The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-17 00:00:00

CATCHING DEVIL-FISH.

A letter from Apalachicola, Florida, narrates this
exciting sport :—At seven o'clock the other morning
the order to get up steam and away was given by
Captain Klink, and the Julia headed for the Gulf on
a cruise for the devil-fish, and every one was on the
watch :or the king of the finny tribe. We had been
out hardly half an hour when the cry came from
all parts of the boat, "There is one ! " "There is
another ahead of us." The boat was stopped and
everything got ready, under the supervision of Captain
Hochstrasser, and the lifeboat launched and manned
by George Lapham, Charles Marks, Mr. M'Cormack,
and Segre harpoons all ready, when the lifeboat made
for the devil-fish, lying about half a, mile to leeward
of the steamer. Lapham was steering, and Marks in
the bow with his harpoon, waiting an opportunity—
the snappers anxiously waiting. In a few minutes
Marks's arms could be seen raised in the act of
striking. Down the harpoon goes into the devil-fish,
when a shout from the steamer could be heard a mile,
and the most intense excitement existed. Away went
the lifeboat, it looked like at the rate of 50 miles an
hour in tow of the fish, who vras running for life.
After running for half an hour, "There, he is gone ! "
Sure enough, the harpoon had bent double and pulled
out.

After making a circle of five or six miles, we headed
again for the entrance of St. Joseph's Bay. Again
could be heard from all parts of the steamer, " There
they are again I—there they are again!" when the
slow bells were rung and the steamer laid-to. Again
the lifeboat was launched and manned by the

same crew, this time determined to capture one.
As soon as launched with everything ready,
under oars the boat slowly approached the devil-
fish, who could be plainly seen from the steamer
lazily flapping his immense wings
.or. flippers,
little dreaming of danger. When within a few
feet of him, up goes Marks's arm; down goes
the harpoon into him; away he goes, carrying
the lifeboat like lightninF for two miles, when the boat
could be seen to slacken its speed. In a few moments
again could be seen the motion of Marks's arm, when
he sent another harpoon into him. Away they go
again. The last harpoon had aroused him to another
effort fer life. This time the lifeboat fairly flew on
the water at a very high rate of speed. After the
second harpoon, all in the steamer began to feel con-
fident that we would capture him this time. After
half an hour's hard fight, was heard from the lifeboat
—lying about half-a mile off from the steamer—" He's
dead! "when a shout went up from the snappers.
The steamer was moved slowly up to the lifeboat,
when another harpoon was sent to them, which, as
soon as received, was plunged into him, but he was
exhausted, and did not make another struggle. They
came alongside the steamer, and the ropes were made
fast and the devil-fish slowly hauled up where we had
a derrick arranged for the purpose. After having
made him securely fast, he was hauled on board the
steamer. After breaking one rope, another and
stronger one WAS rigged to a block and tackle. It
required ten men to haul him up on a level
with the deck. Finally, he was landed on
the deck, the work consuming an hour and
a half. There was a general jubilee among the
snappers and crew in honour of the capture of the
king of fish, who lay dead on the deck, a memento of
the snappers' energy and determination to capture
one, having failed for seven successive years. His
dimensions, by actual measurement, are—from head
to end of tail, lift.; from end to end of flippers on
wings,l4ft. ; from eye to eye, across the head, 31t. 10in.
His appearance is very much that of a leather wing
bat, excepting the tail, which is long and keen. The
outlines of the devil-fish are marked out on the civic
of the steamer, where it can now be seen.