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Story
October 27, 1857
The Evansville Daily Journal
Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana
What is this article about?
The brig Dolphin arrived in Charleston for repairs, revealing a swordfish's sword embedded in its hull from an underwater collision attempt. Includes swordfish description and a prior similar penetration incident. (187 characters)
Clipping
OCR Quality
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Full Text
A SWORDFISH "PITCHING INTO" A SHIP.
The Charleston (S.C.) Advertiser, recently, in noticing the arrival of the brig Dolphin at that port for repairs, says:
While stripping off her copper on Wednesday, about eight inches of the sword of a sword-fish was found sticking fast in her bottom. It was found in her bows, wedged in her garboard-streak, pointing downward. It would seem from its position, that the vessel and fish were approaching each other rapidly, and in order to avoid the vessel the latter made a plunge to pass under the vessel, but failing in so doing, his sword pricked the copper, and passed down beneath it till it struck the garboard-streak, and snapped short off, leaving the point fast in the vessel's bottom.
The sword of a sword-fish is of solid bone, stands firm, straight out from the upper jaw, its base being the jaw itself. Its shape is precisely that of the short artillery rapier, commonly in use a few years ago, though much stouter in proportion to its length, its flat surface protruding horizontally. The fish itself is of the mackerel shape, though more round, and weighs from 400 to 1,200 pounds, the sword upon each varying with their size from two feet to 40 inches in length. It is a very rapid fish and possessed of great strength, as its form indicates.
We once saw the sword of a large fish broken short off in a vessel's bottom. It had struck fair and square on her two inch oak planking, passed through it and again through her inch ceiling, and protruded four inches on the inside, the sword having passed through the bottom, a total of 11 inches. The point was broken off on the inside, and she never suffered any leak from the sanguinary stab inflicted.
The Charleston (S.C.) Advertiser, recently, in noticing the arrival of the brig Dolphin at that port for repairs, says:
While stripping off her copper on Wednesday, about eight inches of the sword of a sword-fish was found sticking fast in her bottom. It was found in her bows, wedged in her garboard-streak, pointing downward. It would seem from its position, that the vessel and fish were approaching each other rapidly, and in order to avoid the vessel the latter made a plunge to pass under the vessel, but failing in so doing, his sword pricked the copper, and passed down beneath it till it struck the garboard-streak, and snapped short off, leaving the point fast in the vessel's bottom.
The sword of a sword-fish is of solid bone, stands firm, straight out from the upper jaw, its base being the jaw itself. Its shape is precisely that of the short artillery rapier, commonly in use a few years ago, though much stouter in proportion to its length, its flat surface protruding horizontally. The fish itself is of the mackerel shape, though more round, and weighs from 400 to 1,200 pounds, the sword upon each varying with their size from two feet to 40 inches in length. It is a very rapid fish and possessed of great strength, as its form indicates.
We once saw the sword of a large fish broken short off in a vessel's bottom. It had struck fair and square on her two inch oak planking, passed through it and again through her inch ceiling, and protruded four inches on the inside, the sword having passed through the bottom, a total of 11 inches. The point was broken off on the inside, and she never suffered any leak from the sanguinary stab inflicted.
What sub-type of article is it?
Curiosity
Extraordinary Event
What themes does it cover?
Nature
What keywords are associated?
Swordfish Attack
Ship Damage
Marine Incident
Brig Dolphin
Where did it happen?
At Sea, Charleston (S.C.)
Story Details
Location
At Sea, Charleston (S.C.)
Event Date
Recently
Story Details
While repairing the brig Dolphin in Charleston, eight inches of a swordfish's sword was found embedded in its bottom, suggesting the fish plunged to avoid the vessel but struck it instead. Description of swordfish anatomy and a past similar incident where a sword penetrated a vessel's planking.