St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-06-22
Pierced by a Sword Fish,

Pier %. just below South street, where
the British bark Virginia L. Stafford, Cap
tain Lawrence, shipmaster, is locked, was
a point of as lively interest yesterday a:
the scene of mysterious murder might
be. Upon the quay a curious crowd
climbed on one another's backs in order tC
catch sight of seven inch long splinter OF
white and bony sub.tagce knitting the YES
sells hull at the water line below the miz.
zen rigging.
This cynosure of a thousand prying eyes
was said to be the point of the weapon of
a sword6sh that, unluckily for itself, mis-
took the bark for its natural prey, the
whale. The second mate, surrounded by
most of the crew. leaned over the vessels
railing and lectured the open mouthed
crowd on the swordfsh tribe and told the
story of the attack on the bark by the par
ticular fish who tried to gore the Stafford.
Now and then one of the group of sailors
broke in with detail that gave additional
life and color to the mates narrative. The
story was interesting and the crowd grew
apace, so that when Captain Lawrence,
who had been entering the vessel, re-
turned, he found, he says, the quay black
and bustling with curiosity seekers, each
of whom wanted to hear from the captains
own lips the authentic version of the mid
ocean stabbing affray.
Captain Lawrence is courteous gentle
man, and he made happy as many of the
visitors as his duties would permit. owe
were off Cape Hatteras, so runs his story,
con our way from the Barbados to Phila
delphia. Here we were," he said, point
ing to mark on his chart, which was
marked May 10. eyes, that was the day.
little before sunset, and the ocean, as
level as mirror, was radiant and aglow
with the slant beams of the sun. An hour
or so before we had hauled shark aboard.
He had followed the bark for three days,
escorted by school of pilot fish. shark
to seafarer is like snake to landsman
Every chance a sailor gets to kill one he
takes it. This shark was big one, and
you can lay wager there were eyes on
shipboard that didn't wink on chance to
bear down on him. At last the mate hurled
the harpoon and pierced the monster in as
clean fashion as one could wish.
1--WE hadn't tossed the carcass overheard
many minutes. was in my cabin and the
men were lounging in the forward deck,
when there came thud. The bark trem-
bled from stem to stern. | ran up on deck
and asked the mate what had happened
'OF UCCh SsiuShs uC duo"CtSu we
thought it might be raft or eerelict,
but careful scrutiny of the level water
showed nothing like this, SO we thought
no MOI about it until yesterday, after we
had been locked. Some boys saw what |
looked like white sword blade-one of
those old heavy sword Understanding
out of the hull. When we came to ex-
anime it the stroke and shock off Cape
Hatteras was explained. 1t flashed at once
through my mind that the swordfsh had
taken US for a whale and meant butchery
when it stabbed our side. The sword
completely pierced the pine boarding,
penetrating as far as the oak. This was
too hard for it and the fish was caught
In its struggles to get free it broke it's
weapon and left this part in the wound
1t was about seven inches long"
Part of the remnant was broken off by
some boys last evening. Captain Law
renee said he hoped to get it out to keep
as curiosity. There still remains about
four inches in the hole the fish made
Press, May "a.