The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-10-24
NARROW ESCAPE.
The Thrilling Story of Miss
Ruth POrter's Rescue From
A HUGE DEVIL FISH

| HUGE DEVIL FISH
And the Capture of a Real Two Tol
Monster, After II Had Towed
Thirteen Boats About the
Gulf of Mexico for
Four Hours.
Reports of the existence Of gigan
tic and ferocious devil fish in the Gull
Of Mexico have long excited the Gu
riosity of those living upon and visit
ing tho Texan coast and have fright
ened bathers from its beaches.
1t was realized that the devh.ist
was q rare and retiring creature
which only attacked those who in
vaded its retreats. Persona who
came in contact with the devil-fish,
II they escaped alive, were 80 upset
by the hideous spectacle and theiI
own fears that their accounts OF It's
appearance were conflicting and un'
reliable. Therefore, the truth about
the Gulf devil.fish has hitherto been
wrapped in mystery.
Ths mystery has at last been clear
ed up by Colonel w. G.. Sterett, a
distinguished naturalist and sports.
man, of Austin, Tex. He has proved
that the devil fish really exists anG is
a creature far larger and stronger
than popular report has over asserted
it to be.
Colonel Sterett, like most other
persons, assumed that the Gulf devil
fish was q member Of the octopus
family, of which there are undoubted'
ly several species in these waters.
THE DEVIL FISH ROUTES A PARTY.
Tnis assumption of tho Colonel was
confirmed by . very circumstantial
report printed in local newspaper OF
an encounter near Rockport, Tex. .,
between q devil. 1ish and . gasoline
launch containing Mr.. Herbert Bige.
low, of Boston; bis fiancee, Miss Ruth
Porter, and an engineer. The launch
was running past rock In q rarely
visited spot near the entrance OF
Arkansas Bay, when Miss Prrter's
attention was attracted by an extra.
ordinary object lying near the surface,
looking like long snake with knobs
all over it. She asked the engineer
to run IN near it. He did 80, and
thrust at the strange object with q
boat-hook.
Immediately they realized they had
attacked q savage fighter. The long
snake.like object raised Itself out OF
the water and flung itself over the
side of the boat. Its free end lashed
furiously around in search OF some
living object to lay hold Of.
Then tho body to which tho tenta.
Gle was attached came in sight. 1t
was huge, shapeless, wsrty. It's most
appalling feature consisted OF a pair
of round, fixed, immovable, staring
eyes. The head and body were ap
parently one. Around 1t were ut
least ten long arms similar to the
one which had first attraced the at
tention Of the party.
Miss Porter, who was leaning oVer
the side of the boat, was the trst
person seiz,d by tho tentacle. She
afterward told an inquirer that 1t
was an indescribably siokening sensa'
tion to feel the innumerable damp
sticky suckers of the octopus attach
Ing themselves, one after another, to
her person. She was powerless to re-
lease herself from the thing, which
was dragging her slowly over tho side
of the boat. She could pull one or
two OF the suckers away with her
hands, but this was useless, for at
the same time q dozen others fasten.
cd upon her.
The engineer thrust fercely at the
creature with the boat hook and an
arm was thrown at him, but forum
ately 1t only caught the boat-hook
and be leaped back out Of reach.
''Get the axe," yelled the engineer
with great presence Of mind.
At this very moment he was caught
by one of the tentacles and struggled
vaiply to escape.
Mr.. Bigelow seized the axe and
aimed q terrific blow at the tentacle
holding Miss Porter, who was making
a last despairiAg effort to save herself
from being dragged overheard. The
blow cut through the tentacle where
it lay on the gunwale Of the boat ano
the girl, released, fell back unconsci
GUS.
Mr.. Bigelow then used the same
method to free the engineer, but
found himself involved in another
tentacle. The engineer took the axt
and freed Mr.. Bigelow. He then gol
the boat under way and the devil-tish
weakened by tho loss OF blood anc
three arms, gave up the attack.
All the persons concerned in thi'
adventure hsd scattered to various
parts OF the country when Colone
Stsratt determined to go In pursuit
of the devil-ish, and he was unable
to question any OF them.
The result Of bis search proved tha'
the true devil-fsh Of the Gulf was moi
an octopus, but giant ray or skate
The report of the adventure OF Mis-
Porter and her party must hav'
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