The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-01
DErrD rrsn m TOWN.
P~syttnra. or. People Excited over an Octopus
the Teptaeies or which Cover Forty Feet.
IRON the Portiand oreoonfon

The Tentaeies or which Cover Forty Fest,
IRON The Portland oreoonfon.
Tho largest and most horrible-looking octo.
pus, or devil fsh, ever seen in Portland was
displayed in front OF n flsh market at Third and
Ankeny streets yesterday. and attracted much
attention. being surrounded by n crowd all day.
II is impossible, accurately, to state the length
of tho tentacles. or arms, OF the monster, as soms
werc festooned on the hooks In the vicinity Of tho
one on which the monster hung. whilc others
were coilod In the snow on tho sidewalk. ID
was evident that tho reach Of tho tcntaclcu
would cover 80 or 40 feet. Tho sNck-shapcd body
could be distended 30 as TO hold a good.sizcd
boy, and the thing. when alive and In good
pasture" probably weighed 100 to $50 pounds.
At least, these figures are an average of the est l.
mates made by the crowd. The long ]tcntaclcs
were thlckly covered with suckers from end 10
end. those near the head as shrunken when tho
fish was killed being large enough to cover a
silver dollar, and. probably. when tho animal
was alive and able to expand and contract them,
would cover a disk between tho size OF u muffin
The crowd gathered around listened with omen
mouths, to tho story, OF q fisherman who told
smashed q boat and chased tho crow ashore. An
old sailor gave the crowd some pointers in regard
to devil fsh he had met In Australian waters
which could reach their arms up and pull sail.
oIs OF the yards Of a EPod;sized vessel Tho
museum related his experiences in exhibiting a
stuffed octopus in Cincinnati. and explained Tho
anatomy of the monster to the crowd. Tho fish
dealer slit up the gizyard shaped mouth OF Tho
fish and exposed the tooth. or bcak, shaped like
that of q parrot and as sharp as a knife. Tho
cavity of the body was explored. and all sorts VI
organs, including q vermiforin appendix, found.
Then another sailor told how AN octopus got
wound up in the propeller of a steamer he Was
on. and stopped i. and tho steamer came ncnr
drifting into tho breakers before the arms OF the
thing could DO cut of, and cleared away. as
every sucker held on like grim death. Then a
new hand took the floor and told how the devil
fish darted Its tentacles around. and IL ono Of
them touched a man he was q goner, and was
hauled to tho bottom Mt once.
And what would no do with you then r.
asked q shivering. pnllid wretch Of a dope ficnd,
whose bare toes protrudedt through his worn.ou6
shoes into the snow, AS he removed the cigarette
Bnipe from his mouth.
"'why, eat sou. of course said the orator,
looking around; but when he saw the dope iiend
he added: NO; he would not cat you. you
would turn his stomach" The flend slid OIL.
Just as u farmer, with n whip in his hnnd,
elbowed his way into the crowd and stood star.
ing IN open-mouthed wonder at the monster. A
mlschievous fellow gave one Of tho ~tenthclcs q
swing, and 1t whirled around the farmers neck,
and he. without waiting to see who had assault.
ed him, began striking right and left with his
whip. which caused q scattering Of the crowd in
all directions.