Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-12-20
A FISH WITH A WEAPON.
Power OF the sword. Fish In It's Attacks
on Vessels illustrated in Some ts-
markRbIs Cases.

In 1871 the little yacht Red Hot, 0f
| New Bedford, Mass. engaged In sword
fishing, was struck by one of these
fishes so eifectually as 10 sink her.
She was ultimately hauled up and af-
terward used by Prof. Baird in the ser
vice OF the Fish Commission A Glou-
cester schooner, the Wyoming, on her
way to Georges Banks, in 1875, was
struck at night by a sword-iish, the
sword penetrating the hull to dis
tancc Of two feet. The shock was dis
tinctly felt by the captain The fish
finally broke away, leaving its weapon.
that If IL had pulled out would have
undoubtedly sunk the vessel As It
was she leaked badly.
J. i. lIarwood, master Of the Brit
ish brigantine Fortunate, reported an
instance similar TO this While on his
| passage from the Rio Grandc, this ship
was struck by large fish, which made
the vessel shake very much. Think
ing the ship had been merely struck by
the tail Of some sea monster, he took
no further notice Of tho matter but,
after discharging the cargo at Run
corn and coming into the Canada half
tide-dock, he found one Of the plank
ends in the stern split, and on closer
examination. he discovered that a
sword-lish had driven his sword com
pletely through the plank, four inches
in thickness, leaving the point Of the
sword nearly eight inches through the
plank. The fish in its struggle broke
the sword off level with the outside Of
the vessel, and by its attack upon the
ship lost nearly a foot length Of the
very dangerous weapon with which ii
is armed. There is no doubt that this
somewhat singular occurrence took
place when the vessel was struck as
Captain IEarwood described
Asword-hsh weighing over four hun
dred pounds struck the fishing boat of
Captain ID. u. Thurlow. while IN Was
hauling a mackcrcl seine OF Fire Is.
land, and came near sinking her. The
captain made several half-hitchcs
around the weapon and the fish was
secured, and sent TO Fulton Market.
The sword was nearly four feet long.
y few years ago the brig 7. " Tinker
was hauled up at the Norfolk ship
yard for repairs, and upon cKamiua.
tlon II was found that the leak va,
caused hy sword-fi.h. the sword being
found broken of. forward the bands.
about sixteen feet ahaft the forc.foot.
The fish. In striking th, vessel. must
have come with great force, a. the
sword penetrated the copper shoathing,
four-inch birch plank, and through
the timhcry about SIX inchcs-.n all
about ten inches Il occurred in the
morning when the ship wa, eighteen
days out from Rio, and IN the neigh.
borhood - Cape - Rogue. She was
pumped about four O'Clock IN the
morning, and found free of water. At
six o'clock the same morning she WAS
again pumped, when water was OBJ
taiucd. and, on examination. it was
found that she had made ten inches of
water. The men were kept steady a.
the pumps until her arrival at Rich
mond. and while there and on her trip
to Norfolk
Captain Dyer Of New Bedford. had
a curious experience some years ago.
He struck sword-Gsh from a thirty
foot boat forty miles southwest of No
mans Land. threw overheard the keg.
tackled and stood 10y 20 the vindward
of IT, When nearly abreast Of it the
man at the masthead called ont .
"Why: here he Is, right alongside q"
The fish was then about ten feet from
the boat and swimming in the same
direction, but when he got where he
could see the splash Of water around
the bow he turned and struck the boat
about two feet from the stern and inst
I below the water-line. The sword went
through the planking. which was Of
cedar an inch and thrcc-quartcrs thick,
into lot Of loose iron ballast. break.
I ing ofI short at the Hshs head A
number Of boats. large and small. have
been "stove" by sword-Gsh on our
coast, but always after the fish had
/ been struck.
/ The power of these fishes is incon.
ceiyable. In the planking Of the ship
Leopard a sword was found that had