Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1919-10-17
Schools That Escape the Eye in
Crows Nest Readily Seen
From Plane.
Use IN CATCHES IS SHOWN
Flight Made by Navy Craft Bares
Worth as Locator and Time
Saver-Act as Guide to
Steamers.

New York.--A new use for air
planes had been found. Schools OF
fish for which the fishing fleets along
the coast may search vainly for days
ran be detected from a seaplanc nc
rordlng 10 report by w. W. Welsh
Df The bureau of fisheries.
The report of Mr. Welsh followed a
rip hc made in naval scaplanc from
The Cape May naval air station. The
Hight was mnde at from 800 to l,ooo
feet and at a speed of 40 miles an
0our At the time of the flight no
schooling fish were breaking water on
The surface, ana none could be seen
from the crows nest of II vessel or
from fishing piers.
"The plane assembled rapidly to
about 500 feet, and most of the trip
was made AT that altitude" Mr.. Welsh
reported "Few schools of fish were
soen at first, but as my eye grew ne
rilStOmed To the conditions many small
Schools of menhaden were observed,
MI moving at some depth, and none
II them breaking water. Some schools
we're so near the surface that they
appeared as Il reddish brown grnnu
lar mass. ameboid in character and
changing form constantly.
Large Schools Observed.
Deeper schools had the appearance
NJ large masses OF sunken gulfweed
and others were so deep that they
could he distinguished chiefly by the
shadow they caused on the suspended
particles In the water. From com
parison with other objects seen ut
known depths II Is estimated that the
depth of the schools varied from
about two feet To ten feet, or pos
slbly more.
zone school of silver fish was oh
served breaking water. Those were
possibly weakfish. certainly not men
baden. as they lacked the characters
tic color Of the latter. A school of
porpoises was clearly seen and could
he followed under water.
The most evident opportunity for
the practical use of aircraft In the
commercial fisheries at the present
time lies In their employment MS scouts
for the purse-seine fishermen, In the
pursuit Of such species as menhaden,
mackerel, bluefish. bluebacks, kyacks
and other schooling fish. In the case
Of the spring mackerel fishery II Is
believed that the use of aircraft would
save much time In locating the fish
upon their first appearance and I'm en-
nj I'M hn Ggl 20. L.. A,
with the fish rs they appeared farther
North. The chief service rendered
would be notification of fishermen of
thu general vicinity of the schools and
IL gould require actual trial and prac-
tlos 60 determine how much could he
doug in directing the fishing vessels to
par .lcular schools 10y means OF radio.
telephone or other methods of signal
ing.
Most Promising Field.
ut would appear that the mcnhad-
en- fishery offers the most promising
field for experiment In this direction.
In the case of region like the mouth
of Chesapeake bay whore there are
large menhaden interests. and where
there is n naval air station convenient
~ located, the conditions would seem
90 he excellent for the development
of tnctics in the use of aircraft 10 MS.
sist fishing operations. The benefit
tn the fishing fleet would be In time
and fuel saved In the searching for
fish and in the concentration OF ef-
Fort on large schools instead of vast