The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-10-24
NARROW ESCAPE,
TFe Thrilling Story of Miss
Ruth Porter's Rescue From

AHUGE DEVIL FISH
And the Capture of Real Two Tor
Monster, After 1t Had Towed
Thirteen Boats Abort the
| Gulf of Mexico for
Four Hours.
Reports of the existence Of gigan.
tic and ferocious devil fish in the Guli
of Mexico have long excited the Gu.
rics!tv Of those living upon and visit
ing the Texan coast and have fright
ened bathers from it's beaches.
It was realized that the deVil.fsh
vas 3 rare and retiring creature,
wbich only sttscked those who In.
vadsd its retreats. Persons who
csne in contact with the deVil-fsh,
IL they escapsd alive, were so upset
oy the hideous spectacle and their
o@n fears that thsir arcounts OF its
appearance were conflicting and un-
reliable. Therefore, the Truth scout
the Gilt Geyil.f has hitherto b5en
Trappsd ir mystery.
The mystery has at lsst been clear
ed up by Colonel W. G. Sterett, a
distinguished naturalist and SPORTS
nan, o: austin, Tex. He has proved
shat the devil fish really exists aad is
a crestu.e far larger and stronger
than pcpulsr report has ever asserted
It 80 be.
ColoEel Sserstt, like most other
5srsorS, assumed that the Gulf devil
fish vas a member Of the octopus
fsmily, CT which there sie undoonted.
ly several spsciss IN these waters.
THE DEVIL. FISH ROUTES A PARTY.
Tais assumption OF the Colonel was
confirmed by very circumstantisl
report printed in local newspaper Of
an encounter nesr Rcckport, Tex,
between q devil fish and gasoline
launch containing Mr. Herbert Bige.
low, Of Boston; his fancse, Miss Ruth
Porter, and an engineer. The launch
vas running past q rock in 8 rarely
visited spot near the entrance Of
Aracsas Bsy, when Miss P>rtsr'S
attention was attracted by an extra.
ordinary object lying near the surtsce,
looking like long snake with knobs
all over il. She asked the engineer
to run IN near it. He did so, and
thrust at the strange object with a
bost-hook.
Immediately they realized they had
attacked savage fighter. The long
snaks-like object raised itself out OF
the wster and flung itself over the
side OF the boat. Its trse end lsshed
fursouEly around In search OF soma
living object to lay hold OF.
Thsn sne body to which ths tenSs.
ole WIS attached came in sight. IL
Vas huge, shapaless, varty. It's most
appalling feature consisted OF q pair
af roucd, fixed, immovable, staring
eyes. The head and body were ap
pscently one. Around it were as
least ten long arms similar to the
one which had first aStraced the at
tention Of the party.
Miss Porter, who was leaning over
the side OF the boat, was the trst
person seiZsd by the ts1tscle. Sae
aftsrward told an inquirer that it
vas an indescribably sickening sensa-
tion to feel the innumersble damp
sticky suckers OF the octopus attach
ing thensalves, one aftsr another, TO
her person. she was powerless to re-
leass herSelf from the thing, which
was dragging her slowly over the side
Of the boat. she could pull one OF
two Of the suckers away with her
hands, but this vas useiess, Tor at
the same time q dozan others fasten
ed upon her.
TIE engineer thrust fercely at the
creature With the boat hook and an
arm was throwo at him, but fortun
sssly 1t only caught the boat'hook
snd be lesped back cut Of reach.
Get the axe," yelled the engineer
With great presence Of mind.
At this very moment be was caught
nv mo nj the tentacles and struggled
vairly to escape.
Mr.. Biga.ow seized the aZs and
aimed terrific blow at the tentscle
holding Misc Porter, who vas making
9 last despasriag effort to save hsrsel1
from being drsgged overheard. The
blow cut through the tentacle where
il lay on the gunwsle OF the boat and
the girl, released, fell back unconsci
GUS.
Mr. Bigelov then used the same
method to free the engineer, but
found himself involved In another
ssntscle. The engineer took the axe
and freed Mr.. Bigelow. BE then gus
she boat under way and the deVil-tsh,
weakened by the loss OF blood and
three arms, gave up the attack.
All the persons concerned In this
adventure had scattered to various
parts OF toe country when Colonel
Stsre5t determined to go IN pursuit
Of sne dsvil-fsh, and he was unable
to question sny OF them.
The result Of bis search proved that
She true devil-fsh Of the Gulf was not
an octopus, but giant ray or skate.
rhs report Of the adventure Of Miss
Porter and her party must have
arisen from sone confusion Of ideas.
Colonel Sterett was st Tarpon, tn
Arsnsss Bay, recently when hsher.
men Brought In word that there was
devil. fsh in the bsy. Colonel
Stearstt; inSuced the SpOItsnen vino