Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-10-17
srRrch nr AN ooropns.
Thrilling Experience of an Atlanta Ply.
stefan with the Devn Fish.

stctan with the Devl Fish.
DIR. @. r. King has written to his
brother in Atlanta, Ga, from Payta,
Peru, giving an account OF a thrilling
experience with devil fish while
searching wrecked vessel which he
had been on.
DIR. King had been sent for to 60
about 30 miles below Payta, and en-
barkcd on a small steamer for his desti-
nation, but when hardly out of the Bay
Of Payta the little craft was struck by
terrible tornado and washed upon
the treacherous reefs that abound in
these southern waters, stove hole in
her eide and in few minutes went
down, There were 81 souls on board,
and only II we're saved from the wreck.
DIR. King describes his experience in
the following words, which are taken
from the Atlanta Constitution:
II pulled of my clothing and made
1t in bundle, and tied life pre-
server around all.
- put my pocketbook and watch in
my money belt, and the steamer went
down. I put on large life preserver
and plunged over the rail into the
raging waters-as l thought into eter-
nity-as the waves we're rolling noun
tain high and the wind blowing a ter
rife gale. 1 was carried down, down,
1t almost seemed thousand feet. One
moment my head was between my
knees, the next nearly broken in twain
the other way As soon as the waves
passed my jacket shot up and | was
soon on top, and saw several other men.
'We had terrible time, one moment
riding a wave swimming for life, the
next carried down by monster wave.
In an hour and half we were washed,
more dead than alive, upon the shore,
"Only one small boat containing the
captain and mate and some women and
children could be used, and it left the
ship, but was overturned several times,
and the women and children were lost.
II fell on the dry land like a dead
man. When | was safe out of water a
poor fisherman gave me clothing. Two
hours later all my clothing, which had
gone down with the i'll fated vessel, was
washed ashore almost at my feet.
Next day, news having reached
Payta of the wreck, a lifeboat came in
to shore with a diver to look after the
wreck, hut the diver was in drunken
state and it was impossible to go on
with the work of raising the steamer.
|
valuable instruments we're on the
steamer and they could not be dupli-
Gated in this country, | would go down
in the diving bell. 1t was my first ex-
perience as a diver and you can i'm
agine my feelings as | donned the di-
wing suit and prepared for the descent
into the submarine depths.
81 found the boat on her side, my
room being up. Soon | succeeded in
finding my instruments and made'all
safe with rope preparatory TO giving
the signal for hauling up.
This being done, ! then went to en-
plore the wreck. found two of them
victims tangled in rope ladder and a
woman hanging 10 the rails by her
side little girl, showing the struggle
she had made for life.
81 stopped TO pull the hair of the
child, hoping il possible to bring the
body to the top, as | could not bear
the thought of leaving the body to the
mercy Of the sea.
'As did so received terrible
blow on the helmet Of the diving suit.
turned to SEQ what had struck me
and saw monstrous octopus, COM
monty Known as the devil fish, crouched
under the gunwale of the boat in the
act of eating the body of the child.
knew it would be certain death to en-
counter one Of these monsters of the
deep. | gave the signal and was drawn
to the surface.
Soon after came another boat Of
three divers, and ! related my adyen
ture and they prepared to go down anc
make a more minute examination.
"Arming themselves with long spears
and knives they descended to the
sunken vessel and prepared themselves
to repulae any attack FROM the monster
but when they reached it they founc
that the fish had moved away from thu
vessel and no further attack was made
"They succeeded in extricating al
the victims of the wreck and they wer,
brought to the surface and inferred.