The evening times., 1895-08-29
'FIHHT TRIBES P0IS0HED
Rock Creek DepaplIated BY the
Gas companys Refuse.
DEAD FISH BY THE SCORE
Coal Tar or Lime Has Killed or Driven
Them From That Stream and the
Potomac, Where 1t Empties-Once
Famous Angling Stream-W hat
the SpOrtsmen Say.

rne hosts Of MEN and boys who fish in
the waters of the District are up in arms
over proceeding TN the part OF the George
town Gas Company, which threatens in n
short while to rid Rock Creek and the por-
tion OF the Potomac near the point where
thatstream enters ofailits finny population.
One who has in former years walked
along the shores Of the lower portion of
Rock Creek at early morn or In the cool
OF the evening, will recall the crowds 0f
fishermen who lined this waterway. But
repeat the performance to-day, and not q
sign of man ON piscabrial pleasure bent
can be discovered.
They suy that there are no fish to catch
and that when perchancc a little weaklinag
has been hooked it is to be thrown back
into tho water.
EXPLAINED BY FISHERMEN.
These things the veteran fishermen are
now talking OF, and the way in which they
explain the change from a few years ago is
in every case the same.
Along the shore of Rock Creek, south Of
NJ street and between II and X streets ex-
tended, stand a number of buildings and
tanks used by the Georgetown Gaslight
Company in the manufacture of illuni-
mating gas. These buildings have been
there for some time, and until recently
their effect upon the denizens of the
neighbOring stream was not noticed.
The creek front is utilized as the dump
ing place for the refuse lime, which is used
in the purifying process. The lime is al
lowed TO Etay there some time, for after
a years exposure it makes the best kind of
fertilizer. Then it is carted off to the
guano works. In the interval, however
every shower, be it ever so gentle, every
rain and storm sweeps the lime in great
quantities. either in solution or when car
donated by contact with tie carbonic acid
and moisture laden air, carried down
to line with a slimy, deatli-diealing coat
ing the rocks and bottom OF the river,
where the fish lurk.
RUINED AS FOOD.
This is bad enough, but the fish and fish
ermen have greater wrongs. A lime
Gated fish they would accept il none other
could be obtained, but the few fish obtain
able near the mouth of Rock Greek are SIM
ply uubearable. The fishermen say that
although IT is violation OF the law, the
Gasiight company, through some means or
other, allows tbe mass OF chemical com
pounds and mixtures known as cual tar,
which is a residue of the gas 1nanufactur-
ing process, to get into the creek. There it
gets in its work on the fish BY hundreds
they are daily Killed. one can 10 along
the shore aud count scores of dead fish
floating on the water. So badly contain
mattel and poisoned Is Rock Creek with the
substa nee that the fish caniioo i've in the
portion Of the stream above the locks.
The locks open TO allow a boat to ascend
from the Potomac Il MI the fish rush up into
the trap Then the gates close and the
weaker ones succumb. The more hardy
a nd healthy fish endure the ordeal or living
In the ipppre water, and as soon as The gates
are opened they make haste to get out OF
the neighobrbood. After the gates are
ci osed for some time, as on Monday
morning, the opening is the signal for a
floating school OF dead fish to drift back
into the Potomac.
Down below the locks q few fish may
be caught after period of idleness along
the creek. but just as soon as the penned-Ip-
waters are allowed to niingIe with the
Potomac the fish flee from the place.
FELT BY THE POOR.
The absence of the fish has reduced to
penury and almost want, the condition of
the people of Georgetown who have been
to tide over the hard times
by engaging in fishing as a means of liv
lihood. The fish are not fit to eat the
Isaac Waltops say, and so
few try to catch them no wadays.
ITO all appea RANGES the fish which one
can now succeed in hooking" said W. r.
Wood, the florist, who is an enthusiastic
angler, ''are fat and healthy But appear
ances are deceitful. Just make fine cat
fish into a chowder that looks like 1t
might melt in your mouth. Taste it and
I'll bear witness to the fact that you will
be sorry you did it. Coal tar is there You
can't mistake it. and such is the popularity
of the substance that you will continue
TO be aware of the fact that you had q
nouthful of the toothsome dainty for a
Gas Light Company's works
gets into the waters of Rock
Creek somehow or other. There can be no
ioubt of that. The fine fish with which
he commission has stocked our streams
will soon be depleted and Rock Greek and
he Potomac, near the mouth of this stream.
will be entirely without fish"