The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-25
CATCHING A DEVIL FISH.
How the Only One Ever Taken Alive
Was Captured.

How the Only One Ever Taken Alive
Was Captured.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
We had gone out OF the solidar reefs.
fifty miles to the south of Ceylcn, to cap
ture. If possible. q living specimen Of the
octopus devil FISH for the Bombay
museum. After arriving and anchoring the
bark safe distance from the reefs we
pulled in with the yawl to look for signs OF
the prey we were after. We had been pull
ing TO and fro over the reefs when, on the
second day of our search, we came upon
a spot where the bed Of the channel was
almost INSTRUCTED with the bones of fish
and turtles. We knew by these signs that
we had come upon the lair OF devil fsh.
and without waiting to make a closer fnves-
tigation Of the locality we marked the spot
and pulled away for the bark. The Mala-
bar coast fishermen we had brought along
with us were certain from the great deposit
OF bones that the spot had been the haunt
OF an octopus for a long time, and that we
should find him OF the largest size. We
might have developed him then and there,
as We had every reason TO believe that he
was ''at home" In a shallow cave at the
to go too close.
Next morning two boats approached the
rock from opposite sides, and Professor
ton, landed TO make close inspection.
Our approach was made as silently as pos
siole, and the professor removed his boots
before landing. There was no danger Of
the octopus running away IL be was there,
but we had some plans TO lay In advance
After some spying about he was located In
was dismayed at the size of the creature.
He had counted five great tentacles. and
the bulk OF the octopus was that OF q big
barrel. 1t was decided that it's feeding time
would be about high water, and a low
water il might come out to lie on the rocks
or swim in the channel II was fer low
run out we landed on the rock again and
stretched two large fish nets across II and
weighted them at the corners with stones to
prevent them being carried away.
In the channel we stretched other nets.
and at dead low water We hauled of TO
see IL anything would occur. Something
did. The octopus decided to take little
ramblc, and he came down channel toward
our fiotilla- When he reached the net and
found his progress checked he was furious
in an instant, and Gid just what we hoped
he would do. He seized il and began pull
ing and hauling, and in minute or two he
was all tangled up For the next quarter OF
an hour we were treated to a rare exhibit
ton. No whale could have made the fuss
that monster did In his struggles he threw
water twenty feet high and for fifty feet
am arm hp in the air s and sneD he .ronsd
him like fail, and with the hands OF a
giant The net was of the strongest mater
ial. and when he ceased TO struggle we re-
allied that he was pretty well tangled up.
We could do nothing more toward his cap
ture just then, however, as the tide had
turned and he retreated to hts lair taking
the nets with him and making slow prog
ress. IL we could get him on the rocks
next morning there was a good chance Of
his capture.
At S o'clock next morning we landed on
the rocks and found the nets all right. The
professor had brought along a big squirt
gun and nd Al large jar OF ehlorofoTm: and
the west and got as near as we dared to
the cavern and then began rolling stones
into 1T. We had not been at work over
five minutes when the octopus was routed
out. We first saw one long tentacle shoot
out of the water and clutch the rock above.
and then the creature slowly and iaborious-
ly drew itself out. The net had been bitten
and broken In many places. but still tangled
about him so as TO greatly hamper his
movements. OF the Ave arms. only one was
entirely free. The monster must have
thought the attack was being made on him
from above, for he had no sooner caught
sight of the spread nets than he went Tor
them in furious way. He was. OF course.
still further tangled up, and the exhibition
of the previous day was nothing to this.
He rolled over and over like great ball.
striking and biting with his horrible beak.
and now and then getting a tentacle clear
and swishing IL around In search or an
enemy. He would writhe and twist and
n
Nothing living could have broken clear
of that tangle, but we had good idea OF
the creatures strength by the way he snap
ped ropes and cords here and there With
one free tentacle be picked up and hurled
into the sea a loose rock which two strong
men could not have moved. Ii was quar-
ter of an hour before the octopus was so
entirely tangled IA the nets that he could
struggle no more, and we waited at least
ten minutes before approaching him. Thea
the professor advanced with his sQuirtGun.
charged from the jar OF chloroforna. and Its
contents were shot full In the monsters
face In two minutes he lay a. IL dead, and
we then got ropes and straps and made him
secure. Now and then there was shiver
the full length OF the tentacles. and we had
TO stand back while the professor repssted
the Dose but at no time did the octopus
regain full consciousness. When all was
ready we put planks under the body and
slid IL down into the water, and after
hard two hourE' work we got the mass
aboard the bark and into a box prepared In
advance.
Few people have ever seen q full-grown
devil-fish. not above two or three have
ever been on exhibition, and those came
ashore dead and shrunken. The weight OF
this fellow was 510 pounds and the stretch
of each tentacle was over eighteen feet
The size OF the tentacles at their base was
as large the body Of a boy tan years old.
and each was armed with over 200 disks
or sucking-cups. Had he got three Of his
long arms around the body of q whale and
used the other two to cling 70 some sub
merged rock. his whaIeship would have
stood no show whatever. The ocor ex-
hailed made Us all more or less sick and
dizzy, and we were glad enough when we
had landed the captive at Bombay. He II
there to-day, but only as a preserved apecf-
men. The best of care was given him when
transferred TO the museum, but In the
course OF FIVE or six weeks he was dead.
CO far I kuovv however. he WAS