Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-02
GOVERNMENT FISH HATCHERY
How Young Fish Are Reared at the
Hatchery Near Manchester.
PROCESSES OF HANDLING EGGS
Complete Institution Located In n
Favored spot i'm Iown-Bcnutiful
Scenery About the Hatchery
Cost and Other Items.

The work OF ccustruction OF the United
States fish hatchery at Spring Branch, IN
Delaware county, Ia. near Manchester was
begun in 1896 and has been continued ever
since. The buildings are now nearly all
completed and the first hatching was done
more than year ago The Manchester
News gives the following account Of the
methods In use at the hatchery:
"There are forty-two ponds which will be
used for rearing the fish at various stages
of their development. OF these three are
large ponds. situated at the south end OF
the grounds, and will contain the grown
FISH which are kept for breeding. Next
north are eight ponds SOx2O feet in size,
called the large rearing ponds. North OF
these are yet smaller ponds which VIII re-
ceve the young FISH from the hatchery. The
eight ponds are three feet deep and con-
tain about thirty inches of water; the
smaller ones have about eighteen incnes OF
water The ponds are liued with two-nch
hemlock plank are sOdded about the edge,
and walks and driveways border all OF them.
The grounds are leveled up and brought to
a gentle slCpe from the base Of the blum
westward. The brushwood and many of the
trees were OF necessity sacrificed, but as
much as possible of the natural was pre-
served When the entire plans are COM
pleted, the landscape, with its spacious
drveways, well kept lawns and sparkling
fountains, will be a picture which Will de-
light the eye to rest upon
Upon entering the grounds, what strikes
the observer fret is the substantial man
ner in which the government performs what
ever it has to do. Not an item OF work or
material is done or put in place withou;
passing the critical eye of an inspector, and
while the architecture Is always or the
latest and best the massiveness and solidity
imuresses one that the ordi.ary buildings
of this rapidly DEVELOPED western country
are but makeshifts in comparison.
The aatchery building is 4SN6O feet iu size,
and contains in addition to the troughs the
cfiice and laboratory ol the first floor, and
apartments above. The eggs for Matching
are deposited in shallow trays, of wA'ch there
are /, ,232 in number 12laX24 inCids in size
The sectional view of the interior Of the main
building shows the troughs which receive and
retain the eggs during tine process OF hatch
ug. The trays, which are perforated tC
permit the free circulation OF water are
placed one cbove another and the spring
water flows through hem in an unn crrupteC
stream, passing off through the overflow
pipes and is conducted to Ule poGds below.
GRAVITY STATION.
The Manches .er hatchery is what is knowE
as a gravity station. There are but yer!
few of the kind in the United Sta.os, mss
of the plarts requiring the application o
power to keep the water in circulation Ii
tbs respect the government considers itsel
very fortu,,.tc for it is an uncommon oc
currence 20 find springs with sufficient hea
to force the water supply through ! system o
pipes
No hatchery building and rearins pond
are supplied by water from the big sprn
nearly so rods north, which is c-aiucted ii
fourteen-!nch pipe The capacity of thi
spring is / 500 gc'luls a minute and the hca
Is sufficient to give several pounds pressur
at the outlet. The lower spring has =: ca
pacNy of 900 gallons a minute and supple
three large storage rcnds All OF the pond
connected by inlet and outlet pipes an
Gates for regulating the Ieight Of water de
sired. Both of the springs from which tn
wafer supply is drawn have been confined b
walls.
The buildings comprise the one alread
mentioned for Matching a tool and work
house 20X2S, "a barn 2OX3O, ice house, tn
mess house which was remodeled from &
old building on the grounds, the superir
tendents residence and other neCeGsar
smaller structures. The superintendent
residence Is situated on the rise OF grouu
above the west b,nk of the stream and ovel
looks the whole works. 1t is 39X50 feet
size and is very handsome structure.
BASS STATION ONLY.
The Manchester hatchery has been d,
signed as a bass station, but of course il wi
not be entirely devoted TO that purpos
Already several consignments Of trout hsy
been hatched here and distributed in II
lakes and streams. Bass culture may as "
be considered In ito experimental stage, a
though, to be sure, the government has bee
turning its attention in that direction Il
some time past. During the last sessc
> quite a number of large bass have bee
transferred tc the large ponds to becon
acclimated, and they are expected durlr
the coming sCdson to furnish the eggs whiC
will start the first real work in that depar
ment OF the culture at this citation I'll
> trout eggs which were first hatchei he
were brought from the government station
elsewhere.
The operation OF Matching Is very intcres
ing. The eggs having been procured they a
placed in the small trays, about a certa
number, which is calculated by measure,
each one where the water continually ru
through them fresh from the spring abov