Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-16
RIDE BEHIND A SEA DEVIL.
An All Day Battle Between Men and
q Fish.

Weighing 1000 pounds.
1t fell to the lot Of party of twen-
ty-eight strong men to catch one Of
these sea monsters just off the coast
of Texas recently. One Of those
who took part in the contest was
John w. Robbins of Austin, treas
urer of the state Of Texas. In de-
scribing the affair Mr.. Robbins said:
"The channel Of Arkansas Pass,
which connects Transas Bay with
the Gulf of Mexico, is a favorite tar
pom fishing ground. The first knowl-
edge that any of US who comprised
the tarpon fishing fleet of two or
three dozen boats had that q sea
devil was anywhere around was the
statement Of Ed Cline, a veteran
boatman, who told us when we came
in from our fishing one evening that
he had seen the back of some mon
ster fish come to the surface of the
water Of Aransas Pass that day.
when we started for the tarpon
fishing grounds next morning Cline
carried with him two strong har-
poons, each attached to strong line.
There were fourteen boats in the
feet. In each boat there were two
men.
I'VE had not been fishing long
when ! saw the broad, glistening
back Of a monster fish of some
kind come to the surface Of the wa
ter near me. yelled to Cline and
he hurried to the spot,
HE was about to cast his harpoon
into 1t when it suddenly sank beneath
the surface. We watched the waters
and In few minutes we saw the big
fish come to the surface agair a
short distance off.
"Cline approached cautiously with
In striking distance. He raised the
harpoon and sent 1t with all his giant
strength into the monster One Of
the barbs caught under the backbone
Of the fish, we afterwards found,
making 1t impossible to dislodge it.
"The harpoon had no sooner struck
the fish than it sank and struck out
for the deeper waters Of the gulf It
carried the boat along at rapid
rate,
"The thirteen other boats struck
out after 1t. The first boat to get
within reach attached itself to the
stern Of Cline's boat by means Of its
anchor and chain. My boatman got
up to the second boat and we threw
our anchor over into 1t and formed
another link In the chain,
Then came other boats, which at
tached themselves to one another,
and within an hour ell fourteen boats
were linked together and formed
long line towed by the fish,
How many miles we were taken
into the gulf 1 do not know. We ex-
pected every moment that the sea
serpent would begin to show fatigue,
and that its capture could then be
made.
For time we were unaware what
kind Of fish was giving US the re-
markable ride. Finally 1t came to
the surface for another brief mor
ment and the head boatman got a
good glimpse Of It. He recognized 1t
as being a large specimen Of the sea
devil.
This information was conveyed
along the line Of boats and we were
more determined than ever to bring
about its capture. The fish got well
out to sea and some Of the men in the
boats were in favor of quitting the
sport The spirit Of adventure pre-
vailed, however. and we all resolved
to see the thing through.
ut was about 10 o'clock In the
morning when the fun began. About
II o'clock the fish made detour and
started back toward Arkansas Pass. 1t
travelled at the rate Of five miles an
hour. The monster did not slacken
it's speed when 1T reached the chan |
mel connecting the bay with the gulf,
but 1t made another turn and again |
went seaward, dragging the long line
of boats behind.
Some idea Of the strength and en-
durance of the sea devil may be had
when it Is stated that 1t kept up this
travelling back and forth for more
than four hours. It circled around |
and around, and at times 1t kept us
busy preventing the boats from get
ting in a tangle,
What was most feared was thar 1t
would come up under the boats and
capsize them The forward boatman
had another harpoon and he deter
mined to drive it into the fish's body. |
He finally got the opportunity and
made a successful throw. Even with
this second harpoon in its body the
sea devil showed no signs Of weak |
ness.
"I suggested that a distress signal
be hoisted in order that the life saw
ing crew might come to our assist |
ance. This was done. The crew put
out for us in a gasoline launch and
when they came alongside Of the
head boat and saw what was the
trouble the suggestion was made to
kill the monster by shooting 1t with
a rifle.
"The launch moved close to the sea
devil and Ed Cotter fired dozen bull
lets into its body with a rifle. The
wounds weakened the fish very quick
ly and its speed began to slacken.
Then we towed it ashore. Thirty
strong men managed to drag it upon
the beach.
1.-The sea devil was 20 feet and s
inches long, not measuring its small,
ropelike tail, and 1t was twelve feet
wide. There was no means at hand
for weighing it, but it must have
weighed from $500 to 5000 pounds"