The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-07-28
CAUGHT BY A BIG CLAM.
A Thrilling story Told by q Navy Lieu
tennnt.Uangcrous situation,

A Thrilling Story Told by q Navy Lieu
tennnt-Dangcrous situation.
The following swimming story is told by
lieutenant in the navy: Il kept my eyes fixed
on my companion, brown, who was at
ing in a singular manner. After every few
Ssonls his head would disappear beneath the
water in which h. stHsl, then il wo,lLl AZ
pear again lie SEEMED to a struggling VIC.
lently. As ! approached him he threw up
his hands AMI cried nut, in accents that haunt
Inc still: "For heavens sake, lieutenant,
quick, AMI help met dashed out Ia him
Through water up to my waist what il it.
what has hold Of You" exclaimed Its a
big oyster or big clam," he groane,l. Il
Was wa'llng here and stepped into il, I cx-
rst It's shell closed, griprcd my ankle,
and, 10 save my life, cant get away; and
thu THE " III soon bc over our heads here h.
added. with something almost like n sob llc
hal lTen struggling here for fifteen or twenty
hinutns Ind heard II the t,ilarna gigas,
or monster clam, II this coast, AMI Instantly
r,aliAI tho danger of his situation "Cour-
age, old fellow ! said, "lll stick by You
Here, hold this paddle AMI the Ratchet |
my hand, felt about his foot.
The huge mollusk hal what might hc
termed death grip ON him. The creatures
shell was several fot hong and Of proportion
ate breadth, AMI the weight of the shelltish
must have larn at least aU pounds Tho
creature WAS attached 10 the coral ra'k by II
grisly hyslls as thick as my arm Raising
mysrlf, got hrrath, then sizng the paddle,
thrust the shaft NJ ID lstwen the convrrging
edges Of the two valves Of the she'll, and,
using it as a lever, attempted Ia pry the
shell apart. But eoull not open IT, Brown,
ton, ducking down, seized hold with hi,
hands AMI pulled with all his strength hut,
excrting all our power, W. could not release
the monsters hold. Again and again |
threw my whole weight ON the shaft of the
paddle, AMI ut length broke it, BY this tinw
the water was up To my shoulders when !
stood up Fully realizing that whatever |
did must In tone IN few minutes n,or,,, else
tho l#or fellow woull drown, | snatchul the
hatclut from, Browns hand, and, diving, tried
IL cut under the shell, to break tho creatures
anchorage on thu rock With might AMI
main cut and hacked then ro@ an instant
tp'ii NJ ~ uKuuU. DuL
II SEEMED n, though could not cut through
thu tough mus j..
Four times diy~i, and with frantic haste
cut at those tough bySi. At stirs" at length
Brown cried, hracyg his weight upon his free
foot and littin, at II. Them with final
blow, the l,yssils was severed, AMI tho buoy
ancy of tho water aiding us, WI dragged the
great mollusk still fast to Browns ankle
back 10 higher ground on the reef Here the
water was waist deep, however, and looked
anxiolisly around for Mae in the lakatoI
To my imexWessible joy be WINS close at
hand, ami between Us We liftei Brown, with
his now captrsl captor, INFO the canoe.
Even then We could nnt-both Of Us tngcther
-pry the valves Of the shell apart enough
81 release Browns foot, till with n knife We
Ind reached in AMI completely divided the
trilacna saving aslinder the hinge muscles
at the las, of the biyalye. II WAS truly q
gigantic ELAN, and as n poetic rtribution
upon it for the attempt ON tho life Of ono
If our party, We ate II portion Of its flesh
for our supper, but found 1t rather tough
Browns ankle was severely bruised and
wrenchcd, and he suffered for many day
from the vislikc gripof the huge npllusk. -
Tho Argonant