The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-25
BIG SHOWER OF FLYING FISH.
One of the Most Extraordinary Sights
Ever Witnessed at Sen.

If during the next summer any landlub-
Der is hit in the eve by an able bodied fly
ing fish interfered with in its flight or
hushes a beVy of these CRITTERS of the
south seas off Staten island he can lay the
blame on the crew of the bark Samar-
kand, which made this port yesterday
from Java. The Samarkand is a tramp
freighter which runs mostly to the Malay
archipelago for sugar and most any
thing else she can pick up in the way of a
cargo.
She picked up mostly flying fish on this
cruise, ana Size didn't get these aboard
from any pierhead or lighter. either. sbut
took them aboard unintentionallike while
Tapping around in the doldrums about IS
degrees south latitude, off the Guinea
coast The crew of the Samarkand ate
flying fish until fish bones fairly stuck
out of their ears. and when they got to
South Brooklyn they dumped several bar
relsfu of living ones into the bay. claim
ing that they were ashamed to look a fly
ing fish in the face.
Likewise, they brought along a fish
story that would make a fresh-water fish
ermans diary look life leaf from the
gospel. Every man of the crew of the
Samarkand vouches for the story. like
wise the only passenger. a Yankee chap
named Cody tooth fixer, who has been
furnishing up the grinders of the beers
from Pretoria to the Cape.
The story runs something like this: The
Samarkand, which during the past two
years has kept her Scottish crew many
leagues from their native heather, back
of Loeb Fyne. put out from Java with
half a cargo of brown sugar. Everything
pulled taut and monotouslike for a month
until the cracker HASH salt horse"
and soup and bully" began to go down
hard like and the galley got to be as
lonesome as an ancient tomb
One day early in June the bark was
noslng about in the South sea doldrums
feeling for a working breeze, with every
thing a-fapping up aloft. 1t was six bells
and the tropical sun was just marking u
lane of phantom silver leading over to the
western horizon. The crew were at sup
per and the bo'swain's mate was al the
helm Arranging onto the wheel lazylike.
when suddenly off the starboard quarter
there was a whr in the water and then a
whir in the air as If flock OF albatrosses
were making for the ship.
The bo'swain's mate took one look in
that quarter, then blew his whistle and
lodged behind the pinnacle after getting
two terrific welts on the side of the head
The crew tumbled down again, Old John
Spence, the carpenter, took in the situa-
ton at a glance.
, FISH" said he. "rarnation lighters
full of en-" and rushed down below for
barrels.
the school of fers had been attacked
on one side by school of bonitos, while
school of albicOre had executed a flank
movement on the lee side and the whole
school of fliers took to the air.
The flying fish formed considera BILE
cloud about six cable lengths wide and
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
and fish struck her like a shower of hail
stones and fell senseless to the deck
The spars, shrouds stays. weather
braces and hatch cOmbings were soon
slippery and shone like silver with the
hsh scales a-sticking TO them, while the
rigging was slushed and the deck fairly
ran with laundering fish. The crew just
shoVeled them into barrels of salt water
until everything on board that would hold
water was 1ll"d, then an extra watch was
set to shoveling fish overheard and clean
ing a patch from the cabin hatch
The fish storm lasted for half hour
and the striking of the fish against the
sheets put the bark along three knots on
her course, or the crew of the Samarkand
hope to be keel hauled. After the fish
storm died out the dead ones We're cleaned
and sailed away and the live ones covered
with salt water and placed along under
the shadow of the hulwarks for future
reference. After this the crew had fish
fried, broed, cooled. baked and smoth-
cred.
On entering Delaware breakwater Cap
tain Peters ordered what fish were left to
be thrown overheard but several barrels
fuI were saved for emergency and 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 aloft and
called all hands to scrape the keel-New
York Times.