The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-06-10
Blowing Up of Wreck Stuns
Many Hundreds.
Coast Guard Cutter YamacraW De-
stroys Menace to Navigation, and
Crew Have More Fish
Than They Need.

Savannah, Ga.-How the men OF the
United States coast guard cutter
Yamacraw caught S53 pounds of fsh,
ranging from one to two Founders TO
huge denizens of the deep weighing
800 pounds, while blowing up the
wreck OF an abandoned schooner on
the coast Of Florida several days ago,
was told very Interestingly by Lieu
tenant Alexander, who Is temporarily
in command OF the cutter during the
absence of Captain Henderson.
The Yamacraw left Savannah on
Sunday, April IS, in response to
wireless message from a steamship,
which stated that the topmasts OF
sunken schooner had been sighted
about 30 miles to the eastward of the
st. Johns river entrance.
The cutter arrived at the scene OF
the wreck at daybreak the next morn
ing and Immediately set to work to
blow up the wreck, which was men
acs to navigation. A squad of men
ves sent out In one OF the cutters
small boats, and mines heavily charged
with guncotton were lowered on each
OF the three topmasts which were seen
protruding from the surface OF the
water
At the first shot one of the masts
was demolished far below the water
line, and almost Immediately the sur
face Of the water surrounding the
week was thick with fish Of various
sizes. Many Of them were badly
stunned, and another small boat was
sent out to gather them up. From the
first shot / snappers weighing 23H
pounds, five horse mackerel weighing
141 pounds and coz pounds of small
fish were taken into the second boat,
according to Lieutenant Alexander.
The charge lowered on the second
mast was then fired, and as the blast
hurled the demolished Stick high
into the air another crop Of stunned
fish appeared on the surface Of the
water
Most OF the fish, Lieutenant Alex.
ander said, seemed to be badly
stunned. Others, he said, seemed to
be unhurt, but all of them Topped
around on top Of the water, apparent.
ly unable to go below the surface,
Lieutenant Alexander said he believed
some Of the fish had been blown up
from a depth of one hundred feet, and
that the lack Of water pressure to
which they were accustomed at that
depth prevented their getting below
the surface again. Most Of them were
easily caught and pulled into the
bo2ts.
The fish caught following the sec
ond shot were one snapper. two or
three medium sized fish and huge
jewish weighing 1875 pounds. These
were hauled into 'he third boat which
had been sent out from the cutter.
At the third shot the men thought
for an instant they had blown up a
whale. Upon closer examination, how
ever. It proved to be a second Jew
fish, considerably larger than the
first. This monster which proved &c
be six feet one inch In length, -four
feet three inches in girth aud weigh
ing 220 pounds, was roped and towet
by one Of the small boats TO the side
OF the cutter, where block ant
tackle were used to hoist It on deck
The huge FISH was still alive after I
had been hosted over the side Of th'
cutter, and graphing hooks similar Il
those used by laborers on the cottol
docks were employed 10 drag II to
point whore ii could not flop over
board.
The second Jewish was the blgges
that any of the officers or men o.
board the Yamacraw had ever seer
After It had been killed II was butci
cred. and some OF the men ate POI
tons OF it and declared that il wa
fairly edible.