The sun., 1879-01-12
CAPTURING A DEVIL FISH.
a AMAN-oR-WAR'S CREW IN PURSUIT or
A 5000 POUND MONSTER.
Thrilling Scene or the Coast OF Lower Cali.
fornia-Forty Men against One Tish-The
Enemy of Pearl Divers mt Last Destroyed.

Itom ne r,g,o chroniris
An officer Of the flagship Pensacola, OF the
Pacific squadron. writing from of La Paz.
Lower California, Dec. 9. communicates an in
terestng account OF the pursuit and capture Of
an enormous sea monster resembling Victor
Hugos famous devil fish. Tho writer saws:
The most exciting event Of our cruise thus
far was the capture to-day Of an immense devil
Gsh. Ever since our arrival in these waters
several huge FISH havc been observed in the
vicinity of the ship, and much speculation lus
arisen "a 20 what they were. One making his
appearance this afternoon, our gunner. Geo. I.
Cushmnn, decided to establish his identity 10
poesiDic. and accompanied by Assistant En-.
gineer Edwards. M,dshipman Mcdonald. Wood
and Craven nad Peymnster's Clerk Spuulding
slowly and near the snrigce of the water which
is very clear here, looked like great ShupelcSs
brown mass. frequently tnrowlug nh3Na tn'
waves the thin white tins OF lts sides Ike tlle
dorsal fin OF u shark. II allowed the boat 10
npproacn within few yards ot II twthout show
denly sounded. Tho harpoon. thrown by Mr..
Cushman. struck. but not with sufficient force
to- hold for the fish freed itself and disappeared.
after dragging the boat with great velocity for
several Seconds. Another WIS seen, however.
after u short search. and was approached moro
successfully. As Il showed an Indifference To
our presence equally great to that of It's cont
uanion. we pulled tho hont directly over, anu
no more thnn 4 loot or tive above IL, nnl Mr.
tushman, standing in the BOW, plunged thr
harpoon 1rmy into its flesh. In an instant
that seemingly passive mass was trnnsiurmcd
into an iniurinied monster. which HIST throw
itself bodily out of tho water, and then. sett Ing
down to business. sent the .hqrroon line whiz-
Zing ont mt a rate that would have made IL de-
cidodly uncomfortable for US had IL become
Tho strain soon came upon the dugy. and.
ns We were whiskpi along with tho sprci ot an
express, train. We felt ~ though We had applied
the match 10 some mine. or that We hnd been
self II wns ride that for novelty and
speed could rnrely he cqualcd. lWaci n"
our situation. in lght boat. with surh
monster attached to u. which Rs u ru~u 81
along. now On the surface. and again diViis
deep. threatening oupsvi rs among the sharks,
and YOU can realize the intense excitement oi
the moment Tie only available thing in the
boat. y bucket. had been made fast 90 the har-
poon line 70 o1er some rd'! d'!iiiouM resistance,
hut the fish seemed 20 regard 10 no more than a
feather. and with the bu's"t out ~ sight un Ter
the wptrr. continued fo draw u up usd down
Efforts had or"n e. nhn'l 70 an attempt l..
c-capr. hut a. is load grow heavy D
became beliger"nt, and -ev"r'i umos turned
upon the tont. 'Nnihuirg the iul' rapl'tv oi "a
mouth soma two fe't M diameter. ani la~h.ug
the hout with IFS siies. We made ur ntr Nun .la
/ that { thr fish decided to jump into tNe diu.:r
I w. would quietly slip onf over ONr side ar %.
/ appeared at the other. But yi;oron. re-ia iai-
/ anr" from nont hooks ant oars injured hlm Q,
resume h- fight In each instance. Bi fli-
tmc ail hands On the ship were watching
/ tue struggle. and the whaleo1aL WIS ~.u ut tD
I guy - '.D D ,u' .u..' ' ~, ,,, ,.
/ exhaustion from the il.h. thc thrust, n' hoar +
/ INK i,,e's seeming oup - n'r' t"'r I- ,pr.i
/ Finally rs Imnru-" cNrrtions .o'd upon y. and
/ u came to the surface directly '",wc,u the twc
. hoat@. whore u va- pla'nt lur, du "nfau - hS
/ blows .rum au axe. 0nl dveiuc ito wut'r 'rn-
son with ID, blood wu- tnw.i a-hore nud
dragged uuon the beach. Il required th. united
eXHr.ots ~ nearly forty men % accomplish
4 more i0rmilahle lookins monster than
/ this devil n-h couli hardly he imagined i
measaring i5', tec, in width hy il f,o' ID
, length: u WITS ~ m rs ti'rk. ana w.i--.'t