Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-03-06
4 CURIOUS WATCH CHARN.


oAAC va tthc ouChcI8 S6CuEcu IN u 6uOn&fI0D
Struggle with an Octopus.
"That's an odd charm" said q re-
porter to travelling companion on the
New York Central railroad.
$50 it is, was the reply, "and it has
= story" holding mp curious oval OBJ
iect In which vas set O compass. It
formed bowl about two inches in
diameter, and was of q Substance re-
sembling fish Scales, but of rich opal
hue. The edges we're serrated, and
within them had been placed compass.
III you didn't know what it was" con-
tinued the owner, you'd never guess,
but not to keep you in suspense, it's
the sucker of an octopus that attacked
me once. If you remember, about four
years ago there was rumor to tho
effect that valuable pearl fisheries had
been discovered on the Alaska coast; in
fact large lewelrS hotHe In New York
displayed some large pearls that 1t was
claimed came from that locality. 1t
fooled good many, as it turned out to
be dodge to start immigration, and it
caught me for one. / secured five men,
good drivers, and started across the
continent, and got there to find that it
was all swindle. There wasn't pearl
within 1000 miles, and to get my money
back l went into the regular diving
business, and after raising several YES
sells we squared MP and left
Ut was during one of these trips that
! got my charm. We generally went
down in pairs, but this day we were
working on small smack that had
sunk, and took the first spell down
alone, to see what was the matter with
her. She was lying in about forty feet
OF water, some of her running gear
afioat showing where she was. We
anchored our sloop to it, put out a
mooring, and in o few moments was
going slowly down. To feel that you
are strapped to weights and going down
to depth where if blow should cut
your pipe you would be anchored for
good isn't pleasant, TO say the least.
In about five minutes l reached the
deck, and as / wanted first to find cut
what had hit her, 1 walked forward,
swinging myself round the shrouds and
ropes. l swung off and found that
two of her planks had burst right out.
She was loaded with pig iron, and
reckoned the sea had jerked the bottom
out of her. Having settled this
walked around her to the lee side, the
bottom being hard, clear sand, and
there l easily stepped aboard and
walked toward the hatch. 1t wns wide
open, and rs !. stepped near it / saw
something that took for a rope hang
Ing over the coamings. Taking my
boat hook gave it punch, and il
seemed to fall off into the hatch. One
of the main yards was hanging clear,
and, taking it, l swung off and lowered
into the hold to see if the iron had been
covered with sand.
Down went, my hook in one hand
and the halyard in the othar, and when
near the bottom let go. In second
l landed on a soft, yielding mass that,
bound as l was, gave me sickening
sensation. 1t moved from under me,
and in moment / seemed to he sur
rounded by the flying arms of some
hideous creature. They clasped my
legs, wound around my body, and
fastened about my helmet, gradually
drawing me down and horrifying me
so for o moment l was utterly power
less. But at the first alarm I had
given the signal to draw me up, and,
having large knife fastened at my
waist, | attacked the monster, cutting il
anywhere thaG l could strike. In a
moment the animal had lifted itself SO
that its body rested against my chest,
and it seemed to be about as large as a
aour-barrel, with legs extending out
from it, like the legs of spider.
hacked at it with the knife, my armor
preventing it from biting or cutting
me, and soon had the satisfaction OF
cutting it fairly in two, SO that it partly
dropped off, and / tore the remaining
arms away. 1 was dragged to the
surface with part of it, however, cling.
ing to me. ] was about exhausted with
the work and nervous prostration, and
if they hadn't unscrewed my helmet
Immediately 1 should have dropped,
but few minutes in the fresh air re.
vived me, and in that time / closed nv
career as diver. don't think 81 900,
900 would have tempted me to go down
again"
And the charm?"
"This charm, as said, was one Of
the suckers that lined the arms, and
had so cut into the rubber part of my
sleeve that it had been torn from the
animal in the struggle, and as it was
rich in color l kept it as curiosity
When / reached the surface the mer
hauled up half the octopus with boat
hook. 1 tell you it was a fearful sight
The arms, when stretched out on
opposite sides of the body, measured
exactly twenty-seven feet from tip tc
tip. On their under sides were these
suckers, each one shelly cup with O
saw-like edge" -Ne,c York Sun