The sun., 1903-12-27

in a dory on the Grand Banks last month,
was stabbed by a swordfsh and died within
an hour of the injury he received.
The furious creature attacked the boat
from below, as it does whale, and drove
its formidable ivory sword UP through the
boats bottom, through tho thwart on
which the man sat, and into his body. In
it's struggles to withdraw its weapon the
fish almost overturned the boat. MRlone's
comrade, with blow Of an oar. shattered
the sword at the skiff's bottom, and the fish
made of, shorn Of it's weapon.
Swordfsh have been unusually vicious
this season and this is only one instance OF
their attacks on fishing boats. On July 10
a swordfish attacked a dory of Block Island,
piercing its side and penetrating the leg Of
christopher Nichols, one Of the crew.
In August william Hobbs, ono OF the
crow Of the schooner Blanche, had his alb
tiolncn grazed by swordfish's blade, while
in his dory of Boston, and about the same
time William Ennes, in fishing boat near
Cape Race, had his foot nailed to the bottom
Of the boat by swordfsh. This fish
broke OF it's weapon by the force OF Its
impact with the boat 8 keel, and the sword,
about three feet long, was drawn up through
the wound 10 release tHe NlCtlIn.
More amazing still was the experience OF
the Gloucester fishing schooner Actor,
Capt. Frank Norwel, which put into Boston
in October, with bad leak in her bow.
where a swordfsh had rammed her on
Georges Bank, and so started tho pianking
about her stern that she had to abandon her
cruise and make for port. Tho shock
OF he impact was such that the crew thought
al first she had struck q sunken wreck,
and it was not until an examination dis
closed an ivory sword about two feet long
protr,ting through the thick bow plank
ing that they knew what had happened.
The sworders. as the fishermen call them,
doubtless mistake ships and boats for
whales. The Newfoundland schooner
Wildlower was struck amidships by one
on the Grand Banks in May. The sword
fish was unable to withdraw it's beak and
in its struggle before it was killed with
a Iarpoon it almost overturned the vessel.
II weighed $50 pounds.
The sworder has also been termed by
sailors the fighting devil and this very
aptly describes him, for there is not
a little danger in the catching OF sword
fish. These creatures are naturally pug
nacious, and will attack whale. shark,
n porpoise, a boat a schooner OF an ocean
stea nlship with the same reckless daring.
In taking them harpoon with buoy
attached is used. When a harpoon is
fastened in a swordfish the fish tries to
dive. The resistance OF the buoy soon
tires il, and it is forced to come to the
surface again. In anticipation of this,
dores are put overheard, with two men
in each, and they chase the swordcr until
thew yet a chance to kill it with the lance.
If it is a big fellow the task calls for all
the skill OF the fishermen. Sometimes
they have to dodge its attacks for hours.
Two men from the schooner Esperanza
had an exciting encounter this season with
A swordfsh, which nearly resulted in
tragic ending.
The prize, very large fish. was plunging !
madly about, trying to free itself from the
harpoon. when it sighted the dory and
dashed at it, jumping fully eight feet out
of the water and falling across the fore part
of the skiff, into which it rolled.
The sword struck Thomas Murray on
the shoulder. knocking him down. and
before he could regain his feet his left
leg was badly lacerated by the sword in
the founderings of the fish in the dory
Fortunately. the sword was broken off in
the struggle. and James Lake, the other
man. then contrived to send lance into
the creatures vitals, which finished it.
The dory was denuded Of oars, thwarts
and equipments in the struggle, and an
other had to he sent to tow it back to the
vessel Murray had to remain ashore for
some weeks to recover from the cash in
his leg,
This year, too, off Cape Race. Joseph
Dawson. one of the crew of the schooner
was involved in one of the most
thrilling adventures with a swordfish ever
recorded. He and Ambrose Cover went
OF after school of swo.ders and harpooned
one Of unusual size. which they subse-
uuently found had had great piece bitten
o,n of rs side by a shark, probably while
ii was asleep.
Tie pain made it unusually vicious and
when Ilarpooned by Dawson it turned on
the dory and thrust its sword through the
plank in the side, just above the waterline.
Dawson was stepping back from his plat
form when the blade passed between his
legs just grazing one of his long sea boots,
and struck the other side of the boat where |
its point remained fixed.
The great fish tried in vain TO withdraw
It's sword. Furiously it lashed the sea
in it's endeavors, while the men were
oowerless to do anything. Eventually |
another dory crew, seeing their plight, rowed |
70 their aid, and coming alongside their |
battered skiff now half full of water,
aHcrd The huge fish and chopped off the |
sNurd near the snout with an axe The
prize when hoisted aboard the schooner
weighed Gi3 pounds.
An unusual incident, even in this stren-
lous pursuit. was that Witnessed by the crew
If The schooner Laura off the Banks one
ny in August. She ran in among school
Y sworders and put out dories to hunt
hem
On" big fellow was disporting itself
-ayly when an ocean steamer passed by
md the big fish made for it. The fish
u ruck the ship near the bow, and naturally,
hc blow shattered the sword right to its
Josa
This must have caused intense agony,
or it thrashed the water madly with its tail
md then made for the steamer again. But
TX il did 3d. a big sleeper shark, which had
,oen dodging in the liners wake, swung
nto view and with its vllainous- looking
mouth made bite at the sworder's tail,
aiing away about two feet of il and then !