Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
PERIL OF FISHERMEN
SWordfish Used as Anchors in
Riding Out SquaII.
SEA FULL OF MONSTERS
Harpooned Faster Than Dories Could
Bring Them in.
SAVAGE ATTACKS ON BOATS
Rammed Swords Through oaken
Planks, Endangering Lives Of
the Occupants.
SEA FULL OF MONSTERS
SAVAGE ATTACKS ON BOATS
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The star.
BOSTON, Mass, July 15.-Riding dories
IN a screaming squalI, with harpooned
sworddsh thrown out as sea anchors, was
one Of series Of full-blooded incidents
that enlivened the trip Of .he small auxi-
liary schooner Eliza A. Benner, Capt. H
o. Hillman, which arrived at wharf
today.
incidentally. Capt Hllma.n and his hus-
ky harpoon beavers brought 121 mon
ster fish. which is the largest catch on
record The schooner was loaded to the
gunwales and a handsome profit was
netted to the skipper and crew.
An unusual feature Of the trip was the
necessity to lop Off the head and tails
OF the swordfish in order to make 1t pos
sible to stow the full catch. Heads are
saved by all sword fishermen. as they
bring about 20 cents each for oil, bait
cutting and other purposes. but SO thick
were the fish that Capt. Hillman will
ingly sacrificed $A2O worth Of the jave-
lin pointed skulls to make ROOM The
big catch was completed in six days off
South Shoal Lghtship.
Struck by White squall.
Last Wednesday, when three Of the
crew, in as many dories. were about a
mile away from the vessel a terrific
white squall tore down upon them. They
had taken aboard several big fish to
which the lily irons and lines were still
attached. To prevent swamping as they
were tossed over the big rollers the men
heaved the great, dead monsters over
and rode their dories, but It was impossi-
BILE to save the fish. In the meantime the
little schooner was having a desperate
time to pick UP the dorymen. Scudding
into the froth Of the sea, she shipped so
much water that the engineer was COM
PEELED to bail constantly to prevent the
short circuiting Of his engines by the
water in the pit The dories and their
men were saved. but it was impossible to
save the fish.
Thursday the man In the pulpit plugged
his irons into the big fighting fish faster
than the dories could pick them up.
August Lohner went out in a dory after
three hsh that were thrashing around
under the sting of the irons Two of
them attacked his dory at the same in
stant, driving their swords through the
planktng with q force that lifted the
craft clear Of the choppy sea
Swords Stopped the Leaks.
Both swords were broken of In the
boat as the powerful fish Topped about
In the water in an effort to extricate
themselves. Lohner got the fish aboard
and. with the two swords stopping the
leaks In his dory. was just picking up
the hoat on the line OF the third fish
when another monster. unspeared but
frenzied with anger. lunged at him head
an Avfx - Do cI,n
the dory.
With a convulstve thrashing that tore
the water into foam, the fish withdrew
the sword and left Lohner with water
pouring into his boat. The fisherman
pulled off his shirt and stuffed parts of
1t into the gaping leaks and yelled lusti-
ly for help from the schooner. Cook
White tossed over another dory and
went to the rescue and Lohner, his dory
and It's peevish companions, the latter
now luIled to sleep by his maui stick.
were saved