Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-10-24
swoRpsMEN OF THE SEA.
Terrific Battle Between a swordfsh
and a Whale In the Pacific Ocean
How These Outlaws Of the Sea
Attack Their Prey-Plereed by


How These Outlaws Of the Sea
Attack Their Prey-Plereed by
Their Spears.
The passengers on a little steamer
that makes daily trips between San
Pedro Harbor, near Los Angeles, and
Santa Catalina Island, some thirty
miles out In the Pacific ocean, were the
interested spectators the other day Of
a terrific battle between two sea mon
sters. Viewed from the deck OF the
steamer. about "a mile away from the
scene of combat, all that could be
made out was small mountain Of
mist tossing In the air, at the base Of
which a huge black tail churned the
water like the blades of q screw pro-
peller. The monster, a very large
sized whale. turned this way and that,
flashing its black tail and beating the
water so that the sounds came like
claps Of thunder to everyone on board
the Catalina Island boat The whale
suddenly turned, and, spouting q pow
erful stream OF water and blood some
twenty feet in. the air, dashed the
water with several powerful flaps OF
its tail and sank beneath the surface
Of the ocean.
The little steamer made for the
scene Of the battle with all speed, but
when the boat reached the spot where
the whale had been nothing but foam
ing water Redeemed with blood was to
be seen. There were several sailors
on board the steamer, and they all
agreed that a battle to the death be-
tween a swordflsh and a female whale
had been fought before their eyes.
A dozen or more old men who sit
about the docks and Custom-house at
San Pedro and San Diego. after a
long career In the whaling fields OF the
Pacific ocean, say that the battle be-
tween the whale and the swordish
was not uncommon. Several OF them
have witnessed just such fights. In
nearly every case the swordfish is the
attacking party. Many men who have
been on whaling voyages have found
wounds in the carcasses OF whales
that were undoubtedly left there by
swordfish. II Is seldom, however,
that one is able to stab the whale to
death.
The swordfish is utterly without
fear. and will, like a buffalo or rhinoc.
eros. charge anything that offends it,
often doing an amount OF execution
hardly to be believed. Combats be-
tween swordfish are most interesting.
and may be compared to a duel be-
tween two expert swordsmen. Such a
contest was observed off the long pier
that extends out into the ocean at
Santa Monica. near Los Angeles, last
year. Some fishermen noticed two
big fish leaping out of the water, and
dashing along the surface. Soon It
was seen that they we're swordfish.
1t was the season when the fish are
unusually ferocious. They had made
several PUSHES. and when observed
were at close quarters. striking each
other powerful side blows like cavalry
men. This was unsatisfactory, and
finally they separated and darted d.
rectly at each other. They evidently
struck head-on, one missing, while the
sword OF the other struck just below
the eye, and ploughed deep furrow
In the flesh, partly disabling the fish
so)that 1t turned and attempted to es-
cape. But its adversary also turned,
and with a rush drove its sword COM
pletely through the body of its foe, and
held 1t fast, only wrenching. its weapon
loose when its enemy stopped swim
ming.
This one lunge finished the battle.
and the victor left the. field. The
vanquished, floating on the surface.
was picked up by the fishermen. The
wounds in the dead fish were exam.
ined by several hundred people In Los
Angeles and Santa Monica. They
gave ample evidence OF the extraordin-
airy strength of the thrust OF a sword
hsh. The force with which a sword.
fish strikes has been variously esti-
mated, but that 1t is equal to that
which drives twenty-four-pound shot
from howitzer will be easily believed
after viewing the results.
In the waters of California three
kinds OF swordfish can be seen-xiph-
ius gladius. Tetrapturus albidus, and
Histophorus. 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 appearance, trim and ship
shape-a veritable privateer. It is a
piratical cousin of the mackerel. The
striking feature is the sword, which is
a continuation of the upper jaw into a
sharp, bony point. The jaws are
toothless. the lower one being hard or