108 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River. — Coincident with the inquiries 

 on Lake Erie and Lake Huron during the summer of 1894, investiga- 

 tions of a similar character were begun about the middle of June with 

 respect to Lake Ontario and the upper or boundary part of the St. 

 Lawrence River, by Professor Evermann, assisted by Mr. Barton A. 

 Bean, of the United States ^National Museum. 



During the same month Professor Evermann also made an examina- 

 tion of several springs located near together in the vicinity of Sterling- 

 ville, N. Y., which had been recommended as suited to the needs of the 

 proposed hatching station recently authorized by Congress for the 

 State of New York. The volume of water supplied, its character, tem- 

 perature, etc., were determined, and observations were made relative 

 to the adjacent stream known as Black Creek; but the distance of this 

 place from Lake Ontario was found to be a serious objection to its 

 selection for the purpose in view, especially as it was intended to utilize 

 the station chiefly for the propagation of lake fishes. 



POLLUTIONS IN THE WABASH RIVER, INDIANA AND ILLINOIS. 



In view of complaints made by the fishermen and other residents 

 along the Wabash River at and below Terre Haute, Ind., the House 

 of Representatives, by resolution dated April 30, 1894, requested the 

 Fish Commission to investigate and report the extent of damage 

 done to the food-fishes in the Wabash River by reason of the discharge 

 into said river of the overflow and waste products of the oil wells 

 located in the city of Terre Haute, and what steps, if any, are necessary 

 to prevent further destruction of the fishes in that river by the pollut- 

 ing agencies referred to. The examinations required to ascertain the 

 correctness of the statements relative to the conditions said to prevail 

 in the region in question, the injury done to the fishes thereby, and the 

 character and origin of the polluting influences, were made during the 

 middle of May, by Prof. S. A. Forbes, director of the Illinois State 

 Laboratory of Natural History, and indicated a state of affairs suffi- 

 ciently serious to suggest and invite remedy. 



Subsequently, the services of Mr. Arthur N. Talbot, professor of 

 municipal and sanitary engineering in the University of Illinois, were 

 secured to determine the amount of waste matter, deleterious to fishes, 

 discharged into the river at Terre Haute, and the measures best 

 adapted to disposing of it. The results of his observations were satis- 

 factory in demonstrating that the waste products could readily be pre- 

 vented from reaching the river without imposing any unreasonable or 

 excessive charges upon the industrial enterprises which arc responsible 

 for their production. The reports of Professor Forbes and Professor 

 Talbot were submitted to the House of Representatives on July 13, 

 1894. ! 



1 House of Representatives Miscellaneous Document No. 196, Fifty-third Congress, 

 second session. 



