, 1879-01-12
CATCHING A DEVIL-FTSrr

| An Exciting Chase by the Crew of n ~
| of-War-Forty Men Engaged In Secn.s"
! the Monster, which Weighed Two rhn4s
sand Pounds.
An officer Of the flagship Pensacola. =, ~.
Pacific squadron, writing from off La Pa. 7 oa ns
er California, Dec. 9, communicates to the r.,
lejo Chroniee an interesting account of ~.
] pursuit and capture OF an enormous sea-maa
ster resembling Victor Hugo's famous devi,s.s
The writer SAYS: Asu*
"The most exciting event Of our cruis4 +hs.
far was the capture TO-DAY OF an in,mense der;ss
| fish. Ever since our arrival i1l these w,t.aa
several huge fish have been observed IN ~.
vicinity OF the ship, and much specula tion ias
arisen as to what they were. One makinr ~
| appearance this afternoon, our gunner (iSorass ~
F. Cushman, decided To establish his identitri !,
| possible, and, ACCOM- panied by Assstant-Enet
neer Edwards, Midshipmcn Mcdonald, Wo1t
and Craven, and Paymaster's Clerk Spaulj;na'
gave chase in the d;ngey. The fish, swinlm4s',,
slowly and near the surface OF the wster
which is very clear here, looked like t ere,tt
shapless brown mass, frequently thrownr
above the waves the thin white tips Of its sdsss
like the dofsal-fin Of a shark It allowed tha
boat 10 approach within q few yards OF It VIII
out showing symptoms OF alarm, whea it sn,1-
denly sounded. The harpoon, thrown by liz
Cushman, struck, but not with sufficient for.
to hold, for the fish freed itself and disaopeareS
| fnr
several seconds. Another was seen, howtysr
after short search, and was approached more
successfully AS it showed an indifference to
our presence equally great to that OF its CON-
paniop, we pulled the boat directly over, and no
more than loot or Two above it, and Mr Cnsn.
man, standing in the bow, plunged the bar.
poou firmly into its flesh. In an instant thai
seemingly passive mass was transformed into an
iufuriated monster, which first threw itsele
bodily out OF the water, and then.
settling down to business, sent the harpoon,
line whfzzing out at rate that would
have made it decidedly uncomfortable fcr M
had it become foul. The STRAIN soon came upon
the tlingey, and, as we wnlsked along with the
speed Of IN express train, we felt as though We
had applied the match to some mine, or that va
black himself. It was ride that for noye]tY
and speed could rarely be equalcd. Imagine
our situation, in a light boat, which, as It
rushed along, now on the surface, and again
diving deep, threatening to upset us among the
sharks, and YOU can realize the intense excite
nleut of the moment. The only available thing
in the boat, q bucket, had been made fast to tue
harpoon line to offer some additional resistance.
but the fish seemed to regard it no uoree
tnan feather. and, with the bucket QUITO
sight under the water, continued to draw Us
up aud down the bay at full speed During
all this time its efforts had been confined to N
attempt to escape, but as its load grew heayy
it became belligerent. and several times turned
upon the boat. exhibiting the full capacity Of 4
mouth some TWO teeE in diameter. and ]ashing
tile BOAT with its sides. We made up OF.
minds that, if the fish decided to jump into the
dingey, we would quietly s'i0 out over one SIDE
as he appeared at the other. But q vigorous
resistance from boat-hooks and oars induced
him to resume his fight in eacl instance. By
this time all hands on the ship were watching
the struggle, and the whale-boaI was sent to
our assistance; but for fully an hour, both boats
1ashei rorptfIar ware fnwe1 1cith1t1: cir1s ri
exhaustion from the fish, the thrusts ot
poardlny-pikes seeming only to accelerate its
speed. Finally its immense excrtions told upon
it, and it came to the surface directly betweelthe
blows from an AZ, ana, dyeing the water crimson
with its blood, Was towed ashore aud dragged
uoon the beach. 1t required the united e1cr-
tions OF nearly forty men to accomplish this
more formidable looking
monster than this devi1-fsh could hardly be
imagined. 1t was9shoped somewhat like an
immense bat, measuring fifteen and half feet
in width By eleven feet in length; il was twenty
nine inches thick and weighed probably 100
pounds. It had but one fin, unless the wing
shaped extremitles b. which it propelled Itself
IAN be considered such, or that at the base
If long thin tail, similar in appearance
% riding-whip, and which is preserved
Is a ,nemeuto Of the adventure. Its eyes, ,aa
placed In flexible projections which seem
% have been used to grasp and convey food to
IS mouth. The mouth, large enough TO iuguI
| man whole, was destitute Of teeth. but lur-
lished with solid bones, that, in the dying
'sonies of the fish, ground large pieces Of eossl
IS stone-crusher would stone. The skin Of
he flesh was rough as coarse file and Of 4 dark
!rayish hue on the back, with white patches to-
Eard the head, and pure white on the under
idc.
"Several MeXicaus present viewed the capture
nth great satisfaction as they affirm that this
rcature is one OF the most dreaded enemies Of
ne pearl diver
''The capture OF deyi1-fish seems to be an
vent OF rare occurrence One was caught by7
he officers of the Narragansett, several years,
go, in this very harbor, but with that e1cep-
ION, none Of the old salts on board have ever
elorc seen one captured"