The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-01-25
THE DEVIL. FISH.

| Experience of Party In Notwithstanding
Subject for the New York aquarium.
The New York aquarium has for some
time had an expedition In Florida for
the special purpose of capturing shark
or devil-ish for its tanks. A person &C
companying the expedition writes as
follows to the New York San, of the
capture of the marine monster
In the way of excitement, mosquito
bites and chronic duckings, we have had
the full worth of our money, but the
monster has played the adjective part
of himself with us.
It is variously known here as the sea-
devil, the unicorn devil and the red
devil; all of these names are well chosen.
When we first arrived on the shore of
this marine hades, an extremely dark
darkey informed us that here was the
home of the monster, and that he grew
to unknown dimensions. The fish in
question is a huge ray, that often
reaches width of twenty feet. He has
long, whip-like tail, and, as we subse-
quently found, is about as pleasant to
meet as roaring lion. No net was
strong enough to hold him, and he
would not take any notice of shark
hook.
Our boat was a dug out. We
pushed off, and moved down the
shore, the man in the bow, harpoon in
hand, thirsty for the fray. A large
shoal of mullets were jumping ahead of
us, about half a mile of, and in the
center of them heavy wave was seen
moving around that told of something
out of the common run. Coming near
er, the man in the bow whispered that
it was the devil fish himself, and no mis-
take.
We drew closer and closer, until a
huge black spot was visible. We rose
up to look, and at the same mo-
ment the man threw the harpoon. For
the next moment all was dreary void.
The immense creature rose from the
water like an exploding torpedo, and
came down like the weight of a pile
driver, one wing striking our boat in the
bow, crushing the frightened darkey
into both lee and windward scuppers at
once, coating him over with beautiful
coat of slime. Yells of "Cut the rope"
and, sect to the windward," were
heard above the rush of water and hiss
of the line that was going out at the rate of
forty miles an hour, our brave harpooner
keeping time In wonderful series of
back and head posturing, in his attempts
to keep clear of it. AS near as I could
Judge we were headed for Spain, half
full of water, and one man missing.
Looking around, we discovered him
standing up to his waist on shoal half
mile off. He had been jerked over
board at the first round and there on
the shoal he remained for over an hour,
feeling, as he told us, like condemned
light at high tide.
Il was evident something must be
done, and while one bailed the rest at
tempted to haul in the line. Gradually
we drew near to our team, who gave
signs of giving out. It was evident
that he never could be caught alive, so
the agony was increased by a pair of
grains in his back. This brought the
blood, and we gradually came down to
common time. Amid splashes, jerks
from the fish, and yells from the men,
we got fairly over him, and sent third
larger whale harpoon into him. Next
minute the long whip Of a tail came
over the boat, striking Old Ram, col
ored man, and causing general and
hasty sitting down. This was the las
effort. We foated over the black mass,
about three miles from where we started,
viotors. but yet not happy. That one
lash of the tail had laid one mans cheek
open to the bone and broken the skin
completely around his head another
was presumptive food for crabs and
sharks on distant bank. Not one of
us came out of the race without bangs
and bruises enough to start fair prize
fight.
We cut slit, however, in one wing,
and in two hours had our fish on the
edge of the sand. A mule was then
made fast, and the great devil-fish for
the New York aquarium rose from tine
sea, dead as the traditional door-nal.
We measured him, and found him from
wing to wing eighteen and half feet,
and from the tip of the tail to the nose
twenty-three feet. The tail alone was
eleven feet long, and as large at the base
as mans wrist, tapering down to
most delicate lash. Immediately above
the base of tho tail are three bony ser
rated stings that are terrible weapons of
defense.