Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-04
THE SWORD-FISH.
Proves of an Armed Monster of
the Deep.
Ships Have Been Scuttled by
His Formidable Weapon.


Captain T. ". Smith, ot the schooner
John w. Smart, whose duel with n
swoid- fish few days before had brought
him to the cot, reptile to the qucsli on
of "A reporter:
"Wc were cruising oT Sconaut Light
| after swordtsh. when it died away to a
| dead calm. Just about then We sighted
II sword fish. YOU know. you Gun see
the back fin and tail of the fish st ick;n.
on; of water, rs they swim about feed
ing on mcnhad:n that ALWAYS school
near tho surface. So took two o: tho
crew and dory and pml'cl quietly up
alongside Of him ami stuck the iron in
him. We use the ordinary lilly iron
fastened to pole It yarl long 1t
works on swivel. When the iron
goes in the swivel turns, and, acting
like the barb TO hoo'l, prevents tho
iron pulling out. We have forty
fathom line fastened to the end. Well,
VIC pulled him in and landed kim, and
soon after got another fish without much
trouble.
"Whcn we struck Tie third ono |
knew he WAS fighter. We pulled him
UP and stepped to the stern OF the
dory and stuck the lance into him back
of the gills twice when hc sounded.
The wat was clear and leaned over
the stern watching him. lie went down
about two ia;homs and - half, got his
bearings and shot up straight for me. l
watched him coming. but couldn't
move. IL smashed hole about fifteen
inches square in the silc Of the d nv
near the bottom and drove the sword
into my right thigh clear to the bone. |
pushed the sword out of M leg and
through the hole in the dory and fell
back in the boat. Ny men pulled 70,
the schooner, landed me and then went
olf and kiIlcl the fish.
There wasn't breath Of wind stir.
ring, AMI il it haln't been for the COM
nander of the cutter Dexter, who
brought me here, reckon Id have
kicked the bucket"
Ever hear of many such accidcnts9.
eyes, lots of en-. Tie same day n
sailor name | Scott on the schooner II.
w. pearsc was struck by 4 fish and
badly hurt. Sometimes fatal accidents
occur. Rockport sailor WAS standing
on the thwart Of his dory once when a
sword fish that had been mrpoonc1
struck the bottom o. the boat, throwing
him oil his balance, so that he fell
backward, impaling himself on Tic
swcrd and killing him. Then, few
years ago, a cousin OF mine struck big
fish, got his foot carghl in the limo and
was carried down. We never saw him
ngain. Very often sworl-li,h strike
vessels and set them to leaking; and
aave known of schooncrs being scuttlcd
by fish that have been harpooncd by
their screws. Most CT the fshin
is done of Block Island about
eighty sail being of there during
The seas the season begins about
June 10 and lasts about month and a
half. Eight or ten day is good
average catch. and they are worth $40
piece. Tho fish for the past two years
have been more plentiful than ever.
small schoonc:s from eight to thirty
tons, with pulpit or stand built ut
The cni of the bowsprit, where the
'anceman stands, and carrying crews of
from three to eight men, are the kinds
that so ont. The swords average about
twenty-six inches long. The fish runs
from 100 to 600 pounds. The smack
Grocer Phillips, OF New London, cap
Iurcd sword fish weighing 700 pounds,
which Is the largest on record" Just
then the supper for the different patients
was brought in, and am ing other appe.
!izng di hes the reporter noticed nicely
fried and Drowned sword fish cuts.