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THE MARINE RECORD THE FISHI INDUsTRY OF NEW ENGLAND.—NQ., I. GLOUCESTER, Mass., Devember 1. Special Correspondence of the Marine Record. When the time arrived to leave Boston for the home of the fishing industry in’ the United States, it was blowing halt a gale ot wind, but as [ had made upmy mind before- hand to travel by water instead of by land, I, of course, concluded to carry out ny pro- ject so that I might bave an opportunity of viewing the Cape Ann coast and entrance in- to the harbor of this quaint old city of fish. We had not left the wharf long before the sea commenced to run higher than any mole hill had ever seen ashore, und the staunch steamer City of Gloucester bowed to them so frequently thata Gozen of our fifteen paseen- gers commenced to feel 80 funny and good- natured that they began sharing their baked beans and pork with the fishes. After rounding the treachcrous reef of Norman’s Woe we gained smoother water till ve reached the dovk, atter which it appeared a perfect calm, in comparison to the howling wind and rushing sea that was running out side. The honor of building the first echooner ever constructed in thé United States be- longs to this town, Captain Andrew Robin- son having built, in the year 1713, a vessel which he had masted and rigged in a peculiar manner, the same as the schooner of the present day. When launched, the strange skipping motion she made as she glided into the water trom the stocker, caused one of the bystanders to exclaim, ‘‘O, how she scoons !” Robinson instantly replied, as dashing a bot- tleof holy water (rum) againet her bows, “A schooner let her be.” Since that time this same class of veesels have been called schooner, and the skipping motion she made when entering the water obtained for her master the name of skipper, a title still con- tinved on all fore-and-attere. Through the labors of the fishermen, mainly, Gloucester bus grown from a popu- lation of 6,850 and a valuation of $1,000,000, in 1840, to a present population of 20,000 and a valuation of $10,000,000. By his skill and daring enterprise the fishing business has grown from an industry of secondary importance to rank among the valuable pro- ducing interests of the country. ‘I'o the hardy fisherman, who wrings from old ocean’s harvest fields, who draws deposite from banks which have never yet refused to honor his drafte, and who braves the perils. and dangers of the sea, belongs the credit of building up Gloucester as it has been built in the last ten years. His cottages com- mand the highest sea view, for on the heights lie the cheapest lots, Alas, that the waiting wife can look harborward on every coming sail, often to see the flag ut halt-mast—tor whom? While I was looking seaward one day lust week I witnessed this ead sight— a schooners’s volors with the death sign fly- ing—which turned out to be for the loss of a oung sailor who had been washed over- Board and drowned in the cruel sea. The fishermen pay one-fourth of one per cent of their earnings to the widows and orphans’ fund tor relieving those who have lost their supporter by the anger of the remorseless sen. This is a city of mourning, and one of the saddest sights to be seen is the crowds of widows and young girls who are left to provide for themselves, without the aid of the father’s or brother’s strong arm and manly love to shield and protect them. To help the widows and female portion of the community women are emploped by the two newsy and enterprising journals of the ctty, viz.: the Cape Ann Adverticer and the Cape Ann Bulletin, as type setters. And as they are fully ns good as men and more honest and reliable, never getting drunk as male compositors do, it would be worth while for the printers and publishers of the Cape Cod community to give a few of the girlaa chance to make an honest living. So far driven have the girls been to earn their bread honorably, that a few have taken to the tonsorial art 28 a profession, and while this is nota very nice occupation for a young girl, yet it is a thousand times better and more respectable than tending bar in a pub- lic house, as the poor girls of Great Britain often do, ‘Ihe life of the wives of these fishermen is one of constant anxiety and care, not knowlng at what moment the tid- ings will reach