The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-23
THRILLING RIDE
BEHIND SEA DEVIL
All Day Battle Between Men
and a Fish
T0WED FOURTEEN BOATS
Did Not Give Up Until a Dozen Bullets
Had Been Fired Into Its Body.
The Monster Weighed
2500 Pounds.
TOWED FOURTEEN BOATS

Austin, Textile sea devil is in appear
ance like a huge bat. Specimens have
been captured weighing 1000 pounds
It fell to the lot of a party of twenty
eight strong men to catch one of these sea
monsters just off the coast of Texas re-
Gently. One of those who took part in
the contest was John w. Robbins of Aus
tin, treasurer of the state of Texas. In
describing the affair Mr. Robbins said:
1.-THE channel of Arkansas Pass, which
connects Arkansas Bay with the Gulf of
Mexico. Is favorlte tarpon fishing
ground. The first knowledge that any of
us who comprised the tarpon fishing fleet
of two or three dozen boats had that II
sea devil was anywhere around was the
statement of Ed Cline, a veteran boat
man. who told us when we came in from
our fishing one evening that he had seen
the back of some monster fish come to
the surface of the water Of Arkansas Pass
that day
when we started for the tarpon fish
ing grounds next morning Cline carried
with him two strong harpoons, each at
tached to a strong line. There were four
teen boats in the fleet. In each boat were
two men.
I'VE had not been fishing long when
saw the broad, glistenng back of a mon
ster fish of some kind come to the surface
of the water near me- l yelled to Cline
and he hurried to the spot.
| He was about to cast his harpoon into
it when it suddenly sank beneatch the sur
face. We watched the waters and in a
few mintes we saw the big fish come to
the surface again short distance off.
Monster Harpooned.
"Cline approached cautiously within
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 after
ward found, making 1t impossible to dis
lodge 1t.
1.-THE harpoon had no sooner struck the
| fish than it sank and struck out for the
| deeper waters of the gulf 1t carried the
j boat along at rapid rate.
1.-THE thirteen other boats struck out
after It. 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 out anchor over into 1t and
! formed another link in the chain.
Then came the other boats which at
! tached themselves to one another, and
! within an hour all fourteen boats were
! linked together and formed a long line
| towed by the fish.
How 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 cap
| ture could then be made.
For time we were unaware what kind
| of fish was giving us the remarkable ride.
Finally 1t came to the surface for another
brief moment and the head boatman got
a good glimpse of 1t. He recognized 1t
as 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 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 prevailed, however, and we all
resolved to see the thing through
TT was 10 o'clock in the morning when
thu fun began. About II o'clock the fish
made a detour and started back toward
Arkansas Pass 1t Travelled at the rate of
five miles an hour. The monster did not
slacken its speed when 1T reached the
channel connecting the bay with the gulf,
but 1t made another turn and again went
seward, dragging the long line of boats
behind.
Had Great Strength.
| "SOme idea OF the strength ana enuuT-
ance of the sea devil may be had when 1t
is stated that 1t kept up this travelling
back and forth for more than four hours
1t circed around and around and at times
1t kept us busy preventing the boats from
getting. in tangle.
What was most feared was that 1t
| would come up under the boats and cap
| size them. The forward boatman had an
other harpoon and he determined to drive
It into the flsh'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
| weakness.
Il suggested that a distress signal be
hosted in order that the lifesaving crew
might come to our assistance. This was
done. The crew put out for us in gaso-
line launch and when they came along
side of the head boat and saw what
was the trouble the suggestion was made
to kill the monster by shooting 1t with
rifle.
"The launch moved close to the sea
devil and Ed Cotter fired a dozen bullets
into its body with a rifle. The wounds
weakened the fish very quickly and It's
! speed began to slacken. Then we towed
1t ashore Thirty strong men managed
| to drag 1t up on the beach
1.-The sea devil was 20 feet and inches
long, not measuring Its small. ropelilSe
tail, and 1t was u feet wide. There was
no means at hand for Weighing it. but
1t must have weighed from 25O0 to 5000
pounds"
IIpDtNLT nECkc I'M NOHIIE