The Washington herald., 1906-10-28

/ SCFgeon General =. J. a. Clearly L.
S. A. retired. tells the story Of the cap
ture of giant devflash at Tarpon. Tex.
last summer, az which he assisted, says
| the Chattanooga Times.
There IS some diversity Of opinion
said Gen. Cleary. "as to what constitutes
the devilhsh, some contending thar the
huge octopus is the devilfish. and be-
lievc il is 50 understood in Europe but
/ in the United States and especially along
/ the Gulf Coast the devilhsh is an entirely
/ different creature Around on the Gulf
Coast what is known as the deviIfslt
belongs to the ray family and attains
! enormous proportions and very few Of
j them have been caught
Their appearance in the water would
readily suggest the name Of devilfsh. for
/ they swim near the surface with mouth
/ VIDE open and extending across the en-
/ tire width of the head. \ large mouth
viii easily measure from two to three
| feet across. and being open and feeding (
gives the creature a formidable appear
ance. Moreover, he has large ripper
on either side Of his mouth, which Is in
constant motion and IS intended. no
doubt, to bring food into his mouth.
'One Of these monsters was caught
! recently at Tarpon, which is on Mustang
/ Island. of the coast OF Texas, about If
/ teen miles from Rockport 4 party Of
msn was out fishing AT Arkansas pass.
where the government jetty extends for
nearly two miles out into the gulf. and
six or eight OF these immense fish were
/ swimming out beyond the end OF the
jetty Some OF us tried to hook them
and one or two succeeded, but. Of course,
it was like tying an elephant with piece
/ Of thread They swan close around our
/ boats, but evidently meant no harm. One
little scene, however, that happened
about this time was amusing
Hooked the Monster Fish.
zone OF the fishermen succeeded in
throwing his hook or line across the back
Of one OF those fish, when it turned and
| went directly for his boat. He did no-
know whether he was going 10 be eaten
up drowned, or turned over. and jumped
up prepared for eventualities. while those
around and looking on stood in wonder
/ to see what was going 10 happen, but
the monster quietly glided under the boat
and out on the other side. and went away
doing no HARM and so ended our first
I days interview with him.
Next day wBen we started out We
were provided with a harpoon. so that
ii we met any OF our friends again We
would be ready 10 receive them. We
went out to the end of the jetty. perhaps
| sixteen Of us, and were fishing for tar
pom. l was the fartheSt out, and saw
one of those fish swimming about and
! Immediately called 70 the boat with the
harpoon. The boatmsn. q strong, pow
erful man named Kline. came up with
a. do v1u1ed
Farley 1 showed them where the hsh
was. and went with them.
after looking around little while We
came across him again. and Kline got
close enough TO strike, driving the har-
poon deep and in the center of his back.
There was now j terrible splashing and
beating of the water, and the huge mon
ster dived and went OF at lively pace
I followed the man in my skin as rapidly
as possible. ard as the fish made a turn.
retracing his steps. / threw a rope into
| KIine's boat which was made fast; the
monster hauled us directly toward the
! jetty The other boats. seeing mine at
tached, came up. and the foremost threw
q line into my boat, which was made fast.
and so they did one after the other until
the entire little fishing fleet was at
tached.
Hauled sixteen Boats.
And now. making a turn, the mon
ster struck out for the gulf, hauling our
boats. sixteen in number. at q pretty live
~ pace. However, after a while he
changed his mind and started back to
ward the jetty, and then doubled on his
track and struck out for the center OF
our little feet. and it looked as if there
was trouble ahead but by lifting the
ropes the boats did not collide. but fol
lowed him. turning on themselves.
Then our fish struck out for q buoy,
and was running so close that had 10
have my line Ioosed. thus cutting loose
the remainder Of the boats. With one
boat only attached, the huge ray made
a ,ightning-like dash for the gulf again.
carving the single boat still fastened to
him by the harpoon at an exceedingly
rapid pace but turned again. and I sue
ceeded in Iashing my boat to the first
boat a second time, the other boats fol-
lowing. until we again formed a line in
the wake of the monster fish; then he
took I'D from the jetty several miles par
allel with ST Josephs Island, and again
struck for the gulf But now, recognIz-
ing that we could do nothing with him.
and that hesseemed as fresh as when we
first fastened to him, We sent for help,
and Mr. CotteT. who keeps the inn, came
out in a launch with another harpoOn
and a rife.
Killed by a Rifle Bullet.
He anchored his launch. got into one
of the skiffs and unanswered around
where Mr. Kline was, and as the fish
came 10 the surface again, he drove his
harpoon well into him. Then there was
a terrible churnirg up or the water. but
after 4 little while the fish came TO the
surface again. when Mr.. Cotter fred.
striking him with a rife bullet IN soIne
vital place. Altogether he fired ten shots
into him, the fish in the meantime splash
ing and struggling in the water, now Red-
dened with his blood, but he was evident
ly much exhausted
"Cottcr then fastened a large shark
hook with a heavy rope TO 7he flsh and
with all three ropes we fastened him TO
the launch and then started in for Tar
pom. The necessity for the three fasteB-
ings was evident. Before reaching Tar
pom two of the ropes broke on the way
in. but we finally landed him.
And as to his weight, / cannot say
positively. but We estimated IT az @oVO
pounds. And from the crowd Of men and
boys Il took 10 get him ashore that would
appear to be a low estimate. In actual
measurement he was l. feet across and
l715 feet from tip to tip.
while he belongs 10 the ray family
he is not i sting ray. as some who had
seen him announced. for ] possess his tail
and there is no sting to ii.
Between Two Fires.