The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-22
Former Finally Came out Victorious
and Unhurt.
From The Chicago journal,

From the Chicago Journal.
San Francisco, July ia report comes
from Waikiki, near Honolulu, to the fol-
lowing effect: Early Saturday morning
two fishermen In a native canoe were pur-
suing their calling in the shoal water of
the coral reef near Diamond Head They
had flshed long and caught nothing. and
were on the point of returning home when
a strange thing happened
The water near where they were moored
suddenly became agitated-so much so, in
fact, as to cause the fishermen's craft to
roll unpleasantly.
Peering into the water to ascertain the
cause of the disturbance. the two natives
saw a singular sight A huge eel of the
conger variety and hammerhead shark
which had apparently by some strange
mischance drifted into the domains of the
sinuous monster, were engaged IN mortal
combat u
Which was the attacker and which the
attacked it is impossible to say. but when
observed the eel had coiled himself round
the selachian's anatomy in an evident tf-
fort to squeeze the life out of him. while
the hammer-headed one, by frenzied
rushes back and forth among the coral
was endeavoring TO relieve himself from
the incubus who was so pressing in his
unwelcome attentions
AT last Ine sHdTk, HOrtaliy nurt, gave up
the tight, and the eel slowly unwound
himself from the body of his fast-expiring
antagonist.
At this juncture the two fishermen
tempted by the prospect of unlimited fresh
meat, decided to make an effort to capture
the big oonger.
Moving the canoe as near their intend
ed quarry as was possible without fright
ening IL, one of the men delivered a we'll
directed spear thrust which landed half
pound of iron and several inches of sea
soned wood shaft right In the vitals OF the
mass of squirming gray flesh.
The effect was magical and almost trag-
ical. To the great CONSERVATION of the
fishermen, the eel on feeling the prick Of
the spear point made n lightning like rush
to the surface, jumped full ten feet into
the air. and fell back into the canoe, the
occupants of which were by this time
thoroughly terrified.
once in the boat which had by this
time drifted into deep water, the infuriat-
ed monster kept the fishermen busy avoid
ing his vicious attacks; time and time
again did his bristling jaws close with
fearsome snap In unpleasant proximity to
their arms and legs. with eyes flashing
angrily and name erect, emitting the
while a hoarse kind of bark, the denizen
of the depth looked the incarnation of all
that is evil and unlovely.
Just as things were looking al their
worst for the two natives help arrived In
the shape OF a canoe containing another
fisherman, who, seeming the battle from
afar had taken the precaution OF armlng
himself with a meat ak.
Arriving on the scene he made short
work OF the fighting conger, and, putting
half the body in each canoe, the party
made for the shore.
The two pipCeg nj On rpaes on 1sfprr
placed together, measured twenty-seven
feet, and the circumference was in places
as great as that of grown mans thigh.
Inside the belly OF the fish were discov-
cred small tin of opium, some sheldsh.
and the partly digested remains Of a large
cat.
This Is the largest specimen OF the eel
genus known TO have been met with in the
history Of the islands,