The morning times., 1895-09-20
Loeb & HirSh,
The ciothiers. Shirtmakers Outfitter,.
9IO-9I2 Est. NV.
FISH COMMISSION WORK
Boats and Machinery at Matching
Stations Said to Be in Bad Shape.
Putt ing Things in Shape for the
New mmissioner-Use of the
Steam Yacht Petrol.

The Fish Commission boats and some of
the machinery of the Matching stations are
reported in a bad condition, and begin
ming seems 10 have been made for putting
things in shape for the new commissioner,
whether it be Mr. May, ofNebraska, or Capt.
Collins, OF Laurel.
THE steam yacht Petrol, Capt j. A
Posey, sailed yesterday for Baltimore, to
receive annual REPAIRS said gentleman
who is well acquainted in the commission.
1T is supposed that she is to be returned
10 the Potomac, but just what excuse
there is for maintaining this craft here has
never been fully understood The service
rendered by her has amounted to little.
In fact, she has not done sixty days work
on the shad hatcheries in the last six
years.
Besides Capt Posey, her crew consists
of C. Joseph Smith, first mate; P. II.
Neliiyan. engineer, and Edward Flagg, jr-,
fireman.
1.-The expense of maintaining the Petrel
in 1892, as stated in Mis- Doc. No. 10,
House OF Representatives, Fifty-second
Congress, second session, page 8, was as
follows: Compensation OF employees,
So, ,2s3.s5; travel, S11.s0; repairs, Seo.Oe;
equipment, Ss2.O9; fuel, S120.06; incideD-
tails, S1s.35; total, S2,606.34-
lat this annual rate, together with her
first cost of $4,000, the Petrel has been
rather an expensive pleasure craft, tho
outlay being about $4,000.
I'm 1889 the hire of the Alexandria tug
Spray Capt A B. Davis, to take the
place OF the launch Blue Wing, that year
appropriated for transporting higher Fish
Commission Officers and scientists 10 and
from the Fort Washington Matching station
was more than 81 90. and the season forshad
bakes was only of five weeks duration.
Then the Petrol was bought, and no more
bills for boat hire had to be passed up to
the Treasury for payment, where disagree
able questions are sometimes asked.
In the report uf the investigation OF
the Fish Commission, Senate Mis-. Doc. No.
II, it is stated by Past Assistant Engineer
w B. Bayiey, U. S. N, that he was IN
structed, in March, 1883, to take imme-
date steps toward procuring suitable
steamlauDch TO be used for the spring shad-
Matching work ON the Delaware river, and
later in the summer to be used on Long
Island Sound in the prosecution, in connec-
ton with the United States Coast Survey,
of the Investigations of the ravages of the
star-fish on the oyster beds in those wa
ters.'
This boat, the Petrol, was employed on
the Delaware but one season and since
that time. including 1895, outside the
period of bloiled shad, she has been for loan
TO the District Commissioners to relieve
the Joe Blackburn or to the Virginia State
Fish Commission.
when the Petrol returns from Baltimore
with new copper on her hull she will be in
good plight for the prospective Fish Com
missioner, but III ebeginning of the shad
bake season is far off. While the Petrol
is thus laid up for repair she is in fine order
except for slight tdefectsinher copper bottom;
but the other steam launches used on the
Potomac and Susquehanna river shad
Matching are practically wrecks.
''It is also said that the pumping plantsat
the Bryan Point station and Battery
Island station at Havre- -de-Grace and at the
Monument lot fish ponds are in Geplorable
condition. all the steam boilers being opera
ted with a minimum pressure to avoid
breaking down at critical moment. While
money spending in various ways has con-
tinued the buying and Matching ofshad eggs
has been cut short every year from alleged
shortage of funds"