The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1899-08-18
FISH THAT KILL MEN.
The Living Arrow Of the Pacific
Deaths Caused by Tarpon-A
south American Terror.

The shark is generally supposed to
be the most to be dreaded of all fishes,
but it rarely happens that an anthem
tic account of the destruction of human
life by shark is recorded. The sword
fish sometimes dashes into ships, bury
ing its sharp weapon in their sides,
and causing the vessel to spring leak.
A ship may be struck by whale in mid
ocean and crushed. These are the nota-
BILE casualties that attract attention on
account of their sensational features,
yet lives are lost annually where fishes
of small size are the direct or indirect
cause.
In the islands of the Pacific a small
garfish is very common. 1t has long,
sharp beak, which gives it an arrow
like shape. This living arrow when
alarmed dashes out from the water and
goes soaring away over the surface in
short bounds with such force that when
it strikes a foreign body it either
passes through it or infiicts painful and
serious wounds. Native shell hunters
wade over the reef in search of shells,
lifting punches of coral with view to
taking the small shells from them. This
accomplished, the coral is thrown
down. The noise often alarms the CARS,
they go larting away like arrows and
shell hunters have been pierced and
even killed by them. An English of
ficer was struck by one on the visor of
his cap. This resulted in an investiga-
ton by representative of the British
government and it was found that men
had lost their lives from this cause.
Among the casualties from fishes in
America may be mentioned several in
which the gamy tarpon was the cause.
Near the mouth of the Mississippi the
seine haulers sometimes take the tar
pom in the long nets, and on one occa-
sion a large fish leaped over the in
closure and struck man, killing him
instantly. Two men were nearly lost
off the coast of Florida by tarpon,
which leaped into the boat and knocked
out two of the planks with its head, lit
orally going through the light craft. A
well-known Texas fisherman was killed
by tarpon when landing it. The fish,
in making one of its leaps, struck him,
knocked him overheard and caused him
to be drowned.
Size is by no means a factor in deter
mining the dangerous nature of fishes.
This is well illustrated in South Ameri-
ca, where the most dangerous fish in the
fresh-water streams is creature not
more than four or five inches in length.
The danger of these creatures lies in
their numbers and their insatiate ra-
pacity. They are veritable bloodhounds
that fairly fill the waters and attack all
corners in droves and swarms. If any
foreign object drops into the stream it
is at once surrounded by thousands,
and if alive it is reduced to a skeleton in
marvelously short time. Horses in
wading a stream have been SO terror
lied by the attacks of these unseen
foes that they fell over, and horse and
rider were drowned. The fish have
sharp teeth, and they literally strip
the flesh from the limbs of horses or
other animals that are exposed to their
attacks.
In the waters of South America is
found large electric eel that has been
known to be the cause of the death of
men. Some years ago an attempt was
made to capture band of wild horses
by driving them into a pond infested
by these eels. The animals, maddened
by the shock. were in several instances
thrown over and drowned.-Chicag
Times-Herald.