The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16

q M0Dtcr T0wed Fourteen nVaW I~
Hour on the Texas Ccast-Dtd NOS
Give p TIL . Dozen Bullets Had Been
Fired INTO It-weished $500 P'ono''
AUSTIN. Tex; Sept. 15.-The sea devil
is In appearance like q huge bat. Speot-
mems have, been captured weighing 1900
pounds.
It fell 70 thalot OF a party Of t~wonty-eishs
strong men Il catch n OF these sca mon
sters Just on he coast OF Texas recently.
One Of those do took part in the contest
was John W. lobbins OF Austin, treasurer
Of the State o. Texas. In describing the
affair Mr.. Robins said:
sThe channe OF Arkansas Pass; whtcn
connects Aranas Bay with the Gulf OF
Mexico, is a ~favrite tarpon fishing ground
The first knowledge that any OF US VINO
comprised the tRpon fishing feet OF two or
three dozen boaA had that q sea devil was =
anywhere srounc was the statement OF Ed'
Cline, q veteran batman, who told US when
we came In from Dur fishing one evening
that he had seen:he back OF some monster
6sh come to tn, surface OF the water OF
Arkansas Pass thG day. ,
when we stared for the tarpon fshtnS
grounds next mGning Cline carried with
him W strong 'larpoons, a attached
to q strong line There were fourteen
boats In the feet. In a boat were two
we had not ben fishing long when I
saw the broad. glisening back Of a monster
ash OF some kind o<me to the surface OF the
water near me. Iyelled to Cline and hs
hurried to the spot d.
He was about b cast his hArpoon into
IL when IL suddenly sank beneath the sur
face. We watched the waters and In q few
minutes we saw ths big fish come 10 the
surface again . short distance Oh.
sCline approached cautiously within
striking distance. He raised the harpoon
and sent It with III his giant strength into
the monster. 0he Of the barbs caught
under the backbone Of the fish. We after
ward found, mailing IL impossible TO dis
lodge IL.
The harpoon bad no sooner struck the
fish than it ssnt and struck out for the
deeper waters Of the Gulf. II carried the
boat along st a rapid rate.
TN Q thirteen other boats struck out
after Il. The flrE boat 20 get within reach
attached itself to the stern Of Cline's boat
by m cans Of it's anchor and chain. My
boatman q OF I'D to the second boat and
WV uNOW VuA AAShOA W.
formed another link in the chain.
Then came the othsr boats, which at
tached themselves to ore another, and with
in an hour all fourteen boats were linked
together and formed q long line towed by
the fish.
aHow many miles We were taken into the
Gulf l do not know. We expected every
moment that the sea monster would begin
to show fatigue and that its capture could
then be made: ,.w.r. ;vb.. kind
Of fish was giving US the remar ride.
Finally il came TO the surface for another
brief moment and the head boatman goe
a good glimpse Of II. He recognized 1t -
being a large specimen OF the sea devil
This information was conveyed along
the long line OF boats and We were more
determined than ever to bring about ite
capture. The fish got well out to sea md
I some OF the men In b boats were In favor
venture. prevailed, however, and We all
resolved to see the thing through:
1T was 10 o'clock in the morning whefN
the fun began. About II O'Clock the nah
made a d6tour and started back toward
Arkansas Pass. It travelled at the rate OF
slacken it's speed when 1t reached the
channel connecting the bay with the Gulf,
but IL made another turn and again went
seaward, dragging the long line OF boats
| Do0lnQ.
Some idea Of the strength and endurance
Of the sea devil may DO had when IL 10 stated
that IL kept up this travelling back and
forth for more than four hours. It circlec
around and around, and at times It KEEP
US busy preventing the boats from getting
in a tangle.
what was most feared was that il woulc
come up under the boats and capsize them
The forward boatmRn had another harpooT
and he determined TO drive it into the fish,
body. He finally got the opportunity anc
made a successful throw. Even with THU
second hArpoon in its body the sea devi
showed no signs Of weakness.
Il suggested hat q distress signal b
hoisted In order that the ~lfesRving Grew
might come to our assistance. This wa
done. Tho crew put out for us in q gasolen'
launch n when they came alongside o
the head boat and saw what was the troubl
the suggestion was made to kill h monBtet
by shooting it with a rife.
The launch moved close 10 the sea doVi
and Ed Cotter fred a dozen bullets int
its body with a rife. The wounds weakene'
h fish very quickly and its speed begal
20 elacken. Then We lowed IL ashors
Thirty strong men managed TO drag It upor
the beach.
the sea devil was 70 feet ana s inche
long, not measuring It's small, ropelik
tail, M IL was II feet wide. There wa
no means at hand for weighing IL, but |
must have weighed from $500 to 500
nonnda