The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-26
At THE FISHING BANKS.
PRESENT CONDITION OF THE PUGET
SOUND HALiBUT FLEET.
lucr~asinx Eastern Trade Resrcust.
bic for Many New Heats-N"w
Twelve srhoeners and Slo"ps-
uow lish Are Takrn-Race Homc.

The majority o. the people who eat Aai-
iaut and cod fer their Fridays repaSt HI
tie dream % the trouble and peru ~hich
has been undertaken that their taoles
might be supplied with his wel-known
delicacy. On every day OF the week.
loads Of orawny fishermen at the iishins
grounds of Cape Fist,ery. No matter The
condition OF the weather. Se Il warm OF
cold. fair or cloudy. the fishermen pursue
their work. and do not start Tor home 1i~
~ the catch Is complete.
Since the fisheries bath on the Sound and
the North Pacific have developed such
commercial importance. much interest -
being manifested In the condition of ths
fleet OF fishing vessels Now that the 'Fdde
with the Eastern markets has so greatly
Increased new vessels are being paLt ana
small schooners ard ssoops which have
long been tied up aud lying idle. are now
being renovated and turned into hSA"s
packets
The present feet consists Of twelve YES
sells some OF watch are SchooneFs and ne
others slooI~. All u The vessels are
s,aunch craft. watch have lived thFo0Sn
some ~ the worst gales on tnset SOUND.
Several have made long voyages 10 Alaska
at sll SEASONS Of the year. Among these
are the Pilot. Yukon ana Annie. while the
schooner Lizzie Sorenson. which IS now in
Boring sea and several new schooners.
may alS, ne added 10 the list These YES
sssls range in SIZE from twenty 10 SHY tons
net They carry from five 10 ten men in
the crew.
The method commonly employed ny the
fishermen for catching haiihut and cod -
by what Is known as trawlng. The 'rawl
consists OF &e fathoms. or $50 feet. of
stout line OF about The thickness OF an or
binary lead pencil. To this line are at
tachsd at intervals az twelve feet apart.
lsa hooks. which are baited with salt her
ring Each vessel carries from two 10 Ave
dor:es each provided with trawl
The fishing grounds are located near the
point where the waters Of The Strait or
Juan he Fuca unite with the Pacific ocean.
The fishing vessels usually anchor about
thirty-Fve miles out in the ocean from
CAPE Flattery where the cod and hal!h1t
are the most plentiful. ImmCdia tely after
anchorlng. the dories arc lowered and the
fishing commences. Each d0ry "a manned
by a crew OF two men. one Of which pays
out the trawl while the other rows The
boat. To one end OF the trawi Is attached
a small anchor az a weight \ small keg
line which floats on the water and marks
the spot where the trawl Is anchored. At
ter the travis are pu, out they are left
from ,wo 10 Ave hours. At the end OF that
time they are hauled" ana the fish taken
of. The lines arc taken into the dortes by
means Of small windlass or capstan CALI
ed the ''girdy." When a large number Of
fish are hooked the work of landing them
taxes the utmost efforts OF the dory's
crew. -
Nuen number Of fishing vessels are Mt
the banks. they USUALLY stay close together
and keep sharp watch on each others
movements. When the catches are COM
plcted there is a grand race for hone. each
vessel trying 70 re the first to arrive. The
vessel which brings the first fish disposes
Of them for the highest rater.
The prices commonly paid for fish by
local markets ara cents per pound for
halihut and cents per pound FOR black
cod The latter fish IS therefore more
sought after by the fishermen. According
10 m established rule one-ffth Of the pro-
ceeds Of the catch goes 20 the owners OF
ihe vossel. and the remainder IL divided
among the crew. This Includes the cap
taln's share of the proceeds No salaries
are paid the crew other than their share -
the proceeds from the eaie OF the ash
taken.
The fishing seeS1n continues throughout
every ecaEon Of the year and the fisher
men have 10 work both winter ana sam
mer. The winter "a dreaded as the period
IN which the most storms occur. During
a gale the vessels seek shelter in the bays
and lnlets along the coast. In these latl-
tudes storms are slow IN coming and a
vessel engaged I'm Ashing usually has plen-
~ 81 time 20 got up her anchor and seek
place OF shelter before IT treAks Acct
dents are % frequent occurrence AMI many
lives are sometimes lost.