Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-14
ma LoBsrER's oLuron
Thrilling Adventure Of Diver on tho
Newfoundland Coast.


doings are occasionally given mention
in newspaper paragraphs, and most of
such accounts are vouched for by this
or that scientific man. When Victor
Hugo wrote in The Ioilers of the Sea
about the frightful monster which
clasped its clammy arms around the
was mere fabrication. But it was not
The monster described was almost iden-
tical with the octopus, or giant squid.
So, too, men relate how, living in tho
deep and silent caves OF the sea, is
huge lobster, resembling the smaller
fish in structure, but being very vo-
racious. 1t is said that he seldom comes
near the shore, if ever, but that enor-
nous lobster shells are sometimes
thrown up on land after violent
storm. Northern fishermen have heard
Of the monster, and | have seen them
shiver In the cuddies of their fishing
smacks as some one described the size
and appearance of the fish. How far
the general impression is correct do
not know, but let me relate story told
to me by diver.
"When the Anglo-Saxon, a ship laden
with costly merchandise, ran into
Chance Cove, on the Newfoundland
coast, and sank by striking a hidden
reef, the government at once took steps
to have all that the unlucky ship con-
tanned removed. There were over u
hundred persons on board, but not SO
much as one, if my memory serves me,
escaped. When the ship was lifted by
heavy swell upon the sharp ledge she
hung there, as sailors say, but with the
rise of the tide she was lifted off the
ledge and went down, head first, into
deep water lying inside. There was a
passage from outside leading to this
| deep water, so that fishes or sea beasts
might 60 in or out in quest of prey.
| There was no beach or strand, but up
right, naked cliffs in the form of a semi
circle rose around to a height of about
300 feet. Giving back little on the
| top was lighthouse. AS soon as pos
sible divers were brought to the spot,
but it was difficult to find it smooth
enough to 60 down. The first day we
got below we could do little but lay
out our plan of operations. The ship
was on her side, the stumps of the masts
turned towards land. | lad never gone
| down before in water 50 far north, and
the place was so wild that | was timid.
Lines were attached to our bodies and
the ends fastened in the slii1f above, so
that if any diver pulled his line he was
at once drawn to the surface. We
walked about the bottom and around
the ship with our feet weighted to keep
us from rising.
"The water was pale green, and |
could notice objects quite plainly for
many yards distant. There was huge
break in the bottom of the ship, her
stem was stove in, so was her stern.
Already the fishes had discovered that
there was feasting inside, for as l was
about to enter by the hole in the bow a
number of Spanish mackerel, cod,
sculpins and dogfsh began to founder
about inside. moved back, for did
not know but there might be a shark
there. There were, as you know, over
100 bodies in the ship, SO | was anxious
that they should be saved from the desc
Grafton of those fishes. Worst of all to
get among the bodies of the drowned
are Spanish mackerel and cod. | had
charge, so we all went to the top and
made arrangements for getting the dead.
shall not give you the details, but after
extremely hard work two days saw our
CHASTITY work completed.
"Then came the raising of the costly
merchandise. 1t was mostly silks and
cashmere shawls. One afternoon, while
my two men remained above repairing
their diving apparatus, 1 went down
alone. We were now removing the
bales from the after compartment of the
ship and had only one way to enter OF
leave this compartment, namely, by the
break in the stem. The method OF
raising the goods was to lower down
heavy hooks, which could be fastened
into bales after they were pushed out
side. Some of these bales or cases would
float and some would rest lightly on the
bottom. had selected large case
which | was about to move, when, hap.
pening to turn my eyes, l saw outside Q
huge creature moving towards the vessel
had never seen anything like it before
Its body was four to five feet high and
about twice that length, and 1t had or
each side an enormous arm. There
seemed to be an unlimited number Of
legs attached TO the hideous creature
Its color was dun brown, notified ovel
with dark spots. Two round, black
shining eyes were in its forehead, anC
two supple horns, each resembling al
enormous whip, likewise came out of it.
head. All this l noticed with on,
glance. A numb terror seized me, anc
l moved for the outlet from the ship.
"But as if knowing what intended
this brute, looking straight at me witt
its frightful eyes, walked, or rathel
crawled, directly towards me. hurried
in the hope of being able to seize the
hanging hook, now my only means o.
signalling the skiff; but it hurried, too
and | had hardly put my foot upon (
gray rock outside when the two with
ing horns of the detestable creature wer,
twining about me and again untwining
Then he would touch Inc with thes,
and sweep them up and down, as if feel
ing what description of prey was. TIL,
round, frightful eyes seemed to burr
through and through me. In my hand
held the crowbar which used to looser
the cargo; in my belt | carried n heavy
sheath-knife. These were my only
weapons.
r Suddenly and without any warning
the monster threw out one of its arm
and seized me below the shoulder.
felt as if my bones were being crushed
I and that my arm would soon be severed
F, from my body No sooner had he don,
, this than he turned and began to dral
| me into deeper corner of the nook
, The more resisted the more terribl,
| was the pain, so had to go, turnin!
/ over in my mind what should do.
still had the crowbar in my right hand
but it was of no use to me, so | let i
drop.
"But the horror of that time Well
, knew why the awful thing was drag
ging me to this quiet place. He wa
going to devour me.