Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-07-07
seine with the engine, and is 1900 feet
lonr. or nearly two miles.

aAAnE WIN AhN Nh Is INV NAA - etANN 49,
long, or nearly two miles.
When only about 100 feet of the
seine still remains in the water, both
engines are stopped, the rest Of the
hauling being done by the men them
selves. A few hundred herring are
found giled in the meshes. This is the
only indication thus far that any fish
have been enclosed in the net, which has
swept such tremendous eXpanse Of
water. The two gangs Of men, which
are about 100 yards apart, now begin
to move slowly toward each other, pull
ing as they go. BY this time the water
within the constantly narrowing limits
enclosed by the seine fairly glistens
with the silyery fins and tails Of the cap
tured fish. A man follows the back Of
the seine, beating the water with an
oar, to frighten the fish toward the
center and to relieve the pressure
against the net. Fifty men are now
working with the seine. The water in
which those nearest the shore are stand
ing is about knee deep, while those
farthest out are up above their waists,
The lead line is moved slowly along un-
til it touches the bottom. 1t is then
carefully secured by the men, and at
signal from the captain raised out OF
the water. The scene which follows al
most defies description. The fish are all
retained between the cork and lead
lines, this being the widest part of the
seine, the middle, of course, resting on
the bottom; the men holding up the
sides or walls Of the net standing Sc
close as to almost touch each other.
The water, which is about waist deep
is churned into foam by the thousand!
of struggling fish, held in this compar
atively small enclosure, not over 60 fee
long by 20 feet wide, and it would seen
that surely the climax of animal activ
ity had been reached. Nearly every
thing appears to be herring, but occa
gionally larger fish are to be seen plung
ing through the mass; these are shad.
A large lighter is brought alongsid
the net, and the cork line thrown owe
the rail. Four or five men, with shor
dipnets, get inside the circle, and stand
ing on the seething mass of struggling
fish, commence TO shovel them into tn
scow. The fish beat merry tattoo o
the bottom of the boat as they ar
thrown in. Soon, however, the bottol
is covered and the pile rapidly deepen'
The fish on top are all Topping vigol
ously, displaying a scene of the mos
intense activity and bewildering the ey
to look upon it, The incessant patter
such a multitude of fish in their eXpi
ing moments is unlike any other SCUM
ever heard, The shad are separate
from the herring, counted and put
compartments to themselves, many
them being splendid specimens.
At the haul of which this is a pa
ticular description nearly 100000 he
> ring were taken, and over 500 shad, re
) resenting an aggregate weight of abo'
1000 pounds, which tested the carr
imp capacity of the lighter. AS to Il
herring this was considered good han
' being above the average, while as to Il
4 shad it was somewhat below the ave
: age. The largest number of shad ev
U taken with this seine at a single ha
!, was 5000, and of herring about 35O,OC
l Within q few minutes after the light