Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-03-07
What a Diver Sees Beneath the Waves

had existed in some of the early geo.
logical eras, they would in their wan
derings at the bottom Of the sea have
seen some remarkable sights. There
was a time when everything seemed to
attain gigantic size. There were sea
serpents as long and longer than the
whales of today; sharks 100 feet long {;
crab-like creatures as long as man,
as the wonderful pterygotus, and more
remarkable than all, the shells that
today are, as a rule, small and deli
sate, and used in the main as orna-
ments and curiosities, then in some in
stances attained gigantic proportions.
Such diver, in walking along at
the sea bottom, would have seen sud-
denly looming up before him in the
distance an object like gigantic tele-
scope, yet poised in midwater. Atone
end projected long arms that waved to
and fro. or resembled the pliable spokes
of a wheel without a tire Suddenly
this cigar shaped object would shoot
ahead with the velocity of an arrow,
cleaving the water like knife, and
leaving a train of phosphorescent light
behind like the tail Of comet.
This strange creature was possibly
twenty feet or more in length, and ac-
cording to DR.. Newberry, the eminent
geologist, must have weighed several
tons. 1t was the giant of all shells,
the orthoceras titan-truly titanic
monster. The orthocerotites are all
extinct, but are represented today by
their cousins, the cuttlefsh, the nauti-
lus and others. Another of this family,
the ammonite, somewhat resembled
the pearly nautilus of the present, and
was divided off by pearly partitions
as was this she'll, but the ancient rep
resentative was a veritable monster.
Some years ago some workmen In
the Middle States came upona number
of these shells buried in an ancient
beach. The discoverers thought they
were cart wheels and a local paper
facetiously announced the discovery
of 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 re-
sembling a rude wheel. In an attempt
to discover the nature of the find it
was cut in two with stone saw, thus
exposing the partitions, which were
filled with earth.
In our own time there are gigantic
shells, their presence being disagreea-
bly, forced upon the finder. In the
South Pacific, where the ocean is ap-
parently cut up with small islands or
reefs of coral, the tridacna, or king OF
the clans, is found-a gigantic two
Waived she'll, with deep radiatlons or
convolutions, that often weighs 500
pounds These monsters are found
embedded in the coral rock, singular
frill of lightly colored flesh only ap-
pearing above the surface. This habit
has been the cause of number OF ac-
cidents to natives as well as white men.
The locality where they are found is
frequented by collectors of marine GU
riosities, who send the shells, sea fans
and corals to America and Europe,
where they are distributed to the Gu
riosity dealers all over the world.
In searching for she'll, the collectors
wade along the shallow lagoons OF
reefs, followed by fat -bottomed boat
into which they toss their various
!, finds. On one occasion an experienced
. man was hunting for she'll. without a
boat, having merely native net
thrown over his shoulders. Seeing
what he thought was large sea anem-
! one of beautiful tints, he struck II
t with his foot, and in an instant was
thrown upon his face screaming with
agony. The seeming anemone was q
| giant she'll that, startled at the sudden
: attack, had closed its huge valves and
held the collector a prisoner as firmly
2 as though he had been cla,ped by :
= vice in fact, the shell cut through
skin and bone. The unfortunate MAI
: was some distance from help, and al
1 he had started at lowtide the treach
e erous waters were rising. For an houi
p the victim underwent untold agonie'
$ of pain and apprehension, fearing tina
t the tide would rise above his lips
0 Struggles were useless, and he heroic
n allv waited until canoe came il
sight, when he signalled the occupants
t who, after much difficulty, released
e him, the animal having to be killed b.
9 severing the great muscles that hel'
n IA ahall tnnether A number Of sue