New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-13
LIMITING SUORDFISH.
WHAT WAS IDLE SPORT has BECOME PROFIT
TABLE BUSINESS.

WHAT WAS IDLE SPORT has BECOME PROFIT
TABLE BUSINESS.
Norwich Conn Aug. II t>p"can.-Th" rar" ana
thrilling sport ana lucrative business too. along the
COOS, inst now * that of killing ,woriii,h. To chase
and harpoon svordh-h was until less than nan Il
dozen years ago the sport exclusively OF summer
Idlcr. nt the sea,horc watering places but since the
world LA, learned 10 like the flesh OF These hrncd
llfafc Of the ocean, many 'long'horr fishermen nave
found II profitable hurt them for the New England
markets Ncw-Nolk alone either has not test'n 'his
fish for food or else rejects II. ana II i 7aid mat
mn, a srordn.h finds IL. way 10 metropolitan tables.
In N,cv England however IL is esteemed To be sc'ohi
I'm merit only to blucl-h. and Thick savory, "m'''
i,icv swordnsh steak l. rated far more highly than
, hnll,ut Steak The fish are hunted In deep waters,
about twenty or twenty-five mile, southeast oil BLOCK
Island Il ng the inner edge Of the cur stream 10
those water, little ncct OF svor'iShcrmen' smA'hS
and sailboats bound away from the gray OLD port
q, stonincton IN the southern part Of this county,
Once or twice n week. and return few days m'cr'
their decks piled nth the long. rah'h bodies oil
from nfccn Ia forty swOrdi-h. each weighing from
go 70 400 pounds. The bgcc,t fellows taken oil
tii, coast sometimes wcigl 900 pounds, ana rarely
one I, taken that weighs 500. Most oil III" h,l are
,hippcd direct Io,ton. and one day TINS week not
less than sixiy-four fish. Weighing :om 30 To 400
mounds were sent to that market from New-l"n1oh
alone Block Island also sends ont swordhNh
gcrt which mahes handsome catches, ana Captain
Franz, Dodge II the island has successfully hNei
, Steam Yacht I'm hunting them this week. lie TOOK
twenty seven big fellows his first trip.
There is plenty ~ peril n well n hot excitement
I'm finding one Of the cnnt> since mad with pain
AMI rage II often turns upon the harppnct. VINO
goes out from hi vessel In II rowboat to deal Inc
finishing stroke 10 one that has been harpooncl after
# has exhausted Itself IN furious PUSHES about the
sea and mo-, nfcqntly II drives It's sharp. slender
sword through the craft and sometimes impalcN the
boatmnn \ few dnyS ago sworth-h smashed a
etonInrton rowboat belonging to the Matte and Lena
vessel ana barely missed piercing the body OF h'
owner who lcapcd swiftly nstern. several BLOCK
Island n.hermen have felt the thrust Of swordhshs
weapon I'm their limb and no longer ago IMAM last
summer "A 400 FOUNDER drove his sword through an
islanders frail craft and pinned him by II thrust
through his hips TO hI> bont'S side. Thcc years ago
an Islander wns killed In the rush Of Of the fish.
Tie sword driven NJ through Tn" bottom of HIS
craft and IT pierced tho mans abdomen. Ncvcrhe'
less II i fine sport hunt the biz fellows. ana the
city guests at tn southern Connecticut resorts and
nj Block IsInnd are not content until they have par
ticirncl in II sworihsh hunt. swordisl are the
naruaI rcrillas Of the sea- They ready 10 attack
ANYTHING that swim, even scafowl anoai they glide
sto,lthlly upon their prey. their back fin alone show
Ing above the surface Of the ocean. and In batu'
tbey Use their sword. not 10 pierce their victim as
n rule but TO deal swinging, sashing blows, both
nbove and below water, exactly rs trooper
brrnf,ncs Lis sabre. They cut to pieces q school
NJ fish or n covcy NJ birds In n few scronh, ana
the blood of their victims. Like the black bnNs uey
slaughter more game than they can hope 10 dcVour
and after they h1vr completcd conquest h"v III IN
AMI creed IL corg themselves with the fruits ~ H. Jhcy
hunt mcnhndcn mo>sbunkerN more especially