The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-17
Thousands Were Killed In Jam and Others
Were Left High on the Bank.
PURSUING PIKE LEArEO FROM WATER.
IA Their E'gnsis % C.p'ml III, EOS Ttey
Stranded Thtmssrss OF ths 5irks hs Jam
Las cd Fully Hall an lour.

Trenton. n. j., July 17.-Eels caused
Jam In the raceway TO the feeder of
the Delaware and Raritan canal at
Scudders Falls yesterday. Chased by
school of Delaware Creek pike, ap-
parently the entire June hatch of eels
at the falls ran up the swift overflow
70 escape death in the sharp jaws OF
dne pike, and clogged the six-foot
stfeam until IL oyeriiowed into the yard
OF edward Harding. adjoining the So
called raceway.
Thousands OF cells were killed i'm the
Jam, thousands were left high and dry
an Harding's yard when the pike re-
treated, and hundreds of pike were
piched up ON land after having jumped
from the stream in their frant. c efforts
10 cross the leaders OF their school and
iced on the young cells.
Ihe sight OF millions of cells jammed
IN one huSs, wrlggiing mass, struggling
10 escape death from their regular July
prosecutors. the pike. while many were
peing crushed TO death by Their fellows
because unable 10 advance. coupled
with the sight OF thousands of shiny.
jumping, frantic. hungry pike. ali
packed so tight in a swift. shallow cur
rent as TO turn the waters over a two
ioot embankment, was one calculated
10 excite the most phlegmatlc follower
OF the rod and reel. Harding says the
night for life lasted half an hour.
Although too much overcome by the
ght to realize his opportunity Hard
ing gathered enough pike to pickle for
MS winters supply, besides seven
bushels TO sell, and has enough young
cells In his yard TO fertilize his harden.
had he retained his presence of mind.
Harding says. he could have caught
enough pike with a SCOOP shovel in a
mi h.. .I..s
the city or Trenton.
But was excited. and only got a
Dar1, said Harding, sorrowfully. AN
wouldn't ha' got them, / don't guess.
ef they hadn't ha' jumped in my yard
IN their efforts TO git at tn cells. Dino
what Ill do with tn cells. They're
June's, an too small fer anythin' 'cept
fertilizer, tho they're pretty good stuff
Ter tha~' he added.
Harding described the noise made by
the eels In their rush for life as similar
to that or the mouse-bat, and COM
pared the noise of the pike to that OF
the whack. whack OF the beak OF the
woodcock against the bark of an old
oak. He says that during the scramble
up the stream he made the discovery
that eels are inclined to canibalism.
thousands or cells were not more than
three inches In length. and the large
eels, finding their progress impeded by
the little ones, would atttck them and
bite them in half. He says one part
OF his yard was strewn with pieces of
the bodies OF young cells after the jam
In the raceway.
He says IL Is not an uncommon thing
to find hundreds OF young cells wrig-
Cling about his grass plot in the morn
ing before the sun dries up the dew.
These cells come from the creek to the
ground. and he has never been able TO
explain just why they do so.
Mr.. Harding has lived beside the
raceway for a number OF years. and is
accustomed TO seeing the myriads of
eels in the raceway, but he had never
witnessed an attack upon them by the
pike until yesterday.
'Old Jim Allerton, who tended the
bridge for number of years." said
Harding, "once told me about a fight
between the eels an the black bass
that was somethin terrific. but ,S,u
know old Jim told some stories what
warn't like some folks would think cor
rect stories. But thinks he war right
Jim said the bass swope down at the
outlet and. sort o. formed themsels i'm
10 circuit round about the cells afore
they could get In the raceway TO pro-
tee themsels, an the slaughter. as Jim
tells tn story. was somethin' orful. But
some folks swoped down on the bass
and =drix- them eff afefe they coufti fir
ish the feast"