The San Francisco call., 1908-09-28
DIVER BATTLES
FOR LIFE WITH
BIG DEVIL FISH
Death Struggle Takes Place in
the Depths of the Ocean Off
Fort Ross
Octopus Concealed in Vessel
Attacks Its Victim With
Cunning
In Last Despairing Effort the
Struggling Man Deals
Fatal Stab
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
SAN RAFAEL, Sept. 27.-Down in
the hold of the wrecked steamer Po-
mona, with only faint green light
filtering from the sunshine and air
which was separated from him by 80
feet of water, Martin Lund, diver
working for the Coast wrecking COM
pany, fought for his life against giant
devil fish and won by the faintest Of
margins.
c. A. Wetmore, secretary of the
company returned from Fort Ross
cove, where the Pomona lies in seven
fathoms of water, and told yesterday of
of the grim submarine battle between
Lund and the devil fish.
According to wetmore, Lund was
working in the hold of the Pomona
when he was suddenly seized by the
tentacles of the devilish. He first felt
the grip OF a tentacle upon his leg,
then moment later another of the
powerful arms was thrust from the
shadowy depths of the hold, where the
octopus was laying in wait, and en-
cireled the divers thigh. At first Lund
did not know that he was being at
tackled. A short time later, however
he saw one of the devil fish's tentacles
shoot out of the blackness and felt 1t
grip about his waist. He awoke 10 his
danger. Grasping the short heavy
knifa al arT-x- for cr1rsf,
emergencies he began to slash wildly at
the thick, tough tentacles that were
already beginning TO exert terrible
grip tupon his legs and thigh.
With the plunging steel in one hand
the diver pulled frantically at his sig
nal line with the other for the men
on the surface to pull him up. The
helpers started TO answer the call; the
heavy rope tautened. and Lund. exert
ing all his strength, began TO break
away from the awful embrace.
Before he could do so another tentacle
of the octopus flashed outward and
curled about his right shoulder and
encircled his neck. The monster was
firmly anchored with four tentacles to
its position, while the other four arms
held a tight grip on the desperate diver
The efforts of the helpers We're of no
avail and Lund was compelled to signal
TO them TO cease. as there was danger
of his headpiece being pulled off. Then,
with the heavy Shiny arms of the sea
scourge slowly crushing him, the all
but helpless man began a desperate
battle for his life. BY the greatest
effort he kept his left arm and air hose
free from the fearful grip and piled
the keen edge of the knife to the rub
berlike hide. He severed the tentacle
that was around his thighs and had
started in on the one encircling his
leg when the ugly head of the monster
was thrust from the shadow into the
greenish light. Knowing that the
devilfsh was working TO get its death
dealing beak within striking distance
the frantic victim threw himself di-
rectly at the ugly head. and raising the
knife plunged ii into the spongy mass
at the only vital spot. an instant be-
fore the dreaded beak of the sea terror
could be brought into position to de-
liver the death blow on the body of the
diver. The monster. vitality wounded.
went into it's death throes. The long.
heavy arms, with their rows of power
full suckers lining the under side con-
tracted around the divers body until
he could hardly breathe. AT last the
mighty muscles began to weaken in
their efforts and little later Lund was
able, with the aid of his knife. to ex-
tricate himself from the all but fatal
embrace. ne was so weak from the
battle he was hardly able to signal to
be brought to the surface After he
had reached the top he was so exhaust
ed that he was taken on board the
schooner Gualala, which is anchored
off the wreck. where restoratives were
applied.
When Wetmore left the scene of the
wreck the other divers had brought up
two of the tentacles that Lund had
hacked of. In the middle and at that
point they measured over four inches
through The carcass was not brought
up when Wetmore was compelled to
leave. but the diver reported that the
head of the sea terror was of unusual
size. The devilfish will probably be
brought to San Francisco for exhibit
ton
Lund is one of the Oldest divers ON
the Pacific coast and resides in San
Francisco. After the battle Lund said
that it was rare thing for a devil
fish of that size to come so far north.
as they are usually found only in the
warm seas of the tropics.