The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-16
A SCHOOL Of MONSTERS.
Saurians With the Hands Of . Man
and the Bark Of .
Coyote.
They Exhibited Much Of the Intelli-
gence Of Human
Being.
Utmost Efforts Of the Seamen Required to
Capture One-Furious Battle
Among Themselves.

Among Themselves.
NV York, July 15.-Capt. Gheen, of the
schooner Abby Gheen, recently at Bulson
street wharf, Camden, saw strange things
off Cape Hatteras on his voyage to this port.
He does not claim to have seen the sea ser
pent. but he did see number of monsters
of the deep that put all we'll credited sea
stories in the shade. The captain, whose
yeracity is not doubted, brought his vessel
from Rio de Janeiro, and it was twenty miles
off Cape Hatteras that he ran into school
of sea monsters such as he had never before
seen. The monsters were sighted by ono OF
the crew. They were nearly 100 yards
ahead of the vessel and were apparently
rushing toward her. When first seen by the
sailors they thought the ship was running
into a floating island, some of which are
often seen at sea. They soon changed
their minds, however. when they got closer
and saw a school of big fish that not one on
board could recognize as having seen be-
fore. The school opened to let the ship
pass and then at once closed in and fol,
greatly impeded her progress. Although
the vessel was going at speed OF several
knots an hour, the monsters followed along
in it's wake, and several more daring ones
seemed to clutch hold of the vessels side
and let themselves be carried along. After
they had followed the boat for several hours
the crew began to grow uneasy as TO tnelr
safety, and called the captain, who hereto
fore had not been aware of the chase.
He sent for his glasses. and going ait
made survey of the school, which he de-
scribed as-resembling low, rocky island.
He said they were larger than the average
sharks, being about ten feet in length ana
VARYING from the size of bucket to tub
in circumference. They seemed to be run
ming a race. md were having great battle
among themselves. They had four long
arms, on the ends of which we're paws that
resembled the hands of an ape. These arm
like things extended from each side OF the
body. Discovering that they we're new
species OF fish, he Immediately communi-
Gated the fact to the first mate, with orders
to try to capture some of the strange mon
sters. The mate gave orders to the crew,
who were more or less frightened, but
were waiting the chance to ''skeer'' the
brutes, and when they were told of the cap
tain's orders they nearly jumped out OF
their Shoes The boat was searched for
weapons, and soon the deck was covered
with harpoons, boat hooks, fish hooks and
every other kind of implement used in
catching fish.
The boat hooks were first used in their at
tempt to catch the fish, but unsuccessfully.
The fish seemed to know what was needed
of them. and they used their "hands'' to
protect themselves from being caught.
Groups of two or three of the monsters
would grab the rod of the boat hook and
pull them away. Eight of these hooks were
taken from the sailors. The arms of the
fish were about six feet long. said Captain
Gheen. The sailors became alarmed think
ing that some i'll omen had caused the ser.
penis to follow the ship, and they Thought
they we're going to be lost. Ihei. told the
captain that they thought the ship would
never reach port. Some rushed to the fore
castle and others to the captains cabin in
their endeavors to escape from the supposed
''Jonahs." BY this time the fish had become
more daring, and would swim alongside the
boat and grab the sail lemons and traces.
at the men that he ordered them to
cast the lines which they use in catching
drum and sturgeon. This the crew reluct-
antly did. The lines were baited with huge
pieces of Goldfish and cast over the side.
They were handled by the fish the same as
they handled the boat-hooks. They would
grab the lines with their "hands'' and try to
tear them apart. and if one was not success
full two or three others would come to it's
aid.
'All the time we were trying to capture
one Of them," said the captain, they
bark of coyote. At last the men were sue
cessful. They had indeed caught one Of the
fish and they began to haul him in. When
the remaining fish saw their captured
brother they made great efforts to rescue
him. They grabbed at him while the men
boat and once or twice one OF them sue
ceeded in getting his 'claws' over the fore
rail. At last we had him on deck, and such
an hilarious yell as the crew gave out at that
happy moment. The scene on the deck
is Undesirable. The captured monster
doundered all over the deck, but his maneu-
vers were quickly stopped by the use of an
az; we soon cut his head off. In another
hour we had caught two more of the huge
monsters, but these must have been young
ones, as they were great deal smaller in
size than the rest, and probably did not
know how to evade the hook.
was round and about the size of small
barrel, and the back was covered with thick
scales resembling scales of drum fish,
while the belly resembled the hide of por-
poise. The head was about as large as an
ordinary sized bucket, and was horrifying
to gaze upon: The eyes were as r large as
my blood run cold when saw them. We
all held consultation and decided to have
the fish cooked. One of the sailors care
fully cleaned and cut one into chunks, and
! ordered the cook to prepare them for sup
per. thought it would not be fit to eat, and
ordered the others to be thrown overheard,
which was done, but they were not in the
water ten seconds before the others, which
were still following Us, began battle over
which should have the feast. They grabbed
them with their hands, and in the battle
number of others were killed, and in their
wild attempt to get meal they chased
after one of their dead number, and they
were lost to our view in a short time, and
We continued our voyage unmolested. But
to 90 back to the eating of the fish. Why,
when the pot stew was served up no one
could tell it from mess of boiled goldfish,
and when boiled by itself it tasted like
shad.''
Capt. Lehman Lake. who for number of
years commanded the pleasure yacht of w.
l.. Elkins, of the Atlantic Refining company,
states that three years ago, while cruising
in South American waters, he had a similar
experience.
Great Reduction in Passenger Rates via the
Northern Pacific.