The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-10-26
A QUEER TRADE.
Vessels Engaged in Searching for
Lost Anchors.
The Method Employed in Fishing Up the
Planted Mud HOOks--A Comforta-
BILE Revenue in the Odd
Business.


sreat city. and one of the strangest OF
these herea bouts is fishing up lost an
chors and anchor chains from the bot
toms of the bays and of the sea along
the coast. 1t is not what might be
called a fourishing industry, says the
New York Evening Post, but is, in
deed. precarious dependence for the
necessaries of life: yet it yields susie
nance enough to have created quite
number of followers. Several schoon-
ers and sloops are engaged almost ex-
clusively in this trade" and each
carries crew of from three to ten
r1en.
These odd fishermen seek their IMAM
innate prey whenever the weather per-
lnitS, 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 OPP
erations thoroughly, and expend their
energies mostly where the fishing" is
best. Perhaps, of all the grounds in
this vicinity, they regard the stretch
If sea off the Delaware breakwater as
the most profitable. 1t is widely known
among shippers and all seafaring men
who visit these parts as great ceme-
terry FOR anchors. They are being con-
SANITY ''planted'' there, to use the
nautical phrase. The perpetual invol-
untary sowing" OF anchors there is
luc to the large number of vessels that
are compelled by conditions of bust
ness or of wind and tide to ride off the
brcalwater, and to their getting fire.
quently caught in gale while doing
St. Then, the floor Of the sea at that
point appears to have a peculiar facil-
ity for fouling anchors, and vessels are
hot seldom compelled-or prefer, as the
less of two evils-to abandon them.
Territory up and down the coast
ranks next, i. the anchor fisherman
c"teem, as fruitful anchor bed. The
interior waters of the harbor are more
barren, yet repay search. Even the
North and East rivers, for some dis
tarce up. are occasionally harvested,
and usually not wholly in vain.
The methol Of, anchor fishing is sim
pie to prin2itiveness. 1t consists in let
Res of the vessel until the loop trails
Ing the bottom. Then the boat sails
,}.g with al hands on board alert for
bite" i lain as this tackle is, it is
>, Elective IS any that could be devised.
''i'lanIc1 anchors almost invaria bly,
< with ore iiulie buried in the mud
i! the ether sticking straight up. If
- angling chain Is dragging in the
:rccjion cf The inner curve of the up
tnding ilulIc, it is almost sure
~ctch." Then the line wi h the anchor
cachcl is carefully hoisted, some times
:: hand. CT if the anchor is very heavy,
y means OF capstans. If the spoil is
six Thousand pounds, driving engine
i; frequently employed. The instances
- few. however, where the fishermen
il to secure their booty. When nee
sary the crew of one anchor smack
.vill lend a hand to another. Boats
item work in pairs. A cable is
:retched between the vessels, and
jagged on the bottom. When an an
hor Is caught one of the vessels takes
:, position above it and both crews
assist in raising it. This method in
ares a wide sweep of the bottom.
There are two purposes for which the
catch" is disposed of. Usually the
anchors are sold to be used as an
chors again, for moderate. or even
Il considerable. degree of rust in
no way i!npairs their efficiency as
such. If they are too much eaten up
by rust. which seldom happens, they
gre sold as ola iron. AS they are of
wrought iron the price brought is often
fashionable. There are also two WAYS
J which the fishermen find market
.ilue for their wares. They either
IL them directly by hawking
ZEN about among the vessels in the
n'bor on they sell them to the ship
-:;:ndlers. Sometimes they have per-
;i3slon from wharf-owners or lessees
= stick the anchors up there with a
,3tlce taat they are for sale. with the
ice stated. As rule they get very
ID prices. New anchors are sold for
( cents pound now, and the re-
VERGE! OLD o1,es seldom suffer (; great
.|7':cci2;. y in value than one cent
F"l:nI. Therefore. for every one
u.'ani pounds CT anchor they cap-
r. the L. ii&rrlGn make about forty
iri. end II the anchor is enc of the
~ hc@Eic ia six thousand FOUNDER
;.,c-r u i nets them about two hum
'rd;ii:d l'way q liars. They sci lc1n take
lori.'Ser + that size, however: their
121 capture i; between fifteen hun
ed and twenty-five hundred pounds.
, ere are several reasons for this. In
- Erst place the lighter anchors are
re generally used; in the second
iacc 1t Is the sailing vessels which
2'st often lose their anchors, and. as
rule. they carry lighter anchors than
''eamers, and, in the third place, most
rye vessels-whether steam or sail
tAg-commonly carry both a light and
heavy anchor, and seldom drop the
latter in the hcrbor OF immediately
CIR the coast. using it for deeper and
r'.uGher fcaa. The fact that steam
T-cSScii lose their anchors less frequent
/ than ;oiling vessels is due to their
tcinf allie TO use their steam. when
Necessary. to check the strain upon the
anchor chain.
Ina captured anchor chains often
mite q substantial addition to the gain
81 the fishermen. fetching about three
three cents pound. Sometimes they
are very long and weigh hundreds of
pounds
One Of the divers of a local wreck
ing company makes business of keep
ing an eye open for lost anchors
while examining or working a~~,,nd
sunken vessels. He is said to ha .e To-
Gated several, and to have made con-
siderable sum as the result of his enter
prise.