Evening star., 1901-07-20
FLOATING CITIES
Towns That Ride the Waves in the
Herring Season.
RAFT and BOAT COMBINATIONS
With Streets, Homes and Working
Buildings.
THE HAUL OF THE SEINES

Written fo- The Evening Star.
Where the Susquehanna empties its wa
ters into Chesapeake bay there appears
every spring a little group OF villages which
rise and fall with the tide. maintaining
through each sea son the same relative po-
sftions Each Of these floating towns has
its population Of nifty or sixty men, its
lodging houses and eating houses. its
streets and its local government. They are
virtually temporary municipalities, endur-
ing for the fishing season, and governing
themselves after the law and customs of
the ''SuSquehanna Flats" as the fisher
men call their unique settlement, Each
year they send back into the country mil
lions Of herring, shad and rock, and while
these fish are running the little raft cities
are the busiest. most busting communities
in all Industrial America
Early in the spring. when the trees are
Weakening their vitality for the coming
fruit the herring and shad leave the salty
ocean and seek the fresh waters of the
Su-qUehanua. In which to spawn or breed.
Before the first school passes the capeS the
proprietor Of the fish packing establish
ment has made ready for the seasons work
by getting his floating towns in ship-shape,
or perhaps IL would be more accurate TO
say in tOWn-shi p-shape. The float proper
Is 1>O feet long by Gp, built Of two layers of
logs on pJnt0Ons. From this an apron or
Inclined plane, forty feet wide, is built out
three sides. forming artificial shore
for the dragging up OF the seine. As early
as the middle of March the doors are un-
nailed and the buildings, some eight or ten,
are prepared for use, They form two rows
facing upon the narrow avenue which runs
lengthwiSe OF the float. Rooms for cook
ing. eating and sleeping, tool houses and
engine rooms make up the main street,
Night OWLS avenue the men cali it. in
COmmemOratiOn OF the late hours they keep
N 1DiSnfTg large haul
When the seine is tarred and hung, the
engines III running order and the work
men. who make up class unique in it's
Incongrulty, have arrived from various
quarters. the miniature town, with smoke
curling from its chimneys, leaves It's win
ter mOoring and Is tOwed down stream. All
the fishing is done on the shoal or shallow
side Of the flats. and when the spot is
reached. which by right of occupancy be-
longs To the proprietor, four huge piles.
each weighing one ton. and shod with
pointed iron, which pass perpendicularly
through wells Otr holes In the raft. are un-
pinned They drop, their weight sinking.
them deep into the bed Of the river, and
the float. left free at the wells to rise and
fall with the tide Is securely anchored.
The outer edge Of the apron is loosed and
allowed to sink OF It's own weight, II old
and watersoakeds if new, It Is weighted
with grd-el until IL rests upon the bottom
A breakwater is built some twenty-five
feet from the float on the upstream side.
forming Il little harbor for the landing Of
the tug which tOws the scowIoads of fish
to The packing house
Weather-Beaten Man.
When all is ready for the first haul, a
heavy boat is manned by twenty weather
beaten men, ready 10 lay out the seine,
and the engines one at either end Of the
float. wait for orders. The end of the
heavy rope which lies coiIed upon the
seine boat IS made fast to the steam cap
stan. the tug catches the tow line from
The bow and the order Give way" puts
every oar in stroke. OF they GO looking
IKE huge spiders on a single web as the
brazil line pays out over the roller al the
stern OF the boat. and heavy load * is
The boat Is hfty-eight feet in length, and
the Wet seine. weighing from three to four
tons. Nils half of it In the forward sec
ton are the men facing the crews stroke
ana the captain. who steers from amid
ships When nearly a mile out the seine
starts over the roller, unfolding without