably two or three fish that
have run right at 1t. At certain
height the fish slide down from the
scoop. They are caught in a wooden
tunnel, and from there slip and FOUNDER
into the scow or crib itself, where hum
dreds of their mates usually lie Mapping
and gasping for breath.
Beginning with "McGowan'sD as the
settlement is called. p. J. MCGOWAN and
Sons own all the apparatus in the To-
cality The next place Is Wairendale,
where Mr. Frank M Warren, HamiI-
ton & Tozier, and Dodson & Co.. all
own wheels. At the Cascades Hamilton
Bros Hamilton & Stevenson, and n.
M Warren figure as owners, and in the
vicinity Of The DaIIes are Everdlng &.
Farrell. Winans Bros. w. Cram, and
Seufert Bros, all very largely inter-