The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
FISH WITH STEAM ENGINES.
BIG CATCHES OF HERRING AND
SHAD on THE CHESAPEAKE.
One Thousand Barrels Taken at Haul
The Floating villages Of the
Bay Visitors Attracted BY the
Spectacle Of Fishing by Wholesale.


BALTIMORE, May 9-Fishing with steam
engines and landing 1000 barrels of fish
at a haul may seem surprising to persons
with old fashioned notions; yet that was
the record Of catch Of herring and shad
made during the week on the Havre de
Grace fishing grounds.
To the ordinary man there is excitement
in the landing of handful Of minnows,
sifted out OF puddle with dip net. 1t is
natural, therefore, that he should view the
landing Of a half an acre of wriggling,
leaping inhabitants Of the water with any
thing but indifference. This fact accounts
for the stream Of visitors that have been
coming to the fishing grounds Of the lower
Susquehanna for the past week.
The herring season is now in full blast.
What is termed the branch run begins
generally about March 20, and lasts for
about two weeks. The present run "
called the glut. Tho nsh OF the branch
run are larger In size than the ordinary
herring. and are light brown in color, while
those that come later have dark blue backs
The fisheries of Havre de Grace are to
the Eastern and Central States what those
on the Newfoundland coast are to the north
eastern. From a thousand to fifteen hun
drsd men earn a more or less comfortable
3y1ns by the sale Of the shad and herring
.nxen from the waters OF the lover we. sus-
quehanna and upper Chesapeake Bay.
II is estimated that at least 600 OOOO 600
pounds Of fish are taken annually from
the Susquehanna and Chesapeake Bay and
it's tributaries. Shadinever get beyond Co
lumbia, forty miles from the Susquehanna
mouth, though there was a time, the old
fishermen say, when they went higher
up the river.
At Hayre de Grace measurements are
by the cargo and carload and by the nun
haul is by the thousand fish, or even by
the hundred barrels. To the novice, the
statement that 1000 barrels OF fish were
drawn at one haul seems more than fshlng
story, but the statement Is nevertheless
true
or course, such wholesale operations
necesstate the employment of large
number of men and require the aid OF
modern appliances and inventions. About
the upper Chesapeake Bay territory some
OF the larger establishments make their
hauls with the aid Of steam engines, while
others employ the agency OF horse power.
Then there are the OILERS, who manage
their nets by hand.
The best place to study the bay fisher
man is aboard the float that constitutes
Is the platform on which the necessary
buildings have been erected-engine house,
fshhouses, Kitchens sleeping rooms. stables,
etc These little floating villages vary
differ in construction in minor details,
but a description of one will give general
6ea Of the makeup Of a typical float.
This float, as is nearly always the case.
Is not anchored, but is held fast by twelve.
inchspuds, or piles, that sink their sharpened
ends deep in the mud Of the flats at the
edge of the channel flshed by the float.
At night the tired fisherman is lulled to
sleep by the tuneful creaking and grooming
OF the spuds OF grousers, as the baymen
their fastenings with the rise and fall of
the swell. These tall timbers are often
surmounted by little skeleton cedar trees;
On the upper side of the float the build
ings are placed close to the edge OF the
deck, leaving little wharfage room,-say
from two to six feet-while on the lower
side an allowance of deck room for landing
the big catches of herring and shad Ia made.
For distance of from twenty to thirty
feet at either end the space is clear to give
room for handling the hundreds OF yards
OF seine that must be drawn in and folded
for the next cast
On the lower side the deck is level for
distance of probably ten feet before the
slope begins that carries the stats far down
under the water. This slopin2 area consti.
tutes the apron. built so that the catch OF
fish may slide up on to the main deck as
the net Is hauled in.
There are two rows OF houses, with mar
row street between A rudely painted sign
informs the stranger that he looks on Balti-
more street A little further along the
visitor comes on Marsh Market space,
the Bowery, Rotten row, Midway flaisahce
and other localities. Over the culinary
department is a sign that reads waldorf =
Astoria" Artistic effects In sign writing
on either side of the door inform the hungry
that quail on toast, oxtail soup and other
dishes designed to tempt the epicure may
be had within. On another avenue Is
sign that reads: DIR. Street. ONCE Third
Floor" As the height Of the building Is
about that Of n man the point OF the JOKE Is
patent
The Susquehanna fishermen are IN the
main a happy-go-lucky set OF ielIows.
me-, imey are happier during the run UNI. OF herring
The years Of most Of them are divided
into four seasons. not called spring, suInmer ,
autumn and winter, however. Their nrst
season is spent at the fishing grounds the
second in the Jersey strawberry or pea
fields, the third in the peach orchards OF
Ea u,arp n -, ~ Ma nd n u0 the fourth