Figure 8. — Steain tug Bluelight assigned by U.S. Navy to Baird 

 for sea explorations along the coast of Maine. 

 Courtesy of Norman T. Allen. 



given by the Congress and added new responsibilities to the 

 Commission of Fisheries. This action greatly influenced the 

 work at Woods Hole where a marine hatchery was established 

 as an integral part of the station. 



In 187 3 the field operations were based at Peaks Island 

 in Casco Bay, Maine, about three miles from Portland. The 

 location was selected as the principal area of the herring and 

 cod fisheries. A Navy steam tug Bluelight (fig. 8) which weighed 

 about 100 tons and was 100 feet in length, was placed under the 

 jurisdiction of the Commissioner. This vessel was sufficiently 

 large to provide an opportunity of trying, for the first time, the 

 steam windlass for hoisting the dredges and trawls. This improve- 

 ment of technique attracted the attention of the Secretary of the 

 Navy who visited the headquarters and spent several days in 

 examining the operations at sea. The assignment of the U. S. 

 Coast Survey steamer Bachc to the Fisheries Commission gave 



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