Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
sAILORMEN AND An EEL.
A Fight That Gave the Tars All They
Wanted to Do.

A Fight That Gave the Tars All They
Wanted to Do.
From the Chicago Daily Tribune.
When the United States steamer Thetis
touched at San Diego. Cal, on the way up
the coast from her annual cruise OF the
coast of Lower California, attending the
coast survey work of the government, her
officers had a tale to tell concerning eels or
rather concerning one lone but very pugna-
cious eel, the main facts Of which are worth
repeating.
The survey party had landed, through the
surf. the officers and men vending their way
inland, leaving the big surf boat in charge Of
two sailors. These men. finding 1t difficult
to kill time, began to explore among the
rocks in the neighborhood seeking curious
seashells and moses. On nicely weed.
cushioned rock, rolled up in sleepy coil, one
of the men espied a huge eel The fish was
asleep. The sailors thought they had an
easy victim before them. For, although the
eel was of extraordinary size, its general ap-
pearance was that of the ordinary salt water
eel. One Of the sailors carried a boathook.
He carelessly touched the sleeping fish. The
instant he did SO he caused a commotion
which made him jump backward in alarm.
The eel uncoiled in an instant, just as Q
sleeping rattlesnake uncoils when II is sud-
denly disturbed. His wicked eyes flashed
spitefully. An cells eye is probably the most
Misunderstanding optical organ in any living
fish. The eye of a rattlesnake is an innocent
eye when compared with that of a sea eel,
The disturbed eel assumed the offensive at
once. Snake-like, it threw back it's head at
a half coll, just as RATHER takes its position
to strike, and lunged at the intruding tar. it,
strong teeth flashing in the morning sum
light. The tar jumped backward, slipped on
a bunch of seaweed, rolled over in q heap
and scrambled out Of the reach OF the enemy
on all fours.
The mans sailor superstition was aroused
As he afterward remarked, he thought at
4 h ant fhat hA t,n1 La
sea serpent The boathook was a Short
handled affair. so his companion rushed to
the ships boat, secured one Of the long
oars, and returned to renew the attack The
eel wasn't frightened bit 1t did not al
tempt to run away but remained in a half
coil ready to strike the first enemy that APP
preached As the fish appeared to be nearly
as long as the great oar, the seamen thrust
the sshen stick at their enemy rather, GIN
gerly The instant, however, that the broad.
thin blade of the oar was within striking
distance, the eel hit II. The impact caused
the long stick to tremble. A second and q
third time was the oar struck, and finally
the eel succeeded in embedding its teeth
firmly in the wood, and in holding on with Q
grip that alarmed the men. The creature
weighed over ninety pounds. and when this
muscular body, combined with very re-
spectacle weight, writhed and tugged at one
end of the oar, the men at the other end had
their hands full to retain the weapon and en-.
deavor to punch the life out of their antago-
mist.
The fight between men and eel ragged for
half an hour. At last the eel weakened SO
that one man could hold the oar. The sec
ond man seized the boathook and struck the
fish on the skull, finally fracturing the bone
1t was hard fight. The men were nearly
exhausted at the finish. Close examination
proved that the eel was enormous conger
The great skin was carefully removed and
to the cook. The sailors will never forget
that fight.