The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-18

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health of the vicinity. Crude carbolic
acid was furnished to the residents to
be used about their premises, while
lime was being used in ample quantity
on the heaps of carcasses.
One Theory.
Speaking of the cause of the peculiar
phenomenon, DR. Brady advanced what
he considered the only theory in ex-
PLANTATION.
From some cause unknown to any
one" the doctor explained there has
been a migration of fish from the sur
rounding bayous and lakes with which
Harvey's canal connects. The fish pos
sibly believed they were leading for the
river, and swarmed by the million into
the still waters of the canal.
Unable to reach an exit when they
reached the head of the stream, the
foremost of the invading army pos
sibly began a retreat
But the countless legions in the
rear kept swarming onward, and the
foremost could not retire to the larger
bodies of moving water from which
they came. The result was the little
canal, which covers only short
sketch of six miles, was suddenly
damned and crowded with fish. These
millions of living breathing creatures
soon diminished and finally consumed
the supply of oxygen in the water
and when that was gone the newt
able took place. The fish were with
out air and they perished.'
DR.. Brady said he did not believe
the general health of the Harvey Sec
ton would be affected by the peculiar
plague. The Louisiana Cypress Lum-
Der Company, which leases the tow
ing rights of the canal, is probably
the largest sufferer from the strange
plague, as it is unable, owing to the
compact mass of dead fish, to haul it's
RATS of cypress logs from the outer
water to its plant at the head of the
canal.
Afraid of the Work.
Men from Harvey, Gretna and New
Orleans especially negroes congre-
gated at the canal at an early hour
Monday morning to earn the enticing
wages of $3.50 a day to shovel the pu
trid mass from the surface of the lit
tie stream. Nearly all of the darkies
went to work without hesitation, the
sickening stencil seeming to have no
terrors for them. AS a rule the white
men backed out as soon as they got
near enough to form an adequate idea
of the job they were contracting to ex-
CC0LCi 81 Tic nCSIOcS Ildu pl dSllCdlly d
monopoly of the work
Let de niggers have it, said one
tough-looking customer who was back
ing off toward the landing of the Lou
isiana ferry. II likes money and
likes booze, but l don't want to gil EN-
dat way"
This individual seemed to voice the
sentiment of every white man who had
gone to the scene for the purpose of
soliciting work.
AS an evidence of the little concern
that was manifested by the negroes
for the feature of the situation most
revolving to the whites who thought
they could tackle the job-that of ham
ding tho Sead fish-it is in order to
relate that on Monday. after quite a
number of the darkies had begun to
feel that degree of hilarity induced by
too frequent draughts on the store of
booze, a dozen or more of them began
to pelt each other with the putrid car
casses.
There were no loafers hanging around
the canal. Everybody was moving on
Those who were drawn to the scene by
a desire to crafty natural curiosity
approached the plague spot timidly
took a look, made a few grimaces, and
departed. Only the seventy five ne
groes employed to shovel out the dead
fish remained at their posts. With the
aid of a goodly stock of whisky, doled
out without regard to time or quantity,
the darl<ies remained faithful.
Finally the State Board of Health
was compelled to adopt heroic meas
ures to abate the nuisance. 1t was
decided to cut the levee and flush the
canal. The Mississippi was high
enough to furnish all the necessary wa
ter. its surface being several feet above
the level of the canal. The state en-
gineer approved of the plan, and so, as
the only means of clearing out the mil
lions of dead fish whose smell was ex-
tending over to the city of New Or
leans, the levee was cut and the wa
ters of the river allowed to pour in
This cleaned out the canal in a few
hours.
In the meanwhile, as the result of
this extraordinary occurrence, it has
been determined to build modern locks
in Harvey's canal. and this project, il
is estimated. will cost about So. 900
When these locks are completed such
an event as that of last week will not
occur again, because it will be possi-
bic to turn the waters of the river in
at any time.