KODIAK'S NEW FISHING
INDUSTRY
An industry, new to this part of
Alaska, and one which promises to
afford a means of developing the deep
sea fisheries in our Territory, has re
cently been started in an experiment
al way at Kodiak.
Moored at the Kodiak dock is the
large three-masted schooner "Metha
Nelson” which has been converted
into a floating freezing and cold-stor
age plant. It is the intention to
freeze the halibut, salmon, trout etc.
from the waters in this vacinity, and
and deliver them in their frozen con
dition at Seattle, where they will be
trans-shipped in refrigerator cars to
all parts of the United States.
The “Metha Nelson” is divided in
to five compartments, all thoroughly
insulated with block cork. The tem
perature in these compartments is
kept at about 18 or 20 degrees by an
ammonia expansion system, operated
by gasoline/engioes.
By meant of modern methods of re
frigeration, fish can be kept in a per
fectly fresh condition for many
months, and it will now be possible
for the various varieties of fish caught
about Kodiak to. be bought in the
markets of the United States, in the
same condition as when they were
taken from the water.
As soon as possible after the fish
are caught, they are carefully clean
ed, then placed on trays in the "sharp
freezer". Here they remain until
thoroughly frozen. They are then
"glazed" by dipping them several
times into a tank of ice water, which
process causes a thin coating of ice to
form on them, tending to absolutely
protect them against the attack of
germs. After allowing them to hard
en for a short time, the fish are wrap
ped, first in a white waxed or parch
ment p iper, then in imported Swed
ish w rapping paper, and are kept in
cold storage, at a temperature rang
ing from 18 to 20 degrees, until re
quired fur use.
It is intended to employ, to as great
an extent as possible, the residents of
Kodiak and near by communities for
taking the fish and operating the cold
storage plant. In this work a great
many men and boys will be employed
who, otherwise, might find some dif
ficulty ia getting work. Should this
venture prove a success, it has been
predicted that Kodiak will again see
the prosperity that it enjoyed in the
old days of the sea-otter.
A good many of the people of
Wood Island are spending this
month at Devils Hay Kodiak Island
making hay and drying fish for win
ter. The humpback salmon almost
clog the little river at that place so
that it is a vary easy matter to get all
the fish they need.