The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-05

long intervals there appeared in the north
ern seas a hugh marine animal or fish
that most of them had seen, but none
could tell anything of its habits. Its pres
ence was always known by the sudden
coming of great shoals Of fish, especially
cod, that could be seen a quarter of
mile away 1t was white in color. but
showed very little above the surface of
the water. 1t seemed 10 be from a quar-
ter to half a mile in circumference and
propelled itself by thrusting out innumer-
able arms that caught the water like a
man swimming. When ii sank there was
water was much agitated, a proof that
the body must be very large.
So Pontoppidan called this the 'kra-
KEN" and concluded that it was one of
the creatures that had been stranded in
the ford. He also wrote a long Latin
treatise on the new monster-and no
doubt wished he hadn't, for furious
controversy started up-the bishop was
called a liar in half a dozen languages,
and for a century Pontoppidan's
kraken' was made much fun of. Then
Linnaeus took it up, and made 1t clear
that the alleged monster was huge
"cuttle fish," as there was abundant
evidence that these had formerly visited
the north coast, and, while many We're
small, some were OF great size and capa-
BILE of doing much mischief. The small
er ones confined their malignant strength
to uprooung the anchors of the fishing
boats-and this they do to-day along
L
In 1859 Mr. John Bowman, now in the
treasury department, Washington, was
one of the crew of the sperm whaler Is
lander, Capt, FOlger commanding. In
May they were off Point de Gale, Island
of Ceylon. There were number of the
natives on catamarans fishing. Sudden
~ the sailors heard a loud cry and saw
to the leeward, not over 200 yards away
a catamaran being turned end over end
and a great flock of sea gulls swooping
down on something white in the water
then a wild confusion of what looked
like strands of MANILA hawsers; the
sea was breaking in white water over the
mast, which looked at least 100 yards
square. All at once the first mate of the
Islander cried out:
Holy Moses, Capt. Folger, that's the
great white squid. I've been twenty years
at sea and never saw it before. They say
it's bad luck for a spouter to meet IT.
1t had caught the catamaran, but the
crew may have escaped, and now 1t was
in full vigor, a nest of liVid serpents the
arms, twined and wriggled one over the
other, receded and then shot up, taut
as spar, and long enough TO have caught
in the top of a big ship
Capt. Folger sent the steward down for
rife and he fired into the mass. There
was hum, and the great body surged
and seemed to drift away. The breeze
was freshening and the Islander" sent
up stern sails and was soon miles awav
1t Is q current belief that bitter bad
luck attends a ship that meets this gray
sea specter and before the Islander saw
the New England coast she had her share.
losing both mate and captain by disease
and being dismasted off Japan
In 1888 her majesty's ship-of-war Anna
rantine" was coming through the Mozam-
bique channel when one of the crew in the
top hailed the deck white water on me
starboard bow-looks like a sunken
wreck" 1t was watched from the QUAR-
ter deck and various opinions given-no
wreck, for il was almost a quarter of a
long. in
We're now 100 yards away
Gentlemen" said the captain, 1--WE live
to learn-in all my forty years service 1
never saw the great squid' before. Clear
away second battery; load with Crane
ready, fire"
Twelve loads of grape cut into the mid
die of the mass. 1t was alive in an in
slant. Hundreds of arms, forty feet long.
We're thrust out, and il was evident thai
the mass was moving towards the frig-
ate. She was put about and in a few
minutes was out of danger
There is one authentic narrative of a
vessel being attacked by this creature IN
lioS the Roi Jean, a French brig of son
tons, bound for Pondicherry, foi9nd ber
way suddenly checked early one mornine
She was sailing free, and off Madapa So
A sailor looked over the side and sau- :
curious white mass clinging to the hob-
stay. Long tentacles were waving in ~,
ar and one was wrapped around the
daVit. He gave the alarm, and Inv ~
time all hands were on deck a hi1ao1-
head rose above the rail 1t had a beei9
like parrot and two eyes, opaoue Iiqsa
jelly. They thought it an commons 80 M
Half franctic with terror the crew Went
TO work with cutlass, boat hook ana arn1t
while the cook, a giant negro, threw bi, ~
cts or scalding water from the galley. Tho
beak snapped, the eyes grew red ana
malignant, arms were thrown aroma ~
swifter and shrouds, and it was 80 Ict ne ne
aboard. Cut off, the tough tenacIes ra5
newed themselves. Quickly the cool, v,itb
a oroad-ax cut into the head between ~ ~
eyes Inc arms relaxed and plunge told