Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1889-10-26
an oorAn ADVENTURE.
faies of the Prawess OF nm Armed Men.
.ter 81 the uriny deep.

faiex of the Proves. OF nm Armed Men.
ster 81 the uriny deep.
Captain T.. w. Smith. OF the schooner
tohn w. Smart, whose duel with .
sword-tish few days before had
.rought him to the cot, replied to the
questions OF a reporter:
we were cruising OF Sonnet
light last week after sword fish. when
b died away 10 "a dead calm. just
shout then we sighted sword-iish.
You know. you eau see the back I'm
and tail Of the fish sticking out Of
water, as they swim about feeding on
menhadcn 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
10 n pole yard long. II works on a
swivel. When the iron goes In the
swivel turns, and acting like tho barb
10 hook. prevents the iron pulling
out We have forty-fathom line
fastened 70 the end. Well. we pulled
him In aud landed him. and soon after
got another FISH with out much trouble.
"Whcn we struck the third ono 1
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 no sounded.
The water was clear and leaned oven
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 N hole
about fifteen inches square In the side
of the dory near the bottom and drove
the sword into my right thigh clear 10
the bone. | pushed the sword out Of
my leg and through tho hole 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 stir.
ring, and II II hadn't been for the com.
mander OF the cutter Dexter, who
brought mo here. reckon I'd have
kicked the bucket"
Ever hear Of many such accIdentsp''
Eyes. lots OF 'em. The same day q
sailor named Scott on the schooner III.
w. Pearse was struck by ..sh aud
badly hurt Sometimes fatal accident.
occur. A kockport sailor was standing
on tho thwart Of his dory once when q
sword-fish that had been harpooned
struck the bottom OF the boat. throw
ing him of his balance. 80 that he fcl
backward. impaling himself on the
sword and killing him. Then. few
years ago. "a cousin OF mine struck 4
big fish, got his foot caught In the lin.
and was carried down. We never saw
him again. Very often sword fish
strike vessels and set them 10 leaking
and hsve known OF schooners beinl
scuttled by fish that have been har
pooned by their crews. Most OF the
fishing Is done OF Block Island. about
eighty sail being OF there during the
season. The season begins about june
10 and lasts about month and half.
Eight or ten day Is good average
catch. and they are worth on an aver.
age $40 apiece. Tho fish for the past
two years have boon more plentiful
than ever. Small schooners from eight
20 thirty tons. with a pulpit or stand
built at the end OF tho bowsprit. where
the lanceman stands. aud carrying
crews OF from three TO eight men. ara
the kinds that go out Tho swords
average about twenty-six inches long.
The fish run from 100 10 GOO pounds.
The smack Grocer Phillips. of New
London, captured sword fish weigh
Ing 700 pounds. which Is the largest on
record" just then the supper for the
different patients WAS brought Ia, and
among other appetizing dishes the re-
porter noticed nicely fried and Drowned
sword-fsh cuts. boston Letter.