LXVIII KEPORT OF COMMISSIONEE OF FISH AND FISHEEIES. 



liable to be thrown on their beam ends, and, not being able to right 

 because of their shallowness, fill and sink. In a single gale, that of 

 December 9 and 10, 1876, no less than five Gloucester schooners were 

 knocked down and barely escaped sinking. Three of them were dis- 

 masted, two of which were abandoned ; one went into Liverpool, Nova 

 Scotia, under a j ury-rig ; while the others were not so badly damaged. 

 The inference is that other vessels that foundered in the same gale, 

 and those that have been lost at sea on other occasions, were knocked 

 down in a similar manner, and, failing to right again, soon sunk. Of 

 course, with a deeper body to the vessels, and the ballast placed lower, 

 there would be far less probability of such a mishap occurring, and even 

 should it hapijen the chances would be a hundred to one that the vessel 

 would right again. It is, therefore, altogether probable that the in- 

 troduction of deeper fishing vessels in New England would save for 

 Gloucester alone somewhere about $30,000 to $50,000 per year, besides 

 a large number of lives. 



As an instance showing how terrible the loss is sometimes, from the 

 29 th of August to the last of December, 1883, 16 vessels from Gloucester 

 foundered at sea, carrying down with them 205 men, while the loss of 

 property was little less than $100,000.* 



19. — FISHERIES OF THE GrULF OF MEXICO. 



One of the subjects to which it is proposed to direct the work of the 

 steamer Albatross hereafter is the investigation of the fisheries of the 

 Gulf of Mexico. These, which a few years ago were very prolific, are 

 rapidly diminishing in number, so that all along the coast between the 

 mouth of the Mississippi and Pensacola a much larger number of boats 

 and vessels are required to secure only half the supply that was ob- 

 tained a few years since. The reduction applies mainly to sheepshead, 

 salt-water trout, redfish, mullet, gray-snapper, &c. The decrease of the 

 red- snapper is not quite so marked, but it is probable that it will in 

 time take place even more rapidly than the others, as it is particularly 



*Mr. R. B. Forbes, on tlie same subject, says : " I have perused witb great interest 

 the statements on the subject of the loss of life among the fishermen of Gloucester. 

 The loss of 447 vessels and 2,600 lives in fifty-four years ending in 1884 is fearful to 

 contemplate. In twenty-two years ending this year the number of men lost was 

 2,140. There must be some cause for this large increase. It may be presumed that 

 the increase of the number of vessels in the business accounts for the increased loss 

 of lives in a great degree. Another cause must be the fact that the vessels are more 

 crowded. Another prominent cause must be the fact that trawl-fishing in dories 

 necessiirily exposes the men to greater danger than hand-fishing. I have before me 

 a long list of men who have been separated from their vessels ; many of these have 

 been lost, while some have been rescued in a starving condition. No regular rule 

 has been established for furnishing dories with condensed food and means for cook- 

 ing. This should be done. Mr. D. W. JjOW, of Gloucester, has contrived means not 

 only to feed persons, but to enable them to right their dories and to cling to them 

 when capsized. If the owners of fishing craft do not feel interest enough to encour- 

 age the use of these means, there should be a law to compel them to do so." 



