Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 March 1892 — CHASING SWORD FISH [ARTICLE]

CHASING SWORD FISH

AN EXCITING AND DANGEROUS OCCUPATION. Hunting the Fish on the New England Coast Agility A Terror to Other Fish. A sword fish, when swimming noar the surface, usually allows its dorsal tiu and a portion of its tail to project out of water. It is this habit whioh enables tho fishermen to tell when the game is present. The creature moves slowly under ordinary conditions, and the fishing schooner, with a light “breeze, finds no difficulty in overtaking it. When alarmed, however, it exhibits enormous strength and agility. Sometimos it is seen to leap entirely out of water. Its long, lithe, muscular body, with fins snugly fitting into grooves, is admirably adapted for the most rapid movomont through the water. Prof. Ricjmrd Owen, testifying in an English oourt respecting its power, said: “The sword fish at full speed strikes with the aooumulated force of fifteen hammers swung with both hands. Its velooity is equal to that of a swivel shot and the shook is as dangerous in its offeots as that of a heavy artillery projectile." The swordfish never comes to the surface exoept in moderate weather, according to Dr. G. Brown Goode. A vessel pursuingthem has always a man stationed attheinast head, where, with the keen eye which practice has given him, he can easily descry the tell-tale back fins at a distance of two or three milos. When the prey is sighted tho watch gives a shout and the craft is steered to the direction indicated. The skipper takes Ills place in a sort of “pulpit,” so-oalled, at the end of the bowsprit, armed with a harpoon whioh has detachable head. He holds tho pole which forms the handle of the weapon with both hands, directing the man at the wheel by voice and gosture how to steer. There is no difficulty in approaching tho intended victims with a vessel of some size, although, curiously enough, they will not suffor a small boat to come near them. Although there would bo no difficulty in bringing the end of the bowsprit directly over the fish, a skillful harpooner never waits for this. When tho proy is from 6 to 10'feet in front of the vessel it is struok. The harpoon is never thrown, the polo being long enough to onable tho expert to punch tho dart into the back of the animal olose to tho back fin. When the dart has thus been fastenod to the fish the line attached it is allowed to run out, the pole being retained in the hand. As soon as the rope has run as far as tho stricken creature will carry it the lino is passed into a small boat which is towing at the stern. Two men jump InW tho boat and pull upou the liue until the fish is brought alongside, when it is killed with a whale lanoe stuck into the gills. Then it is lifted upou the dook of the vessel with tackle. There are any number of stories representing the ferocity of tho sword fish. In several well authenticated oases they are said to have pierced the sides of vessels, projecting their weapons through copper sheathing and several indies of planks. Cases are on record of the finding of such swords, broken off in tho sides of craft which had been pierced. Wbat the fishes which were thus deprived of their instruments of offenso managed to do without them can only he imagined. Thoro does not seem to bo any reason for taking it for granted that they could grow others. Attacks by sword fish aro included by insurance companies among sea risks. Such a,large and formidable animal as the sword fish can fear but few antagonists. Othors of its own kind, horse mackerel and sharks are its onlv peers. Doubtless the last are its worst foos. In 1864 there was exhibited to the Boston Society of Nat ural History the jaws of a shark in whose* stomach nearly the whole of a large sword fish was found. It was a tiger shark, tho most ferocious of Its kind, and ten or twelve wounds in its flesh gave some notion of the conflict whioh must have occurred. In 1878 a small mackerel shark was oaptured in Gloucester harbor, and iu its nostril was found the sword, about two inches long, of a young sword fish. Whon this was pulled out the blood flowed freoly, indicating that the wound was recent. Tremendous combats have ofton been witnessed between sharks and sword fish, Sword fish aro a terror to sohools of mackerel, blue fish and comparatively small fry. They rise among the proy, striking to right and left with their swo|ds until they have killed a number, which they thereupon procood to devour. Sometimes they appear actually to throw the fish in the air, cutting them in two as they fall. Although hunting the sword fish is regarded as a profitable pursuit on tbs New England coast, employing many vessels, it is not likely to bring about any serious diminuation of the game. One reason is because their habits are solitary. It is said that two are never seen swimming close together. Although a number aro apt to be found in the same neighborhood, wherever the food they seek is plentiful, they never run in schools. Considerable quantities of sword fish are annually salted in barrels at New England ports. Being regarded a delicacy they are in great demand in curtain sections, particularly iu the Connecticut valley, where a barrel full may be found in almost every grocery store. The fishermen have a theory to the effect that the sjvord fish can see nothing directly in front of him, owing to tho peculiar way in whioh his eyes are placed, and it is stated that these animals are sometimes approached and killed by hunters in skillfully managed skiffs.— [Washington Star.