The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-22

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wind. Nothing but the great black mass
could be seen, and for 20 minutes the
strange sight continued to the wonder
ment of the voyagers- If the steamer could
have approached, they would have wit
messed a most unequal struggle between a
large whalo and a foe Of insignificant size.
Beneath the water several swordfsh were
literally prodding the large animal to
DEATH running their sharp swords into its
unwieldy form until the creature was in a
perfect fury and could only fling its huge
tail about in impotent rage.
Such incidents are by no means rare at
sea, and the presence Of the swordfsh as
the cause Of the trouble is often disputed,
but In nine cases out Of ten it is the offend
er, says writer in tho San Francisco
Chronicle. The unrelenting and ferocious
nature of the swordfsh is not generally
known, but it may be set down as among
the most dreaded of all fishes. 1t may be
said that the fish is utterly without fear
and will like Cape buffalo or q rhinoc-
eros charge anything that offends the eye.
The combats with its own kind are most
interesting and may he compared to two
expert swordsmen who have rushed to the
contest, not with foils, but with rapiers,
and fence for blood. Such a contest was
observed in California waters not long
ago. Some fishermen noticed two big fish
leaping out of the water and dashing
along at the surface. Soon they saw that
they were swordfsh. The season was
when the fish are supposed to be pairing
and the males are unusually ferocious.
They had made several rushes, and when
observed were at close quarters striking
each other powerful side blows like cavalry
men. This was unsatisfactory, and final
ly they separated and darted at each other
like arrows, the water Kissing as their
sharp do1sal fins cut through it. They
evidently struck head on, one missing,
while the sword of the other struck Just
below the eye and plowed deep furrow
in the fish, partly disabling 1t, SO that it
turned and attempted to escape. But its
adversary, now thoroughly aroused, also
turned, and with rush drove his sword
completely through its body, and despite
its struggles held it fast, only wrenching
his weapon loose when his enemy stopped
swimming. This one lunge had finished
the battle, and the victor left the field.
The vanquished, floating on the surface,
was picked up by the fishermen.
The writer later observed the wounds,
which gave ample evidence Of the ferocity
Of the attack. The force with which q
swordfish strikes has been variously esti-
mated, but that it is equal to that which
drives "a pound shot from howitzer can
be believed from viewing the results.
In the waters of California at least three
kinds of swordfishes can be seen-Xiphius
gladius, Tetrapturus albidus and Histo-
phorus gladius. The fish engaged in the
battle described were Of the kind first
named. 1t is the ordinary swordfish found
ON both sides of the Atlantic. in appear
ance trim and shipshape--a veritable pri-
vateer 1t is a piratical cousin of the
mackerel. The striking feature Is the
sword, which is o continuation Of the up-
per jaw into 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 pow
erful, and the whole appearance of the fish
denotes speed and activity.
1t attains q length of from to 8 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 the kind is re-
corded by shipping agents.
One OF the most remarkable cases on
record is that of the ship Dreadnaught.
One day at sea the crew felt sudden
shock, and soon after that the ship spranp
a leak and was obliged to put into port
1t was found, when she was drydocked,
that large swordfish had struck her. The
sword had penetrated the copper, then the
thick oak hull, passing through the thick
pine sheathing and finally entering the
head OF barrel standing in convenient
place. The sword was broken off short,
partly plugging the wound.
The ship Wanderer was struck in the
south Atlantic in the same way, and the
pumps had to be manned. When she was
docked, the telltale sword was found
Some years ago fisherman was rowing
his boat along the shore Of Staten Island
when he was suddenly thrown from his
seat by violent blow. He recovered him
self in time to find that the blade Of q
swordflsh had been thrust up almost di-
rectly beneath him, SO near, in fact, that
1t came near piercing his body. The fish
wriggled out, and the demoralized fisher
man stopped the hole as well as he could
and pulled for shore. These instances
and they arc but few Of many-show that
the fish are >simply actuated by rage or
by constitutionally savage disposition.
Undoubtedly they attack any enemy on
sight without proyocation.