Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-11-26
4 araAxrro IoasrrR.
The Marrow Esscape OF "A Diver ON the
Newfoundland Coast.

Newfoundland Coast.
New York Sun.
HALIFAX, Nov. 81 met diver here q
day ago who was working on wreck OF |
the coast.
sis it true,n I asked, athat divers see
such wonders when they go below p
He told mo story OF thrilling interest |
in reply. A large ship laden with silks
and valuable stuffs had been caught by |
the vagrsnt tides of the gulf and borne
through the fog toward the Newfound-
land coast till the face of tall cliff
doomed against the bowsprit. Then a
swell rolled in, lifted the vessel, and laid
her across sunken rock that barred the
mouth of Chance Cove. Not many
minutes afterward she lay at the bottom
of the gulf inside, with all her costly
bales, her crew, and her passengers. The
undertow soon began to cast precious
boxes upon the land, and the under
writers dispatched divers and boats and
men to discover the sunken cargo. IL
was in Che autumn of the year, and when
the sea grew smooth the divers began their
work. Three boats were employed, in
each of which were four men, one to go
down and fasten hooks into the bales, and
| three others to raise the package and put
| ii upon the boat. Each diver had
proper suit, and from his head arose
large rubber tube through which he could
breathe with tolerable ease, as the water
was not very deep. Upon his feet were
lead-laden shoes to keep him from rising
| to the surface, and he carried heavy
| crowbar.
One afternoon when dinner was ended
and the sea had grown smooth enough to
permit operations, the boat, served by
| diver of the name of Harley, rowed out
| from the rocks ahead of the others. Dur
| ing the night there had been heavy
gale, and through the calm of the morn
/ ing innumerable creatures Of the sea,
| driven by the gale into deeper water, had
returned to the stiffness under the shelter
| of the cliffs. AS usual the diver let him
| self drop from the skiffs side, holding
his crowbar in his hands. When he
reached the ship host of strange fishes
swan away in every direction. A number
of squids had entered the vessel through
q breech in the side. When they per
ceived the figure of man among chem
| they became frightened and began to
squirt jets of black juice till the water
grew murky and appeared like room
| filled with dark green smoke. Then the
| filthy creatures swan away, though once
| or twice n clammy horn brushed past the
| mask of the diver. In little while, how
ever, the water became clear again.
All about him was shining amber
green, and he could distinguish objects
| for distance of 90 fathoms around.
Sometimes fish with bright gills and
flashing scales would swim toward the
open hold, but on seeing the diver would
turn with flirt of fin and tail and dis
appear. The detestable yellow soulpin,
with its black manning spikes, would
come and swim round and round his feet;
then it would gradually rise, surveying
him all the way till it reached his head.
Pausing here it would peer in at his eyes.
While he was engaged fastening the
canthooks into large bale of India
shawls he imagined that he saw some
large object moving in the deep gulch
under the cliff. He secured the hooks,
gave the signal to hoist, and the package
was raised. He now walked clear of the
vessel and stood upon the level rock at
the sea bottom. He saw slowly approach
ing a huge and ill-shapen creature. 1t
did not swim, but seemed to crawl along
the bottom of the sea. Harley would
have gone to the surface, but the
hooks were now above, and the men were
engaged in taking the bale on board. In
: a few seconds the monster was neal
enough for the diver to ascertain that its
body resembled that of q turtle, that il
walked upon number of crooked legs
! and had, near its head, upon either side
: an enormous arm. The arm terminated
; in what seemed pair of enormous jaw
g and in each of these cleaned row O
g strong teeth. AT first he thought that th,
d creature might not have observed him
and was only making its way toward tn
d ship; but he quickly saw that its tw,
cleaning eyes were fixed upon him with
a steady stare, and that the hideous thin
4 was coming directly for himself. If tn
{ hooks would only descend or anothe
. diver come down. He looked up, Blu
could perceive nothing save the figure @
the boat above him, resting like littl
: shadow upon the water. Then he too
q two or three PAGES along the ships side
y : but the fish Immediately changed il
y eaprse, and crawled in such direction &
70 cut of retreat. The fish was now onl
y q few feet distant, and the sun burstin
" through cloud shone shimmering dow
through the green water, fully revealin
N the creature. Its armor was dun russo
1
lie each like coachman's whip, protrude
lie from his head.
n Then the truth came upon Harle,
Il; This was the memorable monster, the giai
Of lobster of the deep sea. Only lit
while before he had seen the huge arm
st a lobster cast upon beach after gal
IN and heard that crawling about the SCI
m hundreds of miles from land, was to |
al seen monster of the lobster kind, Just
r. among the squids was found gigant
I'd devil fish. He had not believe that st1r
o. but here before him now was tie terrib
NJ crustaceae. mor6 hidieous and more hul
THAI even repute had made him. ri
ho body was fully 10 feet long and aboI
IL three feet thick, while the length of eaC
Oh arm was not less than seven feet. Heno
~ began to retreat, thinking to escape h
~ pursuer among the floating bales in Il
i hold, but the water here was so gloon
that he could not see at his arm
length. So he turned and Wake
toward the opening again, holding b
~ crowbar in his hands. The lobster hi
~ put one claw upon the vessels timber al
~ was in the act of raising the other VIII,
TX Harley reappeared. To pass out was il
ler possible. So he stood with his ba,
TO- braced against partition in the hol
ne waiting the attack. The fish car
pre- directly toward him, its two black, gleai
60 ing eyes glazing steadfastly. Harl
of made no move till he felt the coils of t
,nt squirming antenn@ fold themsely
cry lithely around his neck. Then raisi
ng the erowbar, he lunged it with all
led strength at the Holsters head. The a
lg. was accurate enough, but the POI
ot, glanced from the thick, smooth shell, a
er. was buried in the overlapping rings abe
an the monsters neck.
lily For a moment the lobster seem
stunned, and Harley made step outwal
ned for he saw the hooks dangling in I
lew water few PAGES away. But the eff
nen OF the blow passed away almost sim
18th taneously, and before the diver col
ere swerve aside the enormous laws of {
Jol- claw had closed upon his left arm. I
eye thick but sharply-pointed teeth pc
fine trated the flesh to the very bone and h
Iere him in a firm and agonizing grip. Z
4 of pain was so terrible that the unfortun
S65 man almost swooned; and in another 1
the ment his right leg was held fast in
hn's inhgs OF tine remaining CLAW. Then
EN- kfaKen began TO move rearward, bragg
his victim toward the cliff, where, in
,o dark, still waters of the gulch, lie mi
-. devour him without interruption.
~ The wretched man thrust his h,
's , against the ships timbers to resist
r. dragging of the fish; but the ag
x ~ caused by the teeth tearing through
' sos flesh was more than he could bear,
~, 10 after short struggle he permitted l
eady h. reooiroJ - ,n "I ain uapCoi Toun.
IhlFty Inn lrnfF