Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-04-10
THE SHELLFISH COMMISSION
HOLD AN IMPORTANT MEET
ING TODAY.
Survey Work Discussed AT Some Length
Features Connected With The Sur.
yeying of The Bars-The Objective
Point of The Commissions Barge,
The Oyster"
WATERS OF CRISFIELD NEXT
ON THE LIST.

The Shellfish Commission held an i'm
portant meeting here today, there be-
ing sessions during. the morning and
afternoon. Details of the proposed be-
ginning of the survey of the waters of
contiguous To Somerset county were
discussed. 1t is the intention of the
Commission TO start from Annapolis
in the houseboat oyster, towed by the
McLane, on the morning of April 20,
and it is believed that the surveying
work will be under way by May i.
The oyster will contain the mem-
bers of the scientific and working
parties connected with the Commits
sion and the material for beginning
the work. Great economy of time and
money is affected by the possession
of the Oyster. as otherwise it would
be necessary to obtain headquarters
for the officials connected with the
Commission, as well as accommoda-
tions for everyone attached to it. The
oyster affords all of these and can be
moved from place to place as the
necessities of the work demand.
The objective point of the Oyster
when il leaves Annapolis will be
Crisfield and warehouse has been
rented at that place from the Tangier
Packing Company. IL will be used
to store the buoys of the Commission
and other material. The Oyster is
now on the railway of the Chesapeake
Marine Railway Company, of Balti-
more, and will be put in perfect con-
dition for the summer work. The
other vessels of the fleet will be the
Canvassback and Angle, attached to
tho U. :. Coast and Geodetic Survey,
.al. ha aafa prl a
named the Investigator. just purchased
by the Commission.
It is probable that the survey work
will begin in the Manokin River,
famous oyster ground about ten miles
north of Crisfield. Manokin River is
tributary of Tangier Sound. The
reason for beginning the work at this
point is the fact that il has already
been well. supplied with triangulation
stations by the u. 5. Coast and Geo
detic Survey. These are eight in num-
Der along the banks OF Manokh River,
comparatively short and baylike
body OF water. If these stations can
still be located, that part of the work
will be already accomplished and the
surveying upon the water, or hydro
graphy, can begin at once. Triangu-
lation stations have been erected
throughout the water boundary of
the county, but generally as numer-
ously as around Manokin River.
There are two special features of
interest connected with the survey of
the waters adjacent to Somerset
county, the fact that the Commission
must make survey of the bottoms
adapted to the scraping for softshell or
shedder crabs, which bottoms will
be exempted from leasing, and the
further fact that the industry OF oys-
ter planting is more firmly establish
ed and conducted on a larger scale
than in any of the bay counties. The
laying OIL of the grabbing beds was
not done in the waters of Anne Arun-
del county, as the industry is not es-
tablished in that section.
In Somerset county the industry of
scraping for softsbell and shedder
crabs is n very extensive one and the
opposition of the Somerset county rep
resentaties was much allayed when
| they secured, at the last session of the
Legislature, an amendment exempting
their grassy bottoms" or grabbing
grounds from being the subjects of
leases. The laying off of these grounds
will present new and difficult prob
| lem TO the Commission. AS the crab
is more migratory in its nature than
the oyster, the laying off of its habitat
will be by no means an easy matter.
However, the Commission will be pre-
sent during the grabbing season and
will be able to observe the ground
which is actually covered in the
scraping for crabs. 1t will also be
assisted by the local man appointed
by the County Commissioners. The
| Commission has been informed that
this will be Thomas S. Dougherty, of
| Crisfield.