Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-09
P Proposal to Establish
AQUARIUM in Washington

LOO feet. The average individual jeer:
at the tales Of the sea serpent but TIT
credible though they be. can scarcely ex
coed in grotesquerie the well attesteo
existence Of the arms Of this octopus.
There are number Of varieties OF
the cephalopoda, from the common
octopus. which is frequently caught of
the coasts Of this country, and Of which
there are some fine specimens in the
museum of the Smithsonian Institution,
up to the octopus giganteus, of which
the mass washed ashore in Florida was
portion. They are. in fact. found
in all seas except the far Arctic. and
they need not be Of extreme size to be
dangerous to human beings. In some
Of the prominent fishing grounds Of the
world these uncanny-loOking monsters.
even when measuring but four or five
feet in spread OF tentacles, inspire the
greatest dread.
In 1879 q government diver at work in
the tideway Of the River Moyne. at
Melbourne. was seized by an octopus
Of the usual dimensions. which fixed
its horrible cup-like suckers on the
back of his bare right hand and around
his arm. For twenty minutes he ham
mered the loathsome brute with an
iron bar, which he managed to seize in
his left hand; but 1t was not until he
had almost cut the creature to pieces
that it relaxed it's grip. and he and the
remains of his weird assailant were
raised to the surface together.
1t was remarked by an expert on
fishes of the Smithsonian Institution that
some Of the largest OF these true devil
fish are found around the rock shores
Of Newfoundland. In the museum at
St Johns is portion of an arm or
one of these monsters. which, In DC.
bod fyr-n
Great Belle Island, in Conception Bay
The creature was seen by the men
floating on the surface at some distance
and taking it for wreckage. they rowed
fishermen caught sight Of a pair Of i'm
mense green, CLASSY eyes staring at
them they were almost paralyzed with
terror. and before they could put their
boat about again two Qu1vering rope
like tentacles glided across their little
craft and completely enveloped 1t:
With a presence OF mind singular in
view Of the unique horror OF the sltu-
alton, one of the men grasped hatchet
and slashed furiously at the menacing
arms of the octopus. He cut them COM
pletely through, and the creature,
ejecting such a quantity OF 1nk-nke
fluid as to blacken the water Tor many
Yards around, sank back into tho depths:
The tentacle that has been preserved
measures nineteen feet in length, and It
has been estimated that 1t was cut on
at least six feet from the Dooy.
A terrible battle between men and
q devilhsh was waged In April. 1899. In
Neah bay, on the western coast OF tins
country. A number Of Tatoosh Indians
were out In their canoes fishing with
harpoons when one caught sight OF what
he took to be a small whale rising and
falling on the waves. The largest canoe
was hurried forward, but as 1t approach
ed the creature the harpooner uttered a
cry Of terror.
big fish devil!' he yelled. and the
crew backed with all their might.
It was too late. however. The next
moment the huge tentacles of the marine
monster grasped their craft. and, though
the latter was sea canoe. forty feet
in length, cracked it like an eggshell. All
Ave occupants were flung into the sea
and were almost Immediately in the grasp
Of the writhing arms Of their hideous as
sailant. One was caught around the
throat and strangled: the second, similarly
entangled. disappeared below and was
there disposed of. After these fatalities,
the other Indians were fortunately en-
abled to bear Q hand in the rescue OF the
rest Of the occupants OF the unfortunate
.houa. ~ 1ances WAS driver into thu