The times., 1901-05-26
TRANSPORTATION OF FISH
Interesting Work of an Important
Government Bureau.
Special Cars for Carrying Infant
Members of the PiscatOriRl Tribe
TO Their Various Destinations
Many Have Long Journeys TO Make

wood and water revels, and dress suit ana
silk and satin are replaced by the hannel
shirt. skirt. and straw hat, it is a twenty
to-one shot that anything said about fish
es will command attention.
While society was slipping at pink teas,
or listening critically to the stage folk
at the theatre, the United States Fish
Commission worked steadily to provide
these same people with good, wholesome
fish for their table and for their sport.
The habits. necessities. and food of the
various species of fish were being studied,
and eggs were collected and Matched un-
der artificial conditions, and the young
fry transported from Washington to
every part of the United States where
lake pond, or sea offered suitable
habitat.
During the earlier years of the Com
mission the young fish were carried by
messengers in baggage cars on regular
passenger trains, but as the work in
creased it was found that this method
was inadequate and that other arrange
ments must be made to transport the
large numbers of fish which were being
Matched. Accordingly. in 1S19-SO, expert
ments were successfully made in moving
shad fry in specially equipped baggage
cars. and il was found that large num-
with little loss A car was, therefore, con-
structed specially adapted for the distri-
button of live fishes, the requirements
of such a car being a compartment Tor
carving the fish in which an even temp
erature could be maintained, proper cir
cuIation of water and air in the yes
sells containing the fish, and sleeping ana
living accommodations for the messen-
gers attending them
A baggage car the body of which was
fftv-one feet long, nine feet ten inches
wide thirteen feet eight inches high, was
purchased At one end of the car was
room containing a stove, sink, and perth
for the use of the cook, besides a boller'
purnn. etc. and at the other end were two
sections of berths, like those OF a Pull
man car, which would accommodate two
men on each side Each compartment
was about seven feet long. In the centre
of the car was a refrigerator compart-
nent thirty feet three inches long, by the
full width of the car, and extending up
10 the clear story The ice was carried
in two racks holding one ton each, which
were located in the corners OF the re
frigerator diagonally opposite each other
Cylinder cans. placed on galvanized iron
tanks. nine feet four inches long, twenty
eight inches wide, and eight inches high,
were provided in which to carry the nsh.
The tanks were placed on opposite sides
of the car with a pasSageway between
them.
An apparatus for circulating water was
arranged in the following manner: In the
top Of the car extending the full length
of the clear story, was long, seml-cir-
cular tank twelve inches in diameter
which was filled through the top Of the
2,
into a six-inch pipe extending all around
the top of the refrigerator compartment.
The pipe contained sufficient number
OF pet-cocks to supply the number OF
cans carried, the water being conveyed to
the cans in rubber tubing. From the cans
it passed into the tanks through the same
sized tubing, whence it was drained into
two-inch pipes underneath the car. and
from these pipes was pumped up TO the
tank in the clear story.
The Commission now has five cars in
use while IN many respects an improve
ment on the car just described, yet IN the
general arrangements they are the same.
They contain also five horsepower
boiler and an air and feed pump. For the
transportation of fry ordinary ten-gal-
Ion iron cans, timed, are used, twenty
four inches high, twelve inches in diam
eter on the outside. with sloping shoul-
ders and cover. For the transportation
twenty-five tanks holding hfty-two gal
Ions each They are t~efify'-seEen lhcheS
square by tWenty-four inches hlgh, ana
are Of galvanized iron. The supply Of
water is carried in the iron pressure tank,
located in the body of the car.
To supply sufficient air circulation, the
air is driven by pump 70 5V-gaAon
reservoir on the top OF the car, from
which il IS taken to the transportation
tanks or cans through ten lines OF IRON
piping running along the sides ana Top
of the car One pet-cock IS placed IN the
pipe for each tank to be supplied with
air From the pet-cock the air is carried
into the tank with rubber hose ana re-
leased in the water through lberators
made Of American linden placed IN hard
rubber holders
Fry are carried in cans, and yearlings
and adults in the transportation tanks.
Great care is taken not 10 make sud
den change in the temperature. II the
air and water circulations are not used,
il is necessary to aerate the water with
q dipper that is, to take a dipper full OF
water from the can and, holding II up
about two feet pour il back, thus taking
air with the water to the bottom Of the
can.
Whitefish fry are carried in water at
a temperature from % TO 45 degrees Fahr-
enheit. II necessary TO reduce the tenn
perature, ice can be placed IN the water
with the fry II air and water circula-
tions are used, about 10000 fry may be
carried in each can. Without the circula-
tion 2Q0JJ are carried. and to aerate them
IL is necessary to draw of in pail,
through screen slphon, about one-half
the water in the can. This Is then thor
oughly aerated in the pail with dipper
and returned to the can with small
amount of fresh water added When a
car arrives at It's destination the cans are
taken to a tugbOat or steamer ana car
Tied TO the grounds where the fish are 70
be planted. On board the boat they are
given fresh water as fast as is required
10 keep them alive.
Shad fry are carried in water at n tenn
perature of from 50 TO Go degrees, depend
ing on the temperature OF the water in
which they are hatched- Each can con-
tains 20009 TO 0.690 fry. These fry cannot
be carried successfully with the circulat-
ing system Of water or air, and aeration
sary. When the water is to be changed
it Is drawn off through az siphOh into a
pai the head Of the siphonibeing In a wire
cage. covered with cheese cloth, TO prevent
the fry from escaping. After the water in
the pail has been thoroughly aerated and
fure. il is poured back through a large
funnel which reaches nearly 10 the bot
tom Of the can. To prevent the force of
the water from injuring the delicate fry,
the lower part of the funnel for about six
inches is maze OF perforated tin. During
long trips the sediment collecting on the
bottom Of the cans Is removed by drawing
1t of through a siphon into pail. Should
any fry come out. they are returned to the
can by dipping them out after the seGi-
nent has returned 10 the bottom Of the
pail II a trip lasts five or six days the
Cans are cleaned every other day by trans
ferrfng the fry with a dippeT from one can
to the other and cleaning the empty can
before the fry are returned to IL. Shad fry
are more tender than any other young fish
moved on the cars. and the greatest care
is necessary I'm handling them.
Trout and salmon fry are moved in cans