The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-02-27
THE OCTOPUS IN ACTION
SOME NEW FACTS ABOUT THE
MYSTERIOUS DEViLFISH.
Newfoundland Waters Infested by
These Marine Monsters-Fieht With
Fishing Crew-Swiftness and
Enormous Muscular Power.

| land coast are infested by huge OctOpl
and many a fishing beat that never
returns with her hardy crew owes
her disappearance to the encircline
tenacles OF this strange and most re-
pulsive inhabitant of the ocean
depths. Occasionally dead devil fish
are washed ashore after a storm, and
recently one was found on the shore
near Cape Race which, as it stretched
its GO feet along the strand, was
thought 20 be the sea serpent at last
Mere recently one attacked a fishing
| schooner in Placentia bay, but was
| beaten off by the crew with axes and
/ knives, though not until it had gripped
| one man with its long, sinuous arm
! and nearly drawn him overheard, the
tenacle being severed by a shipmate
and remaining on board as a trophy
OF the fight after the creature had
| been forced to retreat.
Until Is years ago there was even
scientific skepticism of this octopus.
But then an encounter between one
and a Newfoundland fishing crew en-
abied the world to become certain of
IT'S existence. Oft st. Johns. in June,
1883, some fishermen saw a floating OBJ
1ect, which they took to be wreckage.
Rowing toward it, the bowman dug
his gaff into it. when, to the horror
OF the crew. the creature displayed
vigorous signs of life. Rapidly it dis
entangled its enormous bulk into it's
component members, erected its Shiny
tenacles many feet in the air and
flung chem over the boat which at
the same time it attacked with it's
gigantic parrot-like beak
The men sat paralyzed with terror,
until they. saw the boat being dragged
under water, when they aroused
themselves and tried to beat off the
repulsive creature One man caught
tentacle and sought to throw it
from the boat, but instantly it wound
round him and was dragging him over
board. His comrade was next caught
BY two smaller tentacles. while a sec
boy in it sat crouched with fright
until he saw his father in danger, and
then. grasping an ak, he brought it
down on the tentacle and severed it.
Next he cut off second and then
aimed a blow at the creatures head.
Agonized with pain it retreated. dis
charging black fluid that discolored
the water all around and giving off
a sickening odor Of musk. The two
tentacles remained. and as soon as
the men were freed from the horrible
monster they hurriedly made for the
shore. where they related their grew
scme experiences and displayed the
two. tentacles in proof thereof.
The LOCAL clergyman, on hearing
their story advised them to wait upon
the Rev. Moses Harvey. an eminent
naturalist in st. Johns, to whom they
took the larger arm. their dogs hav-
ing got at and eaten the smaller one.
He examined it and, the wounded oc-
topus from which it had been cut
having drifted ashore next day down
the coast. he visited it and secured
1t for the Smithsonian institution at
where papier-mache re-
production of it is now shown, the
having proved too large
to preserve.
This specimen had a body 20 feet
long, With two tentacles 40 feet in
extent by four inches around and 12
shorter tentacles 10 to II feet long
by 16 inches around. The extreme
length from tip of tail to extremity of
tentacles was 60 feet: between the
tentacles stretched out so feet. The
head was four feet wide. with two
great, uncanny. malevolent eyes. The
total weight was about 1000 pounds.
The body was a sort Of flabby. jelli-
led mass. like conserve of corn
starch, and rounded in form like
oarrel or tube, terminating in a tri-
angular fin or tail.
In the upper part OF the body the
yes were set and below them the
mouth, beak-like prctuberance of
strong bone, both extremities being
Is sharp as steel needles. The ten.
ACISS+ WCI0 lOu6u nuu SluCWy dS
Gather ropes, the under surface be- |
ng covered with double row of
suckers. These were about an inch
n diameter, with fine, sharp teeth
lround their horny edges, and NOV
Ible membrane which when pressed |
nto an object and retracted at the |
yill of the animal created vacuum.
Then the sharp teeth would sink into
he flesh of the victim and the sucker |
would establish hold from which es-
ape would be impossible except by |
utting OF the tenacle or killing the !
ctopus. Each tentacle has about 200 |
tckers and each smaller arm 100. so
he total is about 1000, which gives !
lie fish an almost resistless power.
The octopus can move backward or !
(rward with equal ease and travel at !
b extremely rapid rate. It's means |
( locomotion is funnel or tube be-
ind the head. The breathing organs |
dmit the sea water by pair OF !
alves worked by the muscular dila-
lon Of the body. This water, when it
las communicated its oxygen to the /
hood BY the internal mechanism pro.