Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-08-12
STORM OF FLYING FISH.
Bardue Samarkand Comes to Port with q
Champion Story.
(New York Times.)

If during the next summer any LAM
lubber is hit in the eye by an able bodied
flying fish interfered with In its flight, OF
fiushes a bevy of these CRITTERS" of tho
South seas off Staten island, he can lay
the blame on the crew of the bark Sam
arkand, which made this port yesterday
from Java. The Samarkand is a tramp
freighter which runs mostly into the Ma
lay Archipelago for sugar and most any
thing else she can pick up in the way OF
a cargo.
cruise. ana she didn't get these aboard
from any pierhead or lighter. either, bu'
took them aboarN unintcntional like Will,
tapping around in the dOldrums abDu;
eighteen degrees south latitude, off the
Guiana coast The crew Of the Samark
and ate flying fish until the fish bones
fairly stuck out of their ears, and when
they got to South Brooklyn they dumped
several barrelfuls Of living ones into the
bay, claiming that they were ashamed to
look a iiying fish in the face.
Likewise, they brought along a fish
story that would make a fresh water
the Samarkand vouches for the story,
likewise the only passenger. Yankee
chap named Cody, a tooth fixer. who has
been furnishing up the grinders of tbs.
Beers from Pretoria TO the Cape.
The Samarkand, which during the past
TWO years has kept her Scottish crew
many leagues from their native heather,
back Of Loeb Byne. put out from Java
with half cargo Of brown sugar. Ev-
erything pulled taut ana monDtOnous-l Ike
for a month, until the cracker hash. -"
salt horse" and soup bully. began to
go down hard like. and the galley got to
b. a 5 lonesome as an ancient tomb
on" day early in lame the bark was
nosing about in the South Sea dOl1rumS
feeling for working breeze. with every
thing a-iiapplng ~ alUft. II was ak
bells aud the tropical sun was JUST mark
teuN 80 nh .Haa
% the western horizon. The crew We're
at supper, ana the bo'swaIn's mate was
~ The helm a-hanging on 70 the wheel
lazylikc, when suddenly on 10 the star
board quarter there was "A wh!rr ia the
water and then whirr in the air As If
a flock of albatrosses were making for the
ship.
The bo'swain's mate took one look IN
lodged behind the binacle, after getting
two terrific welts on the side OF thu head
The crew tumbleG up through the
f. site hatch then tumbled down again
Old John Spense. the carpenter. took III
the situation AZ a glance.
Fish; said he, carnations. lighters
nun oi en-, and rushed below for bar.
rels.
The school Of Gicrs had been attacked
on one side by school Of bonits. while
a school Of albicore had executed 4 flank
movement on the Ice side. ana The whois
school of liers took 10 the air
The flying FISH formed consi Siderable
extending along the line of the sun as far
as the eye could reach. shutting out the
light. The bark lay right IN the way ana
the fish struck her like shower Of han.
stones ana fell senseless to the deck
The spars. shrouds. stays. weather
braces. ana hatch cpmbings were soon
slippery and shone like silver with the
fish scales asticking to them. while the
rigging was slushed and the deck fairly
ran with laundering fish. The crew ill.,.
shoVelled them into barrels Of salt water
until everything on board that would hold
water was filled. then an extra watch
was set To ShoVtlng fish overheard ana
cleaning patch from the cabin hatch.
The fish storm lasted for half an hour
ana the striking Of the fish against the
sheets put the bark along three knots on
her course. or the crew of the Samark-
and hope - be Keel hauled. After the
fish storm died out the dead ones wert.
cleaned and sailed away and the liv,
ones covered with salt water and placed
along under the shadow OF the bulwarks
Tor future reference. After this the crew
had fish. fried. broiled, boiled. baked and
Smothered.
ON entering Delaware Breakwatpr can
tain Peters ordered what fish were left -
be thrown overheard. but several barrel
iulS We're saved for emergency ana some
OF these were tumbled into the bay when
the bark arrived at South BROOKLYN
Cody, the passenger. denies that when
The fish began coming aboard he ran
aloit and called all hands 10 scrape the
keel -