The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-31

singular behavior and alarming mortality
OF marine animals was reported from
nearly every station at which the red wa
ter occurred, ana from no other station.
which indicates that the two phenomena
are related 9s cause and effect.
1t was commonly believed that dive
stuffs or other refuse emptied into the
rivers at the upper part of the bay gave
10 the water It's color and unpleasant: odor,
but microscopic examination showed that
the water was swarming with minute or
ganlsms, species of peridiuium The
peridtnium is reddish brown in color and
occurred in such excessive abundance that
II gave to the water the peculiar color and
odor, besides making il so Opaque that one
could hardly see a white shell six inches
below the surface.
with regard to the systematic position
of this organism there Is a difference of
opinion. II is. in fact, ranked with the
animals by some authors and with the
plants by others. L have not yet been
able to determine the species of our peri
diuium.
After Sept. and 10, when the great
mortality of fish occurred, the peridinium
became, for a few days, less abundant
and then increased again until the ODD
There was heavy rain on the I'D, and on
the following day the water was compare
lively clear. Since this date it has been
more or less in evidence up to the day of
writipg-Oct. Z. On Sept q the number
on petidnium per cubic centimeter in the
Seekonkriverwas estimated at $3.50 This
was enough to give the water a very no
ticeable red color Nevertheless the ma
rine animals appear not to have been Sc
riously affected since Sept. 10 or II, though
the approach of a streak of red water has
IN some Instances, interrupted good fish
ing.
In the Seekonk river the shrimp and
crabs gradually returned, and In about
three weeks after the sudden mortality
were nearly as numerous as before,
though the water was a times distinctly
colored. On the 23d some shrimp, oysters,
and small fish (fundulus) We're kept in
the water where the peridInum were the
thickest, and suffered no apparent injury
In consideration of these facts, il has
been doubted whether the peridinium was
the immediate cause of the peculiar be-
havior and death of the fish which occur
red on Sept. 8 and 10, especially as the
weather had been phenomenally hot for
several weeks previous to that date. be-
lieve, however, that the peridlnum was
the cause Of the trouble, and not the hot
weather or manufacturers waste, for the
following reasons:
"On the two or three days in which the
mortality took place the water was ex-
tremely red.
THE hot weather was followed by cold
wave a day or two before the mortality
commenced.
''The phenomena occurred in Greenwich
bay and off Nayatt, many miles from
any considerable source of contamination.
FINALLY, the phenomena In question
were noticed by very many persons
throughout the whole range Of the red
water, while in neighboring portions of
the bay, for example, in the Warren river
and in Bristol Harbor. where the tenn
perature of the water is quite as high as
in the red-water districts, no peridnium
and no mortality or unusual behavior of
the marine animals were reported, though
the regions were carefully canVassed.
There are many recorded Instances Of
salt and of fresh water colored red prob
ably by peridlnium Of this orr similar
species. II. J. Carter In his account Of
The Red Coloring Matter Of the Sea
Round the Shores Of ihe Island of Bonn
bay described the new species peridinium
sanguineum. which produces this effect
He points out also that with that of peri
dinium. The animslcule which he found
to color the sea red degree south of Val
paraiso accords exactly with that of peri
dinium. The animalcules which, accord
ing 20 Salt, produce the red color an the
Red sea, may also be due to this form.
and the same cause may perhaps be as
cribed to the red color of the sea off Ice
land in 1910 Portor quotes the following
passage from an eye witness Of a SINH
lar occurrence at Porebunder, on the coast
Of Khattywar, India. where the red water
is extremely common--yiz the color of
the sea water on Saturday evening last.
oct. q 1919, was changed from It's usual
tint 10 a deap red emitting a most foul
smell: the FISH speedily were all destroyed
and washed up on the beach In large guam
titles, &c. Though the narrator believed
that this might be due 20 a submarine
eruption Of mud Mr.. Carter Is inclined
TO ascribe II 20 some 'animalcule,' most
probably pcridinlum. He also directs at
tsntion TO the Mosaic account Of the pla-
que of Egypt given ia the following verses.
And all the waters that were ia the river
were turned 90 blood And the fish that
was in the river died. ana The Eiyor stank.
and the Egyptians could not drink Of the
water Of the river; and there was blood
throughout al the land Of Egypt"