San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-22
SEARCHING FOR LOST ANCHORS
A Queer Trade in Which Several
Vessels Are Engaged.
Ernm the New Ynrk Eveninr ~

MANY strange ways OF making
livelihood are to be found in and
car great city, and one of the
strangest of these hereabOuts is
fishing up lost anchors and anchor
chains from the bottoms of the
bays and of the sea along the coast.
1t is not what might be called a
flourishing industry, but is, indeed,
precariOus dependence for the
necessaries of life; yet it yields
sustenance enough to have created
quite number of followers. Sew
eral schooners and sloops are en-
gagged almost exclusively in this
trade and each carries a crew
from three to ten men.
These odd fishermen seek their
inanimate prey whenever the
weather permits, and, of course,
are most active during the long
summer days. Like the takers of
living spoils from the water, they
know the field of their operations
thoroughly, and eXpend their en-.
ergies mostly where the "fishing"
is best. Perhaps, of all the
grounds" in this vicinity, they re-
gard the stretch of sea off the Del
aware Breakwater as the most
profitable. 1t is widely known
among shippers and all seafaring
men who visit these parts as a
great cemetery for anchors. They
are being constantly planted"
there, to use the nautical phrase.
The perpetual involuntary "sow-
ing" of anchors there is due to the
large number of vessels that are
compelled by conditions of bust
ness or wind and tide to ride off
the breakwater, and to their fro
quently getting caught in gale
while doing so. Then the floor of
the sea at that point appears to
have a peculiar facility for fouling
anchors, and vessels are not seldom
compelled-or prefer, as the less of
the two evils-to abandon them.
Territory up and down the coast
ranks next, in the anchor fisher
mems esteem, as a fruitful anchor
bed. The interior waters of the
harbOr are more barren, yet repay,
search. Even the North and East
rivers, for some distance up, are
occasionally harvested, and usual
ly not wholly in vain.
The method of anchor fishing is
simple to primitiveness. 1t con-
sists in letting down a chain in a
loop from the sides of the vessel
until the loop trails along the bot
tom. Then the boat sails along
with all hands on board alert for a
"bite." Plain as this tackle is, it is
effective as any that could be de-
vised.
"Planted" anchors almost in
variably lie with one fluke buried
in the mud and the other sticking
straight up. If the angling chain
is dragging in the direction of the
inner curve of the outstanding
fluke, it is almost sure "catch."
Then the line with the anchor at
tached is carefully hoisted, some
times by hand, or the anchor is
very heavy, by means Of capstans.
the spoil is very weighty one
ay 1000, 5000 or 5000 pounds, a
driving engine is frequently en-
ployed. The instances are few, how
ever, where the fishermen fail to
secure their booty. When necessa.
ry the crew of one anchor smack
will lend a hand to another.
Boats often work in pairs. A cable
is stretched between the vessels,
and dragged on the bottom. When
an anchor is caught one Of the YES
sells takes a position above it and
both crews assist in raising
it. This method insures
a wide sweep of the bot
tom. There are two purposes for
which the "catch" is disposed Of
Usually the anchors are sold to be
used as anchors again, for mOder-
ate, or even a considerable, degree
of rust in no way impairs their
efficiency as such. II they are too
much eaten up by rust, which sell
dom happens, they are sold as old
iron. AS they are of wrought iron
the price brought is often consider
able. There are also two ways by
which the fishermen find market
value for their wares. They either
sell them directly by hawking
them about among the ves-
sells in the harbor, or they
sell them to the ship-chandlers,
they have permission
from wharf. owners or lessees to
stick the anchors up there with a
notice that they are for sale, with |
the price stated. AS a rule, they |
get very good prices. New anchors
nn,,tc q