The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-10-19
A MONSTER OF THE DEEP.

Capture of a Gigantic Devil-Fish on the
Coast of Observation-Disclosures Terrible
Arms Thirty Feet Long, and Eyes Giar-
Ing I'm Elght-Inch Sockets.
The New York Worlds st. John On.
F. correspondent gives the following
account of the capture OF the monster
devil-fish which was recently washed
ashore by gale on the Newfoundland
coast, and which has since been sent to
New York and placed in the city aqua
rum:
"This wanderer of the deep was
driven ashore in an exhausted condition
at Catalina, on the northern shore of
Trinity bay. When stranded it was still
alive, but died soon after the ebb of the
tide, which left it high and dry on the
beach. Two fishermen took possession
of the " treasure trove," and the whole
settlement gathered to gaze in astonish-
ment at the monster. ASSOC as the news
spread an eager desire to view the mon
ster was awakened, and the fishermen
were advised to exhibit it before the
public. The Government granted the
use of the drill-shed for the purpose, and
on the floor, supported by boards, the
creature was laid out in all its gigantic
proportions. The lucky fishermen
reaped a golden harvest and found the
big squid by far the best catch they had
ever made. When taken from the water
the color of the squid was dusky red,
but that has disappeared, and the body
and arms are now perfectly white.
There is the usual horny beak, the par
rot-like mandibles which project from
a membraneous bag in the center of the
mass which constitutes the head, and
from which the ten arms radiate. Ger
tainly the idea of being clutched in those
terrible arms, from which there could be
no escape when once they had closed,
and then torn and rent by the formida-
BILE beak, is enough to send shudder-
ing thrill through the stoutest heart.
Looking at this creature, one car under
stand that the wild tales told of krakens
and other great cuttles in the Indian
seas, through greatly exaggerated, had
very substantial foundation in fact.
Posterior to the head were a pair of
huge staring eyes, the sockets being
eight inches in diameter. Their express
sion, when the creature was alive on the
beach, is said by the fishermen to have
been peculiarly ferocious. The Gov
ernor, Sir John Glover, visited it, and
declared that in all his heightened ex-
perience in Africa he had seen nothing
half so wonderful. 1t is very perisha-
BILE, and in short time decomposition
sets in and it can only be preserved in
the strongest alcohol.
81 have carefully taken the measure
ment of the monster, and the following
are the dimensions The two long tenta-
cles are each 30 feet; the body ten feet
in length, making the total length from
the termination of the outstretched
long arms to extremsty of the tail 40
feet. The long tentacles are thin and
tough as leather, being only inches in
circumference, except at the extremities,
where they broaden out and are inches
in circumference. The body at its thick
est part is nearly fleet in circumference.
There are eight short arms, which, at
| the point of connection with the central
mass are II inches in circumference, but
at their extremities taper down to fine
tongue-like points, having rows of suck
ers along one side. L tried to count
these suckers on one arm, which is II
| feet in length, and made out $50, large
dlQ oO Illub UuC clSlb IAuou
contain 1000 suckers; the long arms
perhaps $50 more. The head, or central
mass, from which the arms radiate, is Al
feet in circumference. Unfortunately,
the delicate eyes had been destroyed on
the voyage or in putting it on board; but
the socket of one measured 8 inches in
diameter.
"The appearance of the animal when
in the water is described by the fisher
men as extraordinary. The tail had got
fast on rock as it was swimming back
ward, and it was rendered powerless. In
its desperate efforts to escape the ten
arms darted about in all directions, LASH
ing the water into foam, the thirty-foot
tentacles in particular making lively
| play as it shot them out and endeavored
to get purchase with their power
full suckers, 80 as to drag itself into deep
water. 1t was only when it became ex-
hausted and the tide receded that the
fishermen ventured to approach it.
Enormous Timber Thefts.