Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-13

A DEVIL FISH OF GIGANTIC SIZE has
been captured on the coast of Fewfo md
land, that far surpasses in bulk the similar
one at Yale college, which was the only
complete specimen prev iously secured, and
almost reaches the fabulous dimensions at
Iributed TO them by the fancy of supersti-
tIous sailors. Ii was driven ashore near S.
John during a severe storm a few weeks ago,
and ii was found by fishermen dying on the
rocks where the ebbing tide had left il. The
creatures body is 10 feet long, ending in a
caudal fin two feet and half across, aud is
armed with 10 huge tentacles, two of them
80 feet in length and the others IL feet. AT
the base OF the arms is a powerful parrot
like beak, above which are two deep set
eyes each eight inches in diameter. The
arms are slender and lathery, broadening at
the base. and are supplied with several thou
sand suckers in double rows, by which the
animals prey is seized with grip from
which there is no escape and dragged in
ward TO be killed from the powerful beak.
The body and arms were dusky red when
found, but have since become perfectly
white. The creatures mode of progressi on
is not the least remarkable thing about IL.
The water is admitted TO the breathing Or
gans by valves, and when il has given up its
oxygen to the blood 1t is violently expelled
through q sort of funnel, and the creature is
thus driven backward with great rapidity,
while the broad caudal fin acts lIK a rudder
in directing its course 1t can also move
backward or sideways by the action of its
inns, and sometimes crawls along the bottom
with Its long arms in a most ungainly
fashion. This extraordinary creature has
been purchased for the New York aquarium
and will soon be exhibited there in alcohol.
y PowDER-MILL-A powder mill is not
IL the least like other mills. Instead of one
great building, ii is com posed OF many rough
looking little sheds,-somettnes as many as
seventy or eighty. These are long distances
apart, separated by dense woods and great
mounds of earth, so that IL one "house" is
blown up, the others will escape like fate
OF some the walls are built very strong, and
the roofs very slight. in the hope that If an
explosion happens, its force will be expended
upward orly. Other houses have enormous
roofs OF masonry covered with earth; the
roofs OF others are tanks Kept always full of
wafer.
The constant danger inseparable from the
work would be greatly increased were there
BOT strict rules, always enforced. No eau
tous visitor can be more careful than the
wor kmen themselves, for they know, If an
explosion happens, it will be certain, in
slant death TO them. So no lights or fireS are
ever allowed; no one lives nearer the mills
than can be helped; some of the buildings
are carpeted with skins, and the floors are
Kept always flooded with an inch or two of
water; and in front OF every door is a snail
low tank OF water. Before entering, every
person must put on rubber shoes and walk
through this water, FOR the nails in q boot
heel might strike spark from a bit of sand
or gravel, which might explode a single
grain of gunpowder, and cause widespread
disaster. So the rubber shoes worn In the
mills are never worn elsewhere Then, too.
every one is expected to keep his wits about
him; there is never any loud talking and
laughter, and no one ever thinks OF shouting.
Yet, with all this extreme care, explosions
sometimes occur, and then there is seldon
any one left TO tell how it happened.-iS.
Nicholas.