The herald., 1894-03-16
ANOTHER THEORY FOR DEAD FISH
Coal Oil Was the TOxicant
Which Killed Them.
Deputy Fish Commissioner Fletcher
States His Views.
The Stories That the Finny Denizens OF
tho Pacific We're Diseased or Dy-
namitod AFRO Proved to
Have Been Untrue.

Arthur g. Fletcher, deputy fieh COM
missioner, has forwarded the following
report to the state board, which will 90
far to show that the stories lately cir
culated about mysterious diseases af-
acting the coast fsh OF the Pacific are
erroneous, and that the prejudice which
has been felt agsinst that popular
article of food was premature and ill
advised.
Mr.. Fletcher says:
As noted in a previous report, on or
about the 10th OF February and Tor sew
eral days thereafter, large numbers OF
fish were driven ashore dead or in a
stupeded condition from Santa Barbara
south as far as Newport beach, the
greatest number being found at Santa
Monica, Redondo and Long Beach.
Upon investigation it appears that
they were almost entirely so-called deep
water hsh, principally Barracuda yel.
lowtail and halibut and that, while
many were indeed washed ashore, the
number was far less than the reports
sent out.
Many of these were still alive when
washed ashore, and, the next wave tax
ing them out, they would swim off in
lazy manner. at Santa Monica there
was a vast school of barracuda, on Feb
ruary 25th, lazily swimming about the
wharf near the surface, In such condition
that they were being hooked for the
market with all sorts OF contriyances;
and these schools were also noticed off
shore in many other localities. They
were seen to stick their Hnouts out Of
water as if in quest OF air or for relief
WI OF dva
the chief ones being that the fish were
diseased, that dynamite was being used
by the Italian fishermen, and that there
had been a subterranean explosion.
Now, the fish were found to be in good
condition-firm and with bright gille-
and in no instance have have been
able to learn that they we're soft, fabby
or rotten when first found, as would
necessarily have been the case had they
been diseased.
The story of their being dynamited
seemed to have started at Long Beach,
and going there | traced it to a Spanish
boy who had heard a noise at one point
year ago when coming from Catalina
island, and had seen q splash at another
point. Also, fishermen casting seine
Rthere had felt a shock whilein the water
and had attributed it to dynamite ex-
plosion.
There are off the coast at Redondo
what may be called oil wells, and kind
of petroleum can be found along the
shore there at any time. 1t seems
reasonable to suppose that new wells
may have broken out after subter-
ranean explosion, filling the water with
gas and petroleum; and it is a fact that
the coast captains have seen oil floating
on the water in localities where it has
never been found before. The water
being thus filed, it must affect the fish,
killing some and Supplying others.
had the pleasure, when at San
Diego on the 10th inst, of meeting
Captain Tanner of the United States
fish commissioner steamer Albatross,
and he very kindly gave me much in
formation on this subject. Mr.. Miller
of the Albatross gave the matter thor
ough investigation, and found that some
of the air bladders of the fish that he
examined had been broken and that all
of them showed traces of petroleum in
the gills. He said that subterranean
explosion must have taken place. kill
ing many of the fish by breaking the
air-bladder, and causing the water to
be filed with oil and gases which killed
or stupefed them, it being a we'll
known fact that fish cannot live with
oil in their gills.
The story that the feb were diseased
gained such headway. and the fact be-
coming known that many of them were
being shipped to the markets, 60
frightened the people that they refused
to buy or eat any kind, and the trade
was cut down more than one-hAlf in all
of the markets. and indeed they still feel
the effects to a very great extent.