them that their bread-win- ners have found a watery grave. In 1880 a system of cod fishing was intro- duced which has almost caused a revolution in this most important branch of the fisher- man’s calling. Indeed, the method prom- ises to make as marked a changein the shore fishery as was wrought by the introduction of trawl fishing several yearsago. ‘lhe gill- net method was firat Introduced by the Nor- wegian fishermen, and it ia said they take half the number and two-thirds the weight of their Immense catch of codfish in this manner. Professor Spencer F. Baird, Sec- retary of the Smithgonian Institute, in Washington, having become impressed with the importance of the saving made in the cost of bait, and of time taken in procuring the same, decided, in 1880, to introduce the Norwegian method in our waters, and sug- gested to Captain Stepen G. Martin, an at- tache of the United States Fish Commission in this city, that he make a trial of net fish- ing. Captain George H. Martin, a son of Stephen, undertook to varry cut the work his father had been intrusted with, and be- ing then master of the schooner Northern Eagle, of Gloucester, proceeded to Ipswich Bay, in the winter of 1880-81, where he met with sich success that before the senson closed quite a number of the shore fleet pro- vided themselves with similar outfits, ‘The Eagle was supplied with three dories, each boat requiring three nets, which were set at night and hauled the next morning. For the first three nights the catch was 4,000, 6,000 and 7000 pounds respectively, al- though the weather was unfavorable, and the trawl fishermen were securing only nuhout half the amount taken by the North- ern Eagle. In six days’ fishing this schooner took 40,000 pou:.ds of large fish and on one trip, ending January 11, 1881, she took a ture of 35,000 pounds, of which 8,000 pounds were taken in one morning, ‘The nets used are of strong flax twine, twelve thread, and of nine-inch meeh, (four and a half inches square) are 150 fathoms long and two and a tourth ftathome deep, The net is supplied with a glaes float at every tathom and brick are used as sinkers, one being attached to the foot of the net di rectly beneath each of the floats, ‘Mheir cost ts about $40, but smaller nets can be bought tor lesa than half that price. A tifteen pound trawl anchor is attached to each end of a gang of three nets. ‘The advantages of this method of taking cod are feund in the larger size of the fish tuken, the saving in the cost of bait, the saving of the labor required to bait trawls, and may also be employed on the Grand and Western banks, expecially on the shonler parts of these grounds. ‘This obviates the necessity of leaving the benk before a full fare has been secured, an was frequently done to procure a fresh eupply of bait, It is a good thing that this or ary other improved way of catching fish has been introduced, for the annual loss of pre- cious lives and valuable property is eome- thing appalling. ‘luke for instance the win- ter of 1876, when no legs than twenty-seven vessels und 212 lives were Jost. ‘The schoon- ers aggreguted nearly 2,000,000 tors, and of the lust seamen fifty-five left widows, and 112 children were made fatherlees, No class of men in the world earn thelr money harder than do the fishermen of Cape Ann and Cape Cod. None are more brave or persevering. They will run out to sea ina perfect liy- ing gale ot wind, and even a snow storm does not keep them back. Whén they ar- rive ont on the Grand Banke, far away trom home and land, they let go their anchor in 100 fathoms ot water, and when it comes on to blow a hurricane pay out as much ae 400 fathoms (uearly half a mile) of their 10 inch tarred manilla cable. It may sound strange tu the sailor who has sailed in large vessels all his life, to hear of vessels using a rope cuble tor their anchors instead ot chain, but it is nevertheless true, that these fishermen use rope for anchoring in deep water and chain tor shallow and harbor use. ‘The rope is always located on the port, while the chain is un the starboard side, and at sea (that is on the banks) they never use more than one anchor, the port one, no matter how hard it blows, but, upon coming near shore they will let go both anchors sometime. What attracted my attention on bonrd these tish- ermen most wag, that owing