Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22

~z-@ There were sea SER
penis as long and
longer than the whales of today sharks
100 feet long, crab-like creatures as long
man. as the wonderful pteryGotus,
and more remarkable than all, the shells
that today are, as rule, small and deli
cate, and used III the main as ornaments
and curiosities, that in some instances at
tanned gigantic proportions.
Such a diver, in walking along at the
sea bottom, would have seen suddenly
looming up before him in the distance an
object Ike a gigantic telescope, yet poised
in midwater At one end projected long
arms that waved to and fro or resemhled
the pliable spokes of wheel without a
tire. Suddenly this cigar-shaped object
would shoot ahead with the velocity of an
arrow, cleaving the water like a knife and
leaving a train of phosphorescent light
behind like the tail of a comet.
This strange creature was possibly twen-
ty feet or more in length, and, according
to DR.. Newberry, the eminent geologist,
must have weighed several tors 1t was
the giant of all shells, the orthoceras titan
truly a titantic monster. The orthocero-
tites are all extinct, but are represented to-
day by their cousins, the cuttlefsh, the
nautilus and others Another of this fam
lily, the ammonite, somewhat rcscmbled
the pearly nautilus of the present, and
was divided off by pearly partitions as
was this shell, but the ancient representa-
tive was Neritahla monster.
Some years ago some workman in the
middle states came upon number of these
she lis buried in an ancient beach. The dis
coverers thought they were cart wheels
and local paper facetiouSly announced the
discovery of a fossil chariot, wheel, spokes
and all. The great shell was as high as
some of the boys who stood by, being four
feet and a half in height and resembling
a rude wheel In an attempt to discover
the nature CT the lind ii was cut in two
with stone saw. thus exposing the parti-
lions, which were filed with earth.
a Strange Specimen.
The exposed surface was then polished
and presented beautiful appearance.
Quartz crystals had formed in the various
chambers giving the entire shell or it's pol
ished surface the appearance of huge
carnelan. One of these stone shells weigh
ed several hundred pounds, and when alive
must have been q singular object AS in
vsrted, in all probability, it moved along
the bottom, dragged by it's many armed
occupant.
In own time there are gigantic
shells, their presence sometimes being dis
agreeaby forced upon the finder. In the
South Pacific, where the ocean is apparent
ly cut up with small islands reefs of
COIul, the tIludCDd, hlUB Oh the CLAIMS,
Is fcund-a gigantic two-valved shell, with
deep radiations or convolutions, that often
weighs 800 pounds, the animal alone weigh
ing thirty pounds.
These monsters are found in,bedded in
the coral rock, singular frill of lightly
colored flesh only appearing above the sur
face. This habit has been the cause of a
rumber of accidents to natives as well as
white men. The locality where they are
found is freQuented by collectors of marine
curiosities, who send the shells, sea fans
and corals to America and Europe, where
they are distributed to the curiosity deal
ers all over the world.
In searching for shells the collectors
wade along the shallow lagoons or reefs,
followed by fiat-bottomed boat, into
which they toss their various finds
On one occasion an inexperienced man
was hunting for shells without a boat
having merely a native net thrown over
his shoulders. Seeing what he thought was
n large sea anemone of beautiful tints he
struck it with his foot, and in an instant
was thrown upon his face screaming with
agony. The seeming anemone was a slant
shell that, startled at the sudden attack,
had closed it's huge valves and held the
collector prisoner as firmly as though he
had been clasped by wise, in fact the
shells cut through skin and bone.
The unfortunate man was some distance
from help, and as he had started at low
tide the treacherous waters were rising.
For hour the victim underwent untold
agonies of pain and apprehension, fea ring
that the tide would rise above his lips.
Struggles were useless and he heroically
waited until a canoe came in sight, when
he signaled the occupants, who after much
difficulty, released him, the animal having
to be killed by severing the great muscles
that held the shells together.
These Are Monsters.
A number Of such instances are on record
and large sharks have been caught by the
shells in the same way. Some natives at
the New Hebrides Islands, seeing an unusu-
al conmotion some distance from shore,
went out and found ter-foot shark beat
ing the water. hurting itself this way and
that, as though held by some enemy. APP
preaching, they found that the big fish
was held firmly by the tail, the lobe of
which had touched the fleshy portion of
the shell and been caught.
To excavate one of these giants often re-
quires the work of several men for week,
as the shell at times is deeply incased in
the solid coral rock, which has to be cut
away. One animal taken has served as n
dinner to the crews of two vessels, afford
ing a meal to fifty men. One species of
these shells is very common, and is used
as an ornament, while others serve as re-
ceptacles for holy water in churches and
cathedrals.
thedral of Notre Dame in Montreal and
another in the Church of st. SuIspice in
Paris The natives employ them as water
vessels, and circular piece of the white
shell, highly polished and worn upon the
forehead is considered an insignia of rank.
Among the largest bivalve shells known
is the geoduck, a huge clam of the Alas
kan coast, that attains a weight Of five or
six pounds. one shell affording food for a
large family.
The conchs especially those known as
the queen and trumpet conchs, are among
the giants of the univalve shells, weighing
in the latter instance sometimes twelve
neutrality-suspicious. objects. as they move
along on the sandy bottoms Of the lagoons
Of their choice.
The method of 1ocomotion among these
large conchs is singular, particularly when
observed from above The shell reaches
out its foot, which is armed, in the case
of the common strombus with a sharp
pointed, saber-like operculum thrusts it
into the sand and gives a powerful wrench,
which forces the shell along in q series of
Jerks. The real giants of the moilusca are
few and are confined mainly to those de-
scribed.