The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-10-11
AN OCEAN ADVENTURE.
SAies 81 the Proves Of an Armed NJ
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AN OCEAN ADVENTURE. sssl
SAies Of the Proves Of an Armed Mon.
ster 1T The isriny Deep.
Captain f. w. Smith, of the schooner
'ohn w. Smart, whose duel with a
) word-fish few days before had
.'rought him to the cot, replied to the
questions of reporter: ~ 73.1q 10 t,,
We were cruising off Sconnett
light last week after sword fish, when
i died away to dead calm. just
about then we sighted a sword fish.
You know. you can see the back fin
and tail of the fish sticking out OF
water, as they swim about feeding ON
menhaden that always school near tn
surface. So / took two of the, crew
and dory and pulled quietly up along
side OF him and stuck the iron in him.
We use the ordinary lily iron fastened
TO q pole a yard long. 1t works on a
swivel. When the iron goes in the
swivel turns, and acting like the barb
to a hook. prevents the iron pulling
out We have a forty-fathom line
fastened to the end. Well. we pulled
him IN and landed him, and soon after
got another fish with out much trouble.
When we struck the third one ]
knew he was a 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 be sound ed,
The water was clear and leaned over
the stern watching him. He went
down about two fathoms and half,
got his bearings. and shot UP straight
for me. ] watched him coming, but
couldn't move. He smashed a hole
about fifteen inches square in the side
OF the dory near the bottom and drove
the sword into my right thigh clear to
the bone. 1 pushed the sword out oil
my leg and through the hole in the
dory and fell back in the boat. My
men pulled for the schooner, landed
me and then went off and killed the
fish. @.@
/ There wasn't a breath of wind stir.
ring. and it it hadn't been for the COM
mander of the cutter Dexter, who
brought me here. reckon I'd have
kicked the bucket II r $3.50 'sai
Ever hear of many such aceideptse''
Eyes. lots of EN-. The same day a
sailor named Scott on the schooner H.
W: 1Pearse was struck by a fish and
badly hurt. Sometimes fatal accidents
occur. A RQckport sailor was standing
on the thwart Of his dory once when a
swQfd-tish that had been harpooped
struck the bottom of the boat, throw.
ing him off bis balance. so that he fell
backward, impaling himself On the
sword and killing him. Then, a few
years ago, a cousin of ming struck q
big Ash. got his foot caught in the line
and was carried down. We never saw
him again. Very often sword fish
strike vessels and set them to leaking:
and have known of sehoopers being
scuttled by fish that have been har-
pooned by their crews. Most Of the
fishing is done off Block Island, about
slightly sail being off there during the
.eas0n. The season begins about June
ID and lasts about month and half.
Eight Or ten a day is good average
catch, and they are worth on an aver.
age $40 apiece. The fish for the past
two years have been more plentiful
than ever. Small schoopers from eight
to thirty tons, with a pulpit or STAND
built at the end of the bowsprit, where
the lapcemaa stands, and carrying
crews of from three to eight mep. arg
the kinds that go out. The swords
average about twenty-six inches long.
The fish FUN from 100 to 500 pounds.
The smack Grocer Phillips, Of New
London, captured 3 sword fish weigh.
ing 700 pounds, which is the largest op
record.'' just then the supper for tbs
different patients was brought In, and
among other appetizing dishes the re-
porter noticed nicely fried and Drowned
sword fish. cuts Boston Letter. a.