The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-08-06

nspaslsus Ghsr>a sna mig nevlI-ylsh
Fousd u 0alvssssa nay.
II Gulf Of Mexico and Galveston
Bay arc both favorits resorts Of many
members Of the shark family. some Of
which attain large size. there having
been for exhibition At the sheriff o.
fee for months the jaws Of one Of these
monsters. armed with three rows Of
savage teeth. which. when opened,
could easily be place over the shoulders
OF large man The monster 70 which
these sapgulnary appendagcs pertained
meesurcd, when In good health. sevsn-
teen feet from tip Of nose TO end OF
tail. OF the one hundred different
species known perhaps half-dozep
inhabit these waters, and although both
formidable and repulsive In appear,
ancc there arc no well authenticated
instances since the settlement Of the
city Of their having alta ,ked man, Al
though they are both voracious and
fearless when hungry. a. the following
incident will show: Last summer as
the quarantine steamer Hygeia vas
coming in from outside the bar. alarge
school Of Porpoises were playing
around the vessel. when the engineer.
s.Billy" Bristol. opened fire on them
with an old-fashioned forty-five-caliber
revolver. and BY chance shot
killed ono The vessel Was
stopped. and the porpoisc. which would
weigh several hundred pounds. secured
bv : stout moose around the tail and
left hanging over the ships side head
down in the water. Within few mo-
ments q huge shark. probably eighteen
feet in length. made rush for the por-
poise, and, although fired upon. cut II
IA twain. and shortly after made
another rush for the remainder, and
bit that in two just above the tail,
which was left hanging. and made of
despite the fact that two pistol shots
were fired q: his head without any ap.
parent effect. On the last rush the
sharks head was we'll out Of water,
and when tired on was not more than
three or four feet from the pistols mug
xle.
No small degree Of excitement was
caused in the city during the latter
part OF July. 1885, BY visit TO the
Gulf shores Of school Of fish known
as the cephaloptera vampyrus, OF
devil-ish. one Of which was captured
and placed on exhibition. The fish capt
urcd measured eight fcet in lengtt
and sixteen feet four inches in width
and weighed several thousand pounds
A description given Il the time Was n
follows: Head truncatcd IN front ane
provided with : pointed. wing-Iiks
process separate from the pectora
fins. seemingly capable Of in
dependent motion. These wing
or horns. provided on either side Of til.
head. are two feet two inches in length
triangular ia shape, resembling wings
making the transverse diameter Of thu
fish greater than the longitudinal. with
tail included. These pectorals from
tip to tip measure sixteen feet foul
inches, while the body proper y only
eight feet in length and the tail about
three feet and six inches. The jaw,
are at the end Of the head, the lower
the more advanced. and the transverse
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 protruding wings OF
frontal horns. and are consequently
about THREE feet apart The tail n
elongated with q whiplash, armed neal
the root with = prominently serratcd
spinal protubcrance. The teeth am
small, numerous. fiat. and arranged in
many rows. The mouth when opened
could easily accommodate -four bar
rel The nostrils are small, and ar,
situated near the angles Of the mouth,
and openings which are probably the
ears, are situated on the dorsal aspect
of tie appcndages Of the head behind
the ears Several large linear open
ings five on each side). are in thu
stomach. The skin is rough TO the
touch. Of blacklist brown, and the belly
white and very Shiny. Gdiuesto,
(1cE.) News.