THE TRANSPORTATION OF FISH AND FISH EGGS. 



During the earlier years of the Commission young fish were carried 

 by messengers in baggage cars on regular passenger trains, but as the 

 work increased it was found that this method was inadequate and that 

 other arrangements must be made to transport the large numbers of 

 fish which were being hatched. Accordingly, in 1870 and 1880, exi)eri- 

 ments were successfully made in moving shad fry in specially equipped 

 baggage cars, and it was found that large numbers of fish could be 

 economically moved with little loss. A car was therefore constructed 

 specially adapted for the distribution of live fishes, the requirements 

 of such a car being a compartment for carrying the fish in which an 

 even temperature could be maintained, proper circulation of water and 

 air in the vessels containing the fish, and sleeping and living accom- 

 modations for the messengers attending them. 



A baggage car, the body of which was ol feet long, 9 feet 10 inches 

 wide, 13 feet 8 inches high, was purchased. At one end of the car was 

 a room containing a stove, sink, and berth for the use of the cook, 

 besides a boiler, pump, etc. ; and at the other were two sections of 

 berths, like those in a Pullman car, which would accommodate two men 

 on each side. Each compartment was about 7 feet long. In its center 

 was a refrigerator compartment 30 feet 3 inches long by the full width 

 of the car, and extending up to the clear story. The ice was carried in 

 two racks, holding 1 ton each, which were located in the corners of the 

 refrigerator, diagonally opposite each other. Cylinder cans, placed on 

 galvanized iron tanks 9 feet 4 inches long, 28 inches wide, and 8 inches 

 high, were provided in Avhich to carry the fish. The tanks were placed 

 on opposite sides of the car, with a passageway between them. 



An apparatus for circulating water was arranged in the following 

 manner: In the top of the car, extending the full length of the clear 

 story, was a long, semicircular iron tank 12 inches in diameter, which 

 was filled through the top of the car. From this the water was brought 

 into a G inch jiipe extending all around the top of the refrigerator 

 compartment. The pipe contained a sufficient: number of pet-cocks to 

 supply the number of cans carried, the water being conveyed to the 

 cans through rubber tubing. From the cans it passed into the tanks 

 through the same-sized tubing, whence it was drained into 2-inch pi])es 

 underneath the car, and from these pipes was pumped up to the tank 

 in tlie clear story. 



While this circulating api^aratus worked well, its arrangement neces- 

 sitated the carrying of a large amount of water in the top of the car, 



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