Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-14
IN A LoBsTER's IRON GRIP.
A Monster Crustacean FerOciousl
Seixes a Fisherman's Arm.

A Monster Crustacean FerOciously
SEXES "a Fishermnn's Arm.
From the Lewiston Journal.
At T wharf, where all fishermen resort
Mate Elmer Staples related the following
tale:
ION the afternoon of September we
were fishing on The Great Banks OF the
coast of Newfoundland. The sun was shin
ing brightly, and all the boats were out do
ing good business, as the cod were biting
fine. Tom Massey Of Pictou and a fellow
named Reed. from Antagonist, were out in
a dory about one hundred yards from the
smack fishing.
Suddenly we aboard the Three Sisters
heard yell from the dcry, and looking
that way, saw the boat lMrch as If some
one was climbing over the side. Massey
was hanging on to the side of the boat for
dear life. while Reed was belaboring with
an oar gleat. green, slimy-looking thing
that was waving his long feelers above his
head. AT first We shouted that devil fish
had attacked the men in the boat, but al
that moment long swell brought us near
the dcry, and We saw that the object was a
huge lobster, which was hanging over the
side of the boat and having Massey's right
arm fast in one of its horrid claws.
HE was screaming for dear life, and was
hanging to the thwarts with his left hand
wfile the creature was trying to seize Reed
with the other claw. The boat was lurch-
ing dangerously. and every minute We ex-
pectad to see Massey let go his hold and go
over the side and be dragged down into the
depths by the monster that held him in its
grasp. Reed kept belaboring the creature
with the oar, and 1t let up for a moment in
its grasp on Massey to get a grip on Reed
but. not succeeding, 1t took fresh hold on
Massey in fresh place on his arm. His
screams of agony and fear were frightful to
hear, and We gave him up for lost.
BY this time however, one of the other
hOafS hQ6
1t made crack at the creatures head with
heavy Ratchet He struck it a glancing
blow. and instantly it let go of Massey and
turned on the men in the other boat throw
ing its body. which was fully three feet in
length, nearly over the side of the boat.
As 1t did this 1t also grasped the side OF the
boat between the jaws of one Of its nippers
and broke 1t out like paper. But ii did not
succeed in seizing hold OF any of the men
in the second boat as the moment it let go
OF Massey Reed seized pike ak and gave
1t terrible jab in the back of the neck.
1t let go its hold Of the second boat at once
and sank out Of sight before a harpoon
could be struck into 1t.
THE wounded man was at once taken
on board of the smack, which sailed for
home that night, and his arm set and
wounds dressed. The bone was found to be
snapped short just above the wrist, and the
flesh and muscles terribly lacersted up as
lief as could be given on board of a fishing
smack, but suffered great pain until he ar
| rived home and secured the services Of a
regular surgeon.
Reed, who was not injured told the story
of the appearance Of the monster. He said
they were hauling up a steady catch, when
a cod, larger than any they lad landed that
day. was Topped over the side of the boat
by Massey. Following the fish out of the
water rose the horrid apparition of this
monster, of which they had never seen the
like before.
They both recoiled In horror it waved
its long tentacles in their faces and turned
its green eyes, which seemed to be set in the
end of long tubes at them. They both
screamed that it was the devil, and that
was the scream that attracted our atten-
ton on the smack.
The creature seemed enraged and tried
to climb in the dory. Reed says he made a
crack at 1t with short billet Of wood
which lay handy, ard that in return it
made snap at him with its nippers which
sounded like the crack of rife. Suddenly
and without turning its eyes of him il
seized Massey's right arm in the jaws of its
left claw