Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-06
SWORD PRACTICE AT SEA.
Tall Tales of the Prowess of an Arme
Monster Of the Briuy Deep.

Tnli Tnies oil the fr0Wes8 OIL an armed
Monster Of the Briuy Deep.
BosroN. July 6-Captain e. w. Smith. Of the
schooner John W. Smart. whose duel with
swordfsh few days before had brought him
to the cot, replied to the questions Of re-
porter:
I'VE were cruising of Sconnett light last
week after swordhsb. when It died away to
dead calm. Just about then we sighted
swordfsh. 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 the surface. So took two
OF the crew and dory and pulled quietly up
We use the ordinary lily iron fastened to
pole yard long. 1t works on swivel When
the iron goes in, the swivel turns. and, acting
like the barb to hook. prevents the iron pull
ing out. We have a 40-fathom line fastened to
the end. Well. we pulled him IN and landed
him, and soon after got another fish without
when we struck the third one knew he
was tighter. We pulled him upand stepped
to the stern of the dory and stuck the lance
into him back of the gills twice, when he
sounded. The water was clear and leaned
over the stern watching him. He went down
about two fatboms and a half, got his bearings
but ooudns iOr Hs smashed
hole abo ut 10 inches square in the side Of the
dory, near the bottom, and drove the sword
int into my right thigh clear to the bone; pushed
in the dory and fell back IN the boat. My men
pulled for the schooner, landed me and then
went of and killed the fish.
There wasn't breath of wind stirring and
If 1t hadn't been for the commander Of the
cutter Dexter. who brought me here, / reckon
I'd have kicked the bucket"
"Yes. lots Of 'em. The same day sailor
named Scott on the schooner H. W. Pearse
was struck by fish and badly hurt. Some
times fatal accidents occur. A RockpOrt
sailor was standing on the thwart of his dory
once when a swordash that had been har-
Pooned struck the bottom Of the boat. throw
ing the man off his balance. 30 that he fell
backward, impaling himself on the sword and
killing him: Then, few years ago, a cousin
OF mine struck big fish. got his foot caught
in the line and was carried down. We never
saw him again. Very often swordfsh strike
vessels and set them to leaking; and have
known of schooners being scuttled by tsh
that have been harpooned by their crews.
Most of the fishing is done off Block
Island, about 80 sail being OF there
during the season. The season begins about
June Is and lasts about a month and half.
Eight OF ten day is good average CATCH and
they are worth on an average $40 apiece. The
fish for the past two years have been more plen-
tiful than ever. Small schooners from 8.to 30
tons, with pulpit or stand built at the end of
the bowsprit, where the lanceman stands, and
carrying crews of from three to eight men, are
the kind thar go out. The swords average about
26 inches long. The fish run from 100 to 600
London, captured swordfsh weighing 100
pounds, which is the largest on record" lust
then the supper for the different patients was
brought in, and among other appetizing dishes
the reporter noticed nicely fried and Drowned
swordfsh cuts.