448 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



An innovation in Alaska sabnon canning; this yoar was when the 

 old ship 67ory oj the Seas was fitted out as a floatino; cannery by the 

 Alaska Fish Co., and operated in Hawk Inlet, Admiralty Island, and 

 at Ketchikan. Quarters for the crew were built over the cabins on 

 the c^uartcr deck, the lattei- being reserved for officials. The remain- 

 der of the upper deck was used for receiving, dressing, and cleanmg 

 the fish, which were brought on board by means of a portable elevator 

 attached to the side of the ship. The "iron chink" and the sliming 

 and cleaning tanks were also on this deck. The fish were carried 

 in chutes to the second deck, where a line of sanitary machinery 

 had been installed. The retorts were placed on the forward ])art of 

 the second deck. The third deck was used for cooling and storing 

 the pack. No lac(iuering or labeling was carried on aboard the 

 vessel. 



In 1912 this plant and the ship William H. Smith, the latter by 

 the Weiding & Independent Fisheries Co., of Seattle, were operated. 

 The William II. Smith also did some freezing of salmon. 



Yakutat Ba}^ is the only harbor available for vessels from Cape 

 Spencer to Prince William Sound. In 1902 C. A. Fredericks & Co., 

 of Seattle; Mulvey & Wilson, of Yakutat; Jewell Fish Co.; and 

 Ankow Fish Co. all established salteries here. Wliile their primary 

 ])urpose was the salting of herring, considerable salmon was also 

 salted. These plants operated only the one season. 



In 1904 the Yakutat & Southern Railway Co. built a cannery 

 here. This plant is noted for being the only one that hauls its fish 

 by railway from the fishing streams to the cannery. The railroad is 

 a little over 9 miles in length, and for some years an engine which had 

 seen ser\dce on the elevated railroads of New York City and was dis- 

 carded when the latter were electrified was used. A more modern 

 (>ngine is now in use. The fish are carried in open freight cars. Later 

 this company was purchased by Gorman & Co., and now is the prop- 

 erty of Libby, McNeill & Libby. 



Nineteen new canneries were built and operated in southeast Alaska 

 in 1912, while 1 new cannery was built in 1914, 2 in 1915, and 7 in 

 1916. In 1917 the heavy demand created for foodstuffs by the World 

 War caused a considerable increase in the number of new canneries 

 in Alaska. In the southeast Alaska section 9 were built and operated 

 in that 3'ear. This demand persisted into 1918, 1919, and 1920. In 

 1918, 15 new canneries were built and operated; in 1919, 9; and in 

 1920, 8. Since then hardly a year has passed without one or more 

 new plants being put into use; and while each year a few were shut 

 down temporarily or abandoned entirely, the total number has tended 

 to increase. 



Although the war ended late in 1918, the demand for canned salmon 

 continued strong into 1920. The diminution in demand which the 

 more far-sighted packers had anticipated and prepared for started 

 late in 1920, and for several years the industry went through a rather 

 severe period of readjustment (hiring which" a number of canneries 

 were closed down i^ermanently and others temporarily. This expen- 

 sive experience t)rought home to some of the operators the fact that 

 the industry had been overbuilt, and numerous attempts since have 

 been mad(! looking to the consolidation of the independent plants 

 into groups, which would vastly decrease the enormous overhead of 

 the indivi(hial companies and also lead to other economies. Prac- 



