The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-17
CAPTURING 4 DEVIL FISH


To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sr: No
,IeinR In your issue OF Sunday an account
from a California paper describing the capture
Of n monster devil fish bya Noats crew from
the United States steamship Pensacola, on tho
coast OF California declaring that such cap
ture is of rare occurrence am lcd TO write to
you.
During the late war while serving OF tho
United States steamship TalapoOsa. on tho
blockade in Tampa Bay, on the west coast oil
Florida. 1 frequently saw devil fish. and or sew
eral occasions assisted In their capture. One
bright day, shortly after noon. while standing
on the hurricane deck. saw monstrous nsh
some distance Of. floating near the surface OF
the water | called the attention of ths cxecu-
tive officer to II. and he ordered our whale boat
lowered. 1t was pulled from the ship in charge
Of our sailing master Mr.. Jenney. an old whaler.
The FISH seemed to be asleep Just below tho sur
face of the water. When the harpoon struck 1t
fair in tho back II gave start as though waking
from sound sleep, and d9rted on up the pay
with terrific speed. Presently. turning. i made
Tor the open Gulf and drew us several miles out
10 sea. Az we wero considering whether 10 cut
the line and let II escape II turned ann mnae
| for the bay again. II soon seemed TO tire WIN
its struggles. and upon our nearing Tue SUD
we hauled close up to II and with boarding
mixes and n whaling lance, after tough strug-
| gi~ killed IT, 1t was then hauled to the beach.
and il took n number ofthe crew to get II on the
| sand. IL looked ike an immense WV W,'S, q"
| least Is feet wide. and tho tail resembled
| heavy horse whip. We tried out a quantity oil
| oil. and parts Of the skin we used Tor cleanlng
the brass work on the guns 1t being very much
| like emery paper. ,. -,
| While we lay in Tampa Bay We caught four
OF these fish. One Of them WINS only with great
di ffirulty got ashore. and. even when there, was
| not dead Its struggles were terrible to see.
| Its tail as It cut through the air made whizz-
! ing sound like brisk wind blowing through
| tho rigging and we were NOT at oil anxious 10
| get within reach Of II. native told me that the
! tail would cut OF mans leg rs clean rs though
! done with n knife. o,
Tampa Bay was the greatest place for hsh OF
| all kinds that have ever seen, WewOuld draw
! our seine several times a week. and IN one or
| two drawings get enough fish to last the ships
| company at least two days Sometimes We
| pulled in hundreds Of young sharks and saw
! fish. On one occasion there seemed TO De
| monstrous nsh entangled in the seine, and on
| drawing il to the beach. we found two large saw
| fish. which, after considerable trouble we Killed
| They were each about fifteen feet long. Ihe
swords projecting from their heads were about
| three feet long. and were composed OF a nara
| hony substance. having projecting teeth about
| one inch In length and one inch apart down
| each side. looking precisely like a saw with I'M
mense teeth on earh edge. On cutting the fish
open. we found one Of them to contain fifteen
| young sawilsh, about eight or ten inches long,
! with small saws about six inches long.
GEORGE W. BRowER. 2219 Third avenue.