to their large crews, not one of them was provided with even a man capstan, and the kind of wind- lass used was evidently similar to that Noah had on bis ark ut the time of the flood; it certainly is no better than the old wooden- barreled hurdy gurdy which Captain Cook used on his voyage round the world in the last century, before the Sandwich Islands were discovered. When the fishermen told me that they sometimes commenced to heave in their 400 fathoms of cable at efx o’clock in the niorning and did not reach the end (anchor) till three in the afternoon, 1 replied that I was even surprised to hear they could take it so quickly with such an antiquated appliancea_Everything elee about them has been improvertbot the most important of all, Nhe anchor hoiéter, and that is a disgrace to their civilization. They are steered by the patent screw steering gear, their blocks are all supplied with patent shenvee and even the very model of the vessel herself, has been changed to meet the improvements of modern times. G. Foster Howe. ApMIRAL O1osE, of the British navy, dis- cussing the recent loss of H. M. 8. Wasp through accident, says there is a kind of de- fective light more common among men than is generally supposed called “moon-blind- nees,”’ which results in the inability of the person afflicted tosee a light shining in darkness, The admiral says he very nearly lost the Trident once from this caure, only discovering in the nick of time that his navi- gating officer was unable to see the light of a lighthouse half a mile off. Wo do not Rho whether ‘‘moon-blindness” is a fact medical knowledge or not, but, if it is, provision ought to be made for it In exam. ations. THE HENNEPIN CANAL, “I don’t know anything about polities; Pm interested in the Hennepin canal,’ said Congressman Jerry Murphy, of Davenport. After arriving at Washington he intends to work so hard for that waterway that his la- bor will be equivalent to digging that much coveted institution himself, [Vs the twen- ueth on the calendar, he says, and there are chances of the bill being taken up for con- sideration betore the udjournment of Con- gress to visit New Orleans and the inaugu- ration of the World’s Exposition, If the Congressmen go down the Judge declares that he is going, too; for it’s his opinion that a man’s convictions may be influenced quite as much on a social jaunt as by the oratory in the halle ot Congress. He said he was much pleased that“Brother Dore” had. gone down to interview the St. Louis people, and there capture the heart of the enemy by dis- sipating that\epirit of rivalry which be thinks has kept St. Louis from enjoy- ing the enormous commercial advantages which the canal could confer. He is ready to tell St. Louis that whereas it now pays $2 for the transportation of a ton of coal from Chicago to itself, which has been brought from the Pennsylvania coal regions to Chi- cago by water for 50 cents, it could save $1.50 in that same transit between the two cities if carried by water, And he exemplifies the vir- tue of the canal, in reducing cost of trauspor- tation, in the matter of such other articles as salt, lumber, and heavy merchandise in gen- eral. Nay, more, he intimates that much trade might be diverted to St. Louis from Chicago if only such) a cheap medium. of transportation as the Heunepiu canal were established. ‘The Congressman stiys that the city of Davenport has provided tor the support of a committee of tive, which ia to visit the boards of trade and commercial | associations in every city pusrible, that the proper influence may be exerted upon Con grese for obtaining the passage of the bill. He notes the interest Chicago is taking in the matter, and testifies bis appreciation— Inter Ocean. A HAPPY TOKEN. The Detroit Free Press of Friday contains the following account of a well merited token: «After the officers of the steamer North- west had assembled around their Thanks- giving board yesterday noon, Captain Dugal McLachlan addressed the clerk, ‘Alex.’ Smith, saying: Before we dine I wish to epedk a word to you. We understand you are about to leave us for the company’s ger- vice ashore. We desire to give expression to our personal loss in’ parting with one whom we only know to esteem, although we have been together on this eteamer twelve years. Accept this watch with the highest regarda of your shipmates.’ “* ‘Alex.’ felt a choking in bis throat, and conld not even stammer ‘thanks.’ ‘The gift is very highly appreciated by him, however, but much more..for the feeling it expresses than for the watch itself. The recipient hus well earned all his honors, having been with the line twenty four yeare, commencing with Captain R. G. Evans on the steamer Ocean, serving alzo on the steamer May Queen, Morning Star, R. N. Rice, and for the lust twelve years on the Northwest. The passenger propeller Peerless was damaged to the extent of about $1,500 by fire Wednesday eveving while she wae ly- ing at her dock, near the foot of Washing- ton street. The fire started in the ship keeper’s room, on the main deck near the passenger gangway,and spread to the ad- joining rooms before it was discovered. ‘The keeper was on the cabin deck at the time attending to the veseel’s lights, and he did not discover the fire until he attempted to go down the passenger companionway to the main deck. His way was blocked by fire, and he returned to the cabin deck, where he gave the alarm. The department extinguished the blaze before it had gained much headway, but the owners of the boat think she had a narrow escape from totel de- struction. ‘I'he clerk’s room and steward’s room on the main deck and the panel werk in the cabin were burned. ‘The loss would be amply covered by $1,500. The Peerless is owned by the Luke Michigan and Lake Superior ‘Traneportation Company, and runs in the passenger and freight traffic between Chicago and Duluth. She has been Jaid up several days. ‘The steamer Great Eastern, it will be re called, was built on the river Thames, Eng land between 1854 and 1859. She is 680 feet long, 83 feet widg and 68 feet deep, and draws 30 feet of water when she displaces 27,000 tons. She has both paddle wheels and screw. ‘The paddles are 66 feet in diameter. She has eight engines for the paddles and four for the screw, and they develop 10,000 horse power, but her speed is only 15 miles an hour, or 860 milesa day. ‘he Oregon, in her fastest passage, covered 430 miles for the twenty-tour hours. ‘The Great Eastern has seven masts and five smokestacks, 80 that she is not likely to be mistaken at sea for any other vessel. As a passenger ship she was a failure, mainly owing to her be- ing too deep for most of the barbora of the world, She was successfully used for laying cables, but even in this had to give way to the special’y constructed Faraday. Her deck is eight laps to the mile, BUTTS COAL CO. [uoaire,) Only Wimers or BUTTS CANNEL COAL, aod dealers in Gas Coals, Nut Coals, and Steam Coa} ‘for Tugs, Barges, ee. CLARK I. BUTTS, CLEVBLAND,. 0. General Manager, FOR SALE, THE GLOBE IRON WORKS. SECOND HAND TUBULAR BOILFR, 44 inches di. ameter, 43 tubes 3 inches diameter‘and 12 feet long, steam drum 30 inches diameter, 40 inches high; front grates, fiitings and breechings; good order, SECOND HAND MARIN®# BOILER, in order; Shell, 7-16 inch iron plate; diameter, 9 feat o tones? length, 18 feet; 129 tubes 4 {nv hes in diameter, 11 feet 4 inches long, three flues 18 inches diameter; two flues 16 inches diameter, two flues 10 1-2 inches diameter; fire box, 6 feet long, 4 feethigh; steam chimney, 7 feet high, SECON D HAND MARINE BOT! ER four feet wide, 6 1-2 feet long, 5 feet high, sixty-four 2 1-2 ich tubes 60 inches long, crst iron breechng, good as new. SECOND HAND MARINE ENGINE; double direct- acting 8x8 inch cylinder, shaft and wheel for yanht or tug; good as new" VY. D. NICKERSON, MARINE ARTIST Rear of Central Tug Office, Main St. Bridge. Cleveland, 0. Exposirio Opening December 1, 1884; Closing May 31,1885. — UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THR — United States Government. $1,30 ,000, Appropriated by the General Government, $500,000, Contributed by the Citizens of New Orleans. $200,000, Approprinted by Mexico. $100,000, Appropriated by the State of J.onistana, $100,000, Appropriated by the City of New Orleans, From $5000 to $25,000, Appropriated by Innumerable States, Cities and Foreign Countries, Every State and Territory in the Union represented, and yallthe Leading Nations and Countries of the World. The Biggest Exhibit, the Biggest Building and the Biggest Industrial Event In the World's History. 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