The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-03-20


Huils Pierced.
Tho passengers on the little steamer that
makes daily trips between San Pedro har-
Dor, near Los Angeles, and Santa Catalina
island, some 80 miles out in the Pacific
ocean. were excited one day recently by q
terrific battle between two seq monsters
The spectacle from the deck Of tho steam
er, about a mile away from the scene OF
tho combat, was n small mountain OF mist
tossing In tho air. at the base OF which q
huge blaUk tail churned the water like the
blades Of n screw propeller. The monster
"a good sized whale-turned this way
and that, all the time lashing Its black
tail with fury and beating the water so
that the sound was easily heard by every
one on board the Catalina island boat.
The whale suddenly turned, and, srouting
q powerful stream of water, ceased lash
ing the water with Its tail and sunk below
the surface.
Several Of the witnesses OF tho scene had
had long experience on whaling voy ages.
They said the battle was between q
swordfish and female whale. The sword
fish had the advantage OF the great seq
mammal and was thrusting its only weap-
on of attack and defense--the long, sharp
and pointed sword-into the vulnerable
sides Of the unwieldy whale. Tho great
mammal could but thrash its tail about
In impotent rage until at last vital spot
was reached by tho attacking sworddsh,
and the whale was ynnquished.
A dozen or more old men who sit about
tho docks and tho custom houses at San
Pedro and San Diego after a long career
In the whaling fields Of the Pacific ocean
shy that the battle between the whale and
swordflsh WINS not uncommon. Several OF
tho old tars say they have witnessed just
as good fights between similar combatants,
and, besides, that In nearly every case the
swordlish is tho attacking party. Many
men who have been on whaling voyages
have found wounds in the carcasses OF
whales that were undoubtedly left there
by an angry swordish. 1t Is seldom, how
ever, that swordfish is able to stab the
whale To death.
Tho swordfsh is utterly without fear
and will, like q buffalo or rhinoceros,
charge anything that offends 1t, often do
ing an amount OF execution hardly to be
believed did not the evidence exist Com
bats between swordflsh arc most interest
ing and may be compared to duel be
tween two expert swOrdsmen. Snch con
test was observed off the long pier that OK
tends out into the ocean at Santa Monica,
near Los Angeles, Inst year. Some fisher
mon noticed two big FISH leaping out o.
the water and dasbing along the surface
| Soon 1t was seen that they were swordiish
| The season was when the fish arc unusual
| ly ferocious. They had made severa
| rushes, and when observed were mt clos
| quarters, striking each other powerful sid
| blows like oavalrymen. This was unsatis
| factory, aud finally they separated ant
darted at each other like arrows, the waite
| kissing az their sharp dorsal fins Gu
| through 1t. They evidently struck hea'
| on, one missing, while the sword OF TIL
| other struck just below the eye and plowet
| a deep furrow in tho fish, partly disablin,
| it so that &c turned and attempted TO es
| cape. But its adversary also turned, an'
| with rush drove its sword completely
| through the body Of It's foo and held i
| fast, only wrenching its weapon loos
| when its enemy stopped swimming.
This one lunge finished the battle, ant
| the victor left the field. The vanquished
| floating Oh the surface, was picked up b,
| the fishermen. Tho wounds in the deaf
| fish were examined by several hundred
| people in Los Angeles and Santa Monica
| They gave ample evidence OF the extraor
| binary ferocity of q thrust by n swordfish
Tho force with which swordfish strike
has been variously estimated, but that
Is equal to that which drives n "a poun'
shot from howitzer will be believed east
ly after viewing the results.
| In the waters Of California three kind
of sworlflsh can be seen-Xiphius glad
ius, Tctrapturus albidus and Histopho
rus. Tho fish engaged in the battle dc
scribed was of the kind first named. ]
is tho ordinary swordllsh found on bot
sides OF tho Atlantic, In appearance trin
and shipshape, a veritablo privateer.
is a piratical cousin OF the mackorel. TIL
striking feature Is tho sword, which IL
continuation of the upper jaw into SHARP
bony sword. The jaws are toothless, I'll
lower ono being hard or bony. The eye
are large and prominent, tho tall sickl
shaped and powerful, and tho whole or
penrance Of the fish denotes speed and az
tivity.
1t attaips a length OF from flvc TO min
feet, and when working ct full speed ca
piorco q wooden hull sheathcd with cor
per. One Of tho most remarkable cases o
record Is that OF the ship Dreadnoughi
Ono day mt sea tho crew felt n suddo
shock, and soon after that the ship spran
leak and was Obliged TO put into por,
IL was found when she was drydocked tina
large swordfish had struck her. Th
sword had penetrated the copper, then Oh
thick oak hull, passing through the thic
Pine sheathing and finally entering Il
head of barrel. The sword was broke
OF short, partly plugging the wound.
The ship Wanderer was struck In Il
south Atlantic in the Same way, aud ii
| pumps had TO be manned When she WI
locked, tho terrible sword was found. tt
United States government has recent
collected testimony relating TO such case
and 1t makes a most interesting showing
Hundreds of instances have been brougi
to light where swordfsh have struck We
sells with disastrous results, one case cite
being the sinking Of the sloop Red Ho
which was employed around New Bedfo'
by the United States Fish company 1T
swordflsh. undoubtedly enragod at q
presence Of what IT. considered an enem,
dashed at the vessel and sunk it.-Ls
Angeles Cor New York sun.
1