The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-22

ant structure. does not mean the DEM
o.tion OF the historic Castle Garueh'
The walls Of this old fort will lie kept
intact Just as they are to-day ahd
i,s, AS they were. according TO n
oldest known prints, when Lafayette
landed there August l6, 1874.
"The entire upper part of the present
structure is of the flimsiest wooden
construction and would burn like a
baystack." declared DR.. c. IA. Town
send. director of the Aquarium. as,
standing beside the central pool on the
ground floor. he pointed up at the ROOF
Of the Aquarium. Constructed more
than a century G as a fort. IL mas
never had the light or ventilation OF a
museum for living exhibits, especially
for one attracting more than e'ght
thousand visitors "A day. Though these
interior arches appear so solid theS
are nothing but wire netting covering
rough wood work. the netting covered
nv a coat of plaster. Jab 1t with your
walking cane or umbrella ana OH
comes the plaster, exposing the wire
netting and the whole hideous shain'
The building never had enough
space for coal, supplies or repair shop
and cannot be administered
ically. There is not space for an ad-
dl,ional exhibition tank, "A pump or IA
filter. When especially attractive
snecimens arrive those Of less inter-
est must he fed 20 the sea non OF tne
porpoise to make room for them ma
Won ever see the place where the 1000
for all our specimens Is prepared
We'll, YOU come with me.
Hero DIR. Townsend pushed open II
narrow door on the first moor OF 'he
Aquarium, in the corner AT the iiSh'
NJ the entrance. and led the way
through n Harrow little alleyway oi
damn unpainted woodwork. FROM tnls
We stcpped into n somewhat "iuel
nassarewav where the walls were Oh
rough whi,ewashed brick.
"You are passing through the inner
wall of the old fort" the director eN-
plajned. indicating the rough prlch
wall 81, is lust ten feet thick ano
II cos, ms lust one hundred and hftS
dollars 10 make this passagowaS
through il. This room was used io'
St ring balls III tle oiu i'''
He pointed with. pride to a harro"
STRIP OF space between the outer ah'
inner walls Of the building.
ig the centre one might easily touct
both walls without stretching. i
is about ten feet long and lighted D!
a narrow grated window cut
the thick outer wall. Just under th'
window in the only spot mat resehi
bed daylight sat a bucket OF hsh d
carefully cut and washed as thous
intended for table use.
This room may not seem very abe
ouaie To- YOU. but II is the best W
have ever had and in 1t is prepared a.
the food for our exhibits. For som
OF the fsh We cut the food hner ina
this he indicated the bucket 'whi'
for the little fellows and those IN GU
hatchery we grind il. The larger am
mails, such as the sea lions and IN
porp0ise, we allow to do their ow
carving. What do we feed the por
polse on?" The director laughed an
shook his head. "On the cheapest MS
In the market. Whatever happens |
he selling for five cents or under u
gets. And he eats twenty-five pound
o, Il.
"Our porpoise has been here sino
November. 1913. That Is a record I,
a porpoise in captivity. 1t Is a bolt
nose porpoise and was caught on Cal
Hstteras. II is about nine feet long al
| should say weighs fully 300 pound
Hatteras Is the only point in MORT
America where porpoise fishery ht
been regularly conducted. Porpois'
are valuable for their jaw oil, hid'
and body blubbcr. The jaw oil Is 81
tracted from the broad poStegl'
branches of the lower jaw and Is un
versally used for %lubricating watche
clocks and very fine mechanlsms.
Although plentiful in the waite
of our Atlantic coast. we had to nal
three attempts before getting
healthy specimen In our tank. On u
first attempt eight animals we
caught and started to New YORK, d
because they were not kept In wat
they died en- route. The second a
tempt was made in April OF III
Here again the carefully made dire
tons for shipment were not carrl
out. Instead OF being shipped In wal
the animals were covered with "
burlap. AS a consequence four OF I
six shipped from Hatteras died befo
they reached Norfolk. There ! n
the consignment and saved the 4
/, ~hers by having the tank hlled W
water. One OF these died soon ar
Teaching New York and the other ID
after being in the Aquarium about Z
and a half months.
Convinced that plenty OF % wa
would insure safety during transp'
E tation / went down to Hatteras I