Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-16
MEXICAN GULF MONSTERS.
The Rapacious Shark and the Big
Devil Fish.

Fr"AH me bHtceet0N n e3CS.
The Cult Of Mexico and Galveston bay
are both favorIte resorts OF many men,
bers of the shark family, some of which
attain large size, there having been for eX-
hlbItiOn at the Sherit1's office for months
The jaws of one of these monsters, armed
vita three rows of savage teeth, which
when opened could easily be placed over
the shoulders Of large man. Tine mon
eter 10 which those sanRunary append.
ages pertalned measured when IN good
health Il feet from TIP OF nose TO end OF
tail. OF the hundred different species
known perhaps half dozen Inhabit these
waters, and although both formidable
and repulslVe ia appearance there are
no well authenticated instances since the
settlement OF the city OF their having
attacked man, although they are both
voracious and fearless wien hungry, as
the following incident will show:
Last summer as the quarantine
steamer Hygela was coming i'll rom out
side the bar a large school Of pOrpoises
was playing round the vessel when the
engineer, billy" Bristol, opened fire
on them with an old-fash4oned 4j-calibre
revolver, and by cnance shot
Killed one. The vessel was stop
ped, the porpolse, which would weigh
several hundred pounds, secured by II
stout moose around the tail, and lett hang
ing over the SHIPS side head down ia tho
water. Within a very few moments a
huge shark, probably IS feet IN length,
made rush Tor the porpoise, aud, al
though hrtd upon, cut 1t In twain, and
then shortly after made another rush Tor
the remainder, and bit that in two just
above the tail, wnIcu was left hanging,
and made of, despite the fact that two pis-
tOl shots were fired into its head without
any apparent effect. On the last rush tue
sharks head was well out OF water, and
when fired on was not more than three or
tour feet from the plstois muzz!e.
No small degree of excitement was
caused in tho city during tue latter part
Of July, 1850, by the visit to the Guli
shores OF school of fish known as the
Ctpb0iODttrd CumpyrttS. or dew, lisa, one
OF when was captured and placed on eX-
hib.t!On. The tish captured measured 8
feet III length aud rs feet inches Ia
breadth, aud weil he'd several thousand
pounds. A description gwen at the time
wac as follows: "Head truncated in front
and provided with pointed wIng-hke
process separate from the pectOral fms,
and seemingly capable Of independent
motion. These wing, or no ms, provided Oh
either side OF the mead are two feet two
Inches in length, triangular ia shape, re-
scmbling wings, making the transverse
UlbmtbtI VI lit u9h : SdJti IMAM Tue iIAI J.
tudinal wiz tail included. These pectO-
rails from tip 10 tip measure sixteen feet
four inches, while the body proper is only
eight feet in length and the tail about
three and a halt feet The Jaws are at
the end Of the head. The lower the more
advanced. and the transN erse diameter Of
the mouth measures two feet ten inches.
The eyes are small and lateral, resembling
those Of an elephant, and are situated
on either outer side Of the prOtrud-
ing wings, or frontal horns, aud are
consequently about three feet apart. The
tail is elongated like a whiplasb, armed
near the root with prominently serrated
spinal proiuberance. The teeth are small,
numerous, nat, aud arranged in many
rows. The mouth when opened could
easily accommodate a -four barrel. The
noStrils are small and are situated near