St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-02-21
Exciting Chase of Devil Fish.

Exciting chase OF a levi FISH,
An officer of the flagship Pensacola,
of the Pacific squadron, writing from off
La Paz, Lower California, says:
..The most exciting event OF our
cruise, thus far, was the capture to-day
of an immense devil fish. Ever since
our arrival in these waters several huge
fish have been observed in the vicinity
of the ship, and much speculation has
arisen as to what they were. One MAX
ing his appearance this afternoon, our
gunner, George F. Cushman, and d
crew set out after him. The fish,
swimming slowly and near the surface
of the water, which is very clear here,
looked like great shapeless mass, fire.
quently throwing above the waves the
thin white tips of its sides like the dor
sal fin of shark. 1t allowed the boat
to approach within few yards of 1T
without showing symptoms OF alarm,
when it suddenly sounded. The har-
poon thrown by Mr.. Cushman struck,
but not with sufficient force to hold, fol
the fish freed itself and disappeared af-
tel dragging the boat with great velOc-
ity for several seconds. Another was
seen, however, after short search, and
was approached mole successfully. AS
it showed an indifference to our pres
ence equal to that of its companion, we
pulled the boat directly over and no
more than foot or two above it, and
Mr.. Cushman, standing in the bow,
plunged the harpoon firmly into its
flesh. In an instant that seemingly
passive mass was transformed into an
Infatuated monster, which first threw
itself bodily out of the water, and then,
sent the harpoOn line whining out at
rate that would have made it decidedly
uncomfortable for us, bad it become
foul.
'The strain soon came upon the dim
gy, and as we were whisked along with
the s. eed of an express train, we felt as
though we had applied the match to
some mine, or that we had been taken
in tow by the gentleman in black HIM
self. 1t was il ride that tor novelty and
speed could hardly be equaled. Imag
inc our situation, in il light boat, with
such monster attached to it, 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 excitement of the
moment. The only available thing in
the boat, a bucket, had been made fast
to the harpoon line, to offer some addi-
tiOnal resistance, but the fish seemed to
regard it no more than Il feather, and
with the bucket out of sight under the
water continued to draw us up and
down the bay at full speed. During all
this time its efforts had been confined
to an attempt to escape, but as its load
grew heavy it became belligerent, and
several times TUNED upon the boat. ex-
hibiting the full capacity of Il mouth
some two feet in diameter, and flashing
the boat with its sides. We made up
our minds that if the fish decided to
jump into the dingy we would quietly
slip out over one side us he appeared
on the other. But Il vigorous resistance
from boat-hOoks and oars induced him
to resume his flight in each instance.
.'By this time all hands on the ship
were watching the struggle, and the
whale boat was sent to our assistance,
but for fully an hour both boats, dashed
together, were lowed without signs of
exhaustion from the fish, the thrusts of
boarding pixies seeming only to acceler-
ertions told upon it, and it came to the
surface directly between the two boats.
where it was placed hOrs de combat 10y
blows from an axe, and dyeing the wa
tel crimson with its blood, was tOwed
ashore and dragged upon the beach. 1t
required the united eXertiOns OF nearly
forty men to accomplish this undertake
ing.
"a more formidable looking monster
than this devil fish could hardly be i'm
agined. 1t was shaped somewhat like
All immense bat, measuring fifteen and
IA half feet in width by eleven feet in
length it was twenty inches thick
and weighed probably two thousand
pounds. 1t had but one fin, unless the
wing-shaped extremities by which it
propelled itself can be considered such,
or that at the base of ii long thin tail,
similar in appearance to a riding whip,
aud which is preserved as memento
of the adventure. Its eyes are placed
in flexible projections which seems to
have been used to grasp and convey
food to its mouth. The mouth, large
enough to engulf a man whole, was
destitute of teeth, but furnished with
solid bones that in the dying agonies of
the fish ground large pieces of coral as
stone-crusher would stone. The skin
of the fish was rough as IA coarse file
and of dark grayish hue on the back,
with white patches toward the head
and pure white on the under side.n-
Vallejo (CaI.) Chronicle.