, 1935-09-26

farther south Il due undoubtedly TO
changing currents" Currents In the
gulf shift considerably from the
summer to the winter season. Fol
lowing this theory. we would have
great masses OF water carrying near
ly their limit OF sulphur dioxide gas,
and moving northwesteward," Judge
Seabury continued. Nov when fish
In the open gulf waters first noticed
this gas they would instinctively
move waya from 1t, so that there
fould probably be few deep sea fish
or other fish far offshore killed by It,
Likewise any fish coming I'm con-
tact with shore water that had too
much fresh water IN II would i'm
mediately move out OF IL and would
not be harmed by the large amount
Of fresh water. But when these long
bodies or water saturated with the
gas reached shore. they pinned the
shore feeders in. ana the fish were
killed"
Seabury explained that q certain
part of sulphur dioxide gas when IL
comes In contact with water COM
bines to form Sulphurous acid. And
when this acid In solution Is aeriat-
ed, 1t changes To sulphuric acid,
which win burn ND any living organ
ism almost instantly. This would
form still lanother hazard to shore
fish as the water containing the
heavy gas solution broke on sand
bars near shore and was aeriated.
However. the sulphur dioxide gas
alone. " present In large enough
quantities In water, would cause
death to fish, Seahury said.
This gas Is about twice as heavy
as air, which fit into the observa-
titon OF persons who went I'D Padre
Island and who found the gas TO
be heaviest close to the ground, and
right at the line where the water
struck the land. which action re-
leased the gas IL is irrespirable,
which also fits into the observations
OF those who have gone to the
shore.
The gas coming as 1t does In ocean
water an dbeing released at the
shore line does not In any way cons
titute q menace 10 people. It will
cause considerable discomfort to
those close to the short and result in
colds.
6eabury considered the theories
advanced recently by DR.. T. j. Lund,
University Of Texas Marine biologist,
and Or. III. A. Wiebe OF the Texas
Game, Fish and Oyster Commission.
Their theory that the catastrophe is
due 20 the presence OF large amounts
OF fresh water. he refuted BY citing
the death OF thousands OF gars, q
fresh water fish. by the fact that
many salt water fish can live In fresh
water, and furthermore by tina fact
that In 1882 mans times the volume
Of fresh water was poured I'm the
Gulf from the river as during this
year. Still no fish died then.
Thtir theory that a change in
temperature caused IL, was likewise
refuted by the fact that gars swim
down the warm river water into cool
Gulf water again and again without
apparent effect. and that the river
I'D been flowing into the Gulf three
weeks before the fish suddenly stSst-
ed dying
Their theory that the gas origin
ated alorE the shore is refuted by
te fact that the gas was noticed
mos strongly before q single dead
fish was seen. that there lis q distinct
difference In the odor given off BY
the dead fish found IN thousands
along shore. and I'm the odor or the
gas, and dat the long yellow streaks
IN the Gulf water cannot be &C
counted for by the theory that the
gas came from the dead fish
There appears no other reason
able theory In explanation Of this
disaster but that q sulphur diox1de
gas. coming from the bottom or the
Gulf, probably through some sub
merged volcano. and moving In ON
the shore fish and ~suffocating them"
GemhuFw Concluded.