Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-10-04
A RHIN0CER0S OF THE SEA.
CATCHING A GREAT SWORDFISH
OFF BLOCK ISLAND.
Purnphcrnaiia ofa Fishcrmnn-rhc
Dcnth-DcalinG Dart-Au Ocean
Monsters Desperate Eight for Life.

wa ~ u
DcatIi-DcalinG Dart-Au Ocean
Monsters Desperate Fight for Life.
EN-ConGrcssman Amos J. Cummings
writes from Block Island to the New
York Sun n breezy account of II trip after
swordtish which he took in small
Schooner. We quote as follows:
Block Island lies ut the entrance
of Long Island Sound, between Narra-
gansctt Bay and Montauk. Tho island
has about 1900 inhabitants in winter and
between 5000 and G000 in summer. The
natives are mostly hardy fishermen.
The Napoleon of MI the iinny tribe is
the sworllish. He is courageous and
voncious. Like tho rhinoccros, he
carries deadly weapon upon his nose,
and ~ INSCRIPTIONS in its use. Indeed,
he may be aptly termed the rhinoceros of
the seas. The waters of Block Island are
his summer home. Nowhere in American
seas does he appear in greater numbers.
His weight here runs from 15O to 600
pounds. lis flesh sells III Eastern markets
ut from fifteen To twenty cents per pound.
a score or more of smaclls arc now en-
gagged in the fishery.
IL is glorious sport. shipped for n
day ON the schoonor Mystery, II regular
fishing boat. II was 6 A. NJ. when |
boarded her. AS We mounted the swclls
of the Atlantic sat in an armchair and
scanned the little craft with II critical
eye. There was nothing ornamental about
her. She Was equipped for business
alone. Fom or five red kegs, rugged MS
floats, for use after the fish is struck were
upon end near the cabin. Two rusty
lanccs shaped like shocknivcs, ,,nvoa hint
of the coming conflict. They were after
ward used in giving the death blow to
great fish.
Away of on The tip of the howsprit
was II small pen made OF iron bars and
shaped like the lcctrrn of an Episcopal
church. H. is called IL pulpit. From
this pulpit The expert hirls brass dart
into the iisl, below him. Tho swnying
vessel losses linn above the waves MS,
hnrpoon in hand he awaits the coming of
thc monster.
The little schooner was manned by
three persons, including the skipper and
steward. The former WAS Captain Wm
If. Hooper, II wcll-knit young man, with
blue eyes and more than ordinary niclIi
gcncc. a bronzcd sca-d0g WIS the
steward. lIo lmd short gray hair, II
merry eye and paws like pine knots. The
crew was II sawcd-oir little fellow abou,
five feet two inches long.
With all snil arL we hcndcd for Nan
tuckci. The steward took the iillcr,
while the crew lighted IL pipe and climbed
the foremost TO net ns II lookout. Above
the peak block there WAS IL smnll plat.
form, upon which lc took his stand
After lnshng himself to the mast, ht
shaded his eyes with his hand and began
TO sean the ocean in search Of n fish
Meantime the skipper rugged his dart
and glidcd along The bobstny To the pul.
pit lie lnshcd the haipoon across {,
stnnchion and returned 10 the deck. Not
long aftcrward he swung II little seat
from the rear Of the pulpit, and snt
down therein while awaiting II call from
the masthead
We were well ont 10 scu, and nearing
the feeding grounds Of the swordlish.
and refreshing. Half IN hour pnsscd. A
dozen schoOncrs and sloops were within
two miles Of MS. The little spcck over
their bowsprits told us that they were
upon the same crrand ns ourselves. Sud
denly we SAW red key shooting over
the waves. ttimcs il disappeared like
the iloht of n rod and reel when big
fish has been struck. Anon il came ia
the surface and fnirly sized over the
1vnIrr A clnnn ,I f.,, nj, "A
and picked il up, but she was so distant
when she secured the fish that we could
not see how large il was. Within twenty
minutes | saw the skipper of sloop on
our left strike fish, lie was u tall, ntli.
letic man, with II long reach. As Ii,
stood upon the bowsprit silhoucticd
against the sky, harpoon aloft, he made {,
picture not easily forgotten. He strucl,
the fish ms il wns disappearing under the
bow Of the sloop.
Another monotono,is hour passed. The
steward held on To the tillcr, and scanned
The horizon for novelties Montauk
Point loomcd up in the south like low
cloud.
"IIold her up" suddenly shouted th,
lookout. "Therc's big fish on the
weather bow"
The skipper saw the monster, and be-
gan 10 poise his iron. "Right youl
wheel he roared, 'and haul her up on
the windm
Two great fins began to cut the water
not forty feet away | sprang upon the
cabin. A monstrous fish was numbering
along in heavy swell. He was cvi.
IDENTIFY going TO cross our bows if we held
our course.
"Steady-lold her hard!" cried thc
skipper, Strengthening himself on the tip
of the spirit.
"Steady she is, sir" replied the stew
ard, holding the tillcr up so hard that
his face was purped and the veins in his
neck were distcnded.
Closer came the lcviathan. The little
schooner pitched in the trough of the
sea. Her mainsail began to huttcr. AS
she rose on swell the fish lurchcd to-
ward the bow. he was iinny giant.
As he rolled at the foot of the swell the
skipper hurled the iron into him. 1t