Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-08-30
FIGHTING A DEVIL FISH.
Five Men in Boat Have a Hard Bat
tie With Il Sea Monster.

I've MEL III bOdl nave j f1df0 bat
tie With Il Sea Monster.
A huge octopus was hoiSted on Fish
ermen's wharf on Thursday afternoon
from Capt. Charles Collins boat, and
the four members of the crew shud,
dered as they handled it and told OF
their terrible fight far out from the
land, says the San Francisco Exam
iEer. The monster covered large
section of the wharf, and its lon-
tentacles were avoided by the curious
crowd. Even the Italian fishermen
| who have become accustomed to look
ing upon the terrible fish kept at a
re p}ctful Distance from this particu-
lar nI@no,c-. on account of it's size
| Several OF the fish are caught each
week and brought to the dock, but
never had so large a one been carried
in through the Heads as the one
caught by Capt. Collins and his crew.
The deep-Sea monster had been dead
nearly two days, but its large eyes still
retained their ferocious glare, and il
is no wonder that the superstitious
! boatmen looked upon it with dread.
The long tentacles when spread apart
measured about twenty-five feet from
| tip to tip, and they were armed all
| the way along with dreadful saucer
! like mouths that sucked the life from
their victims.
at was a fearful fight we had with
the monster" said Capt. Collins, land
g nn1 hJra min pIn hot
| to tell of it. The men with me were
Nicholas Ceze, John Zoga, John Colona
and EzOla Consendine. We left last
! Monday morning for the reef off Point
! Reyes to fish for rock cod. For a cOu-
pie OF days luck was against us, but
/ then the fish began to take hold of
! our hooks, and they were soon being
landed in shower in the bottom of
the boat At daylight on Wednesday
morning we began to take up our lines
! as usual. Several hooks were brought
up, but with no success, and we began
! to get discouraged, when there came
a violent tug at the line, and a huge
/ arm Of the monster flashed violently
/ out of the water and landed across
the gunWale of the boat. In an instant
it fastened with it's tenacious suckers.
while the water about the boat was
! dashed into foam, and the sea seemed
to be alive with the fish's snake-like
feelerS. One of the men grabbed an
oar to dislodge the arm, but before he
could reach it the body Of the monster
rose beside the boat few feet away
from me.
An octopus can be killed almost in
stantly if it can be stabbed just below
the eye, even if the weapon be only
the small blade of pocket knife" said
the captain, land when the fellow rose
so close to me and presented such
good opportunity for the death blow,
I reached for a bOathook, the handiest
weapon, and made a plunge for the
vital spot. AS I did so the boat ca
+ reened violently, and instead Of dis
patching the brute I only inflicted a
wound that maddened the monster
more, and the battle then became one
of life or death between us. A couple
more of the arms Of the octopus had
by this time been wound around the
boat and they reached from stem to
stern. Oars and bOathoOkS were our
only weapons, but it was almost use
less to attempt to pry the suckers
from the boat. They would no sooner
, become loosened at one spot than they
would fasten themselves on another.
The boat was completely envelopcd
by them, and all hands were kept busy
to escape being caught by the relent-
less suckers. The small craft rolled
and rocked in the arms Of the monster,
and every moment it threatened +
throw all five of US into the waite.
The only hope we had was to deal the
monster the death blow, but it seemed
the opportunity would not again be
offered. Blows had no effect on the
huge tentacles. The men belabored
what parts Of the flesh they could
reach with clubs, but the effect was
like pounding a piece Of rubber. Sew
eral times the boat was tipped by the
struggles of the monster so that water
came over the gunwales, and in des-
peration the men fought for their lives,
but expecting every moment to be
drawn below the surface Of the ocean
to a horrible death.
Zone Of the stout fish hooks had
caught securely in the body Of the
brute, and couple of the men began
to haul in on the stout line. Slowly
they gained on the cord as they pulled.
and slowly the body Of the monster
was being dragged from the keel OF
the boat, where it had been impossible |
to reach it with any weapon that
would put a stop to the battle. Stead |
lily the men hauled away until the
body came in sight The huge eyes
glared savagely up through the water,
but the vital spot was yet out of the !
reach Of the weapon poised to deal |
the death blow when the opportunity |
came. Slowly the monsters body was
being dragged upward, and as it
reached the surface the sharp spike
Of the boat hook was driven deep into
the brute's body just below the eye,
and the victory was won. Gradually
the long arms unwound themselves.
and the terrible sea monster was
boat"