Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-11-07
The Swordfish and His Death Deal
ing Bill.
1t Is a Great Battle When Two of Them
Come TOgether-.They Can De-
strOy the Largest Whale..
Exciting Fights in Cali
fOrnia Waters De.
Scribed.

tail was seen tossed into the air. Then
the monster preached and rolled over,
beating the water into foam with re.
sounding blows that could be heard
mile or more with the wind. Nothing
but the great black mass could be seen,
and for twenty minutes the strange
sight continued, to the wonderment of
the voyagers. .
If the steamer could have approached
they would have witnessed most un-
equal struggle between large whale
and foe of insignificant size. Be-
meath the water several sword fish, or
possibly one, were literally prodding
the large animal to its death, running
their sharp swords into its unwieldy
form until the creature was in a per-
feet fury and could only fling its huge
tail about in an. impotent rage. Such
incidents are by no means rare at sea,
and the presence of the swordfish as
the cause of the trouble is often dis
puted, but in nine cases out of ten it is
the offender. Enraged for some rea-
son at the presence of the whale, it
dashes repeatedly at it, sending its
sharp sword into it and in some in
stances producing its death. The un.
relenting and ferocious nature of the
swordfish is not generally known, but
the latter may be set down as among
the most dreaded of all fishes. con-
sidering the damage it does and the
havoc it plays among the other fishes.
1t may be said that the fish is utterly
without fear.
The combats with its own kind are
most interesting and may be compared
TO two expert swordsmen who lave
rushed to the contest, not with foils,
but with rapiers, and fence for blood.
Such contest was observed in Cali
fornia waters not long ago. Some fish
ermen noticed two big fish leaping out
of the water and dashing along at the
surface. Soon they saw that they we're
swordfish. The season was when the
fish are supposed to be pairing, and the
males are usually ferocious. They had
made several rushes and when observ-
ed were at close quarters, striking each
other powerful side blows like caval-
rymen. This was unsatisfactory and
finally they separated and darted at
each other like arrows, the water his
sing as their sharp dorsal fins cut thro'
it. They evidently struck head on, one
while the sword of the other
struck just below the eye and plowed a
deey furrow in the fish, partly disab-
ling it, so that it turned and attempted
to escape. But its adversary, now
thoroughly aroused, also turned and,
with a rush, drove its sword completely
through its body and, despite it's strug-
giles, held it fast, only wrenching its
weapon loose when its enemy stopped
swimming. This one lunge had fin
ished the battle, and the victor left the
field! The vanquished, floating on the
surface, was picked up by the fisher
men. The writer later observed the
wounds, which gave ample evidence
of the ferocity of the attack. The force
with which swordfish strikes has been
variously estimated, but thatit is equal
to that which drives a twenty four
pound shot from howitzer can be be.
lieved from vie wing the results.
In the waters of California at least
three kinds of swordfishes can be seen
-Xiphius glsdius, Tetrapturus albidus
and Histophorus gladius. The two
former have been observed by the
writer. The fish engaged in the battle
described were of the kind first named.
1t is the ordinary swordfsh found on
both sides of the Atlantic, in appear
ance, trim and shipshape, a veritable
privateer. 1t is a piratical cousin of
the mackerel. The striking feature is
the sword, which is continuation of
the upper jaw into a sharp, bony
sword. The jaws are toothless, the
lower one being hard or horny. The
eyes are large and prominent, the tail
sickle shaped and powerful, and the
whole appearance of the fish denotes
speed and activity. 1t attains q length
of from five to nine feet, and when
working at full speed can pierce any
ship of wooden hull sheathed with cop
per. Many remarkable instances of
this are known, and there is hardly
week in the year but something of this
kind is recorded by shipping agents.
One of the most remarkable cases on
record is that of the ship Dreadnaught.
One day at sea the crew felt a sudden
shock, and soon after that the ship
sprang leak and was obliged to put
into port. 1t was found when she was
drydocked that large swordfish had
stluck her.
One of the finest specimens of the
Totrapturus albidus, ever seen in Cali
fornia waters was found recently by the
writer in little bay on one of the is
lands off shore. 1t was a magnificent
specimen, about six feet in length, the
body massive and powerful and re-