[19] FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 663 



other causes a vessel Las become unmanageable, or is lying in a dan- 

 gerous position. Unless a vessel is provided in such an emergency 

 with some sort of drag to be put out at the bow, so as to prevent her 

 from falling into the trough of the sea, she is liable to meet with seri- 

 ous disaster, amounting in many cases to an entire loss of the ship and 

 crew. It is believed by many, whose experience renders them capable 

 of judging correctly, that a large percentage of the loss by foundering 

 which occurs to the fishing fleet of New England might be obviated 

 by the use of properly constructed drags. As is well known, hereto- 

 fore seamen have generally been compelled in such emergencies to rely 

 on some sort of floating anchor improvised from spare material on ship- 

 board — such as spars, casks, &c. — -the rigging of which is generally 

 attended with much danger and delay, at a time, too, when the utmost 

 dispatch is desirable, if not imperative. And when completed tbese 

 rudely constructed affairs are rarely, if ever, found to answer well the 

 purpose for which they were designed, shipwreck and loss of life often 

 being the result of their faulty construction. Unfortunately, too, there 

 is created a prejudice in the seaman's mind against using such contriv- 

 ances, and unless provided with apparatus specially designed for this 

 purpose, he must take the fearful alternative of chance to insure his 

 safe return to port. 



To obviate these difficulties various forms of drags or floating anchors 

 have been designed. In those exhibited, one of the chief improvements 

 attained (always, of course, supposing that any apparatus of this kind 

 is properly shaped) is adjustability. As few, if any, vessels have suf- 

 ficient spare room to stow away any drag which is not adjustable, and, 

 as heretofore shipmasters (especially. fishermen) have found it incon- 

 venient to carry the cumbersome devices of this kind which have been 

 made, the advantages of having an adjustable drag are evident. Such 

 a one can be always kept on board ready for any emergency. It can 

 be stowed in the smallest compass, and, when need be, it can be pre- 

 pared for use in a few minutes. 



FISHERMEN AND THEIR APPAREL. 



In 1880 there were employed m the fisheries of the United States 

 101,684 men. Of these a large percentage were engaged in the whale 

 fishery and in the various branches of the offshore ocean food fisheries. 

 These may be called the sailor-fishermen, and, as a class, they are 

 hardy, brave, and skillful. New England has 37,043 men engaged in 

 the fisheries, nearly all of the class above mentioned. The South At- 

 lantic States employ 52,418 men, chiefly coast and bay fishermen. The 

 Middle States have 14,981 men ; and the Pacific States and Territories 

 16,803. Five thousand and fifty fishermen find employment in the 

 great lake fisheries, and 5,131 men are engaged in the fisheries of the 

 Gulf of Mexico. 



