The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-05-20
Proposal to Establish
Aquarium in Washington

yhen measuring but four or five feet
n spread Of tentacles, inspire the
,reatest dread.
In 1879 government diver at
york in the tideway Of the River
doyne. at Melbourne, was seized by
IN octopus of the usual dimensions
which fixed its horrible cup-like suck
srs on the back of his bare right
hand and around his arm. For TWEEN
ty minutes he hammered the loath-
some brute with an iron bar, which
he managed to seize in his left hand;
but it was not until he had almost
cut the creature to pieces that 1t re-
Taxed its grip, and he and the re-
mains 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
devilfish are found around the rock
shores of Newfoundland. In the mus
cum at st. Johns is portion of an
arm of one of these monsters, which
in October 1873, attacked two fisher
men off the Great Belle Island, in
Conception Bay. The creature was
seen floating on the surface at some
distance, and taking it for wreckage,
they rowed up to investigate. When
the curious fishermen caught sight
of a pair of immense green, CLASSY
eyes staring at them, they were al
most paralyzed with terror, and be-
fore they could put their boat about
again, two quivering rope-like tenta-
cles glided across their little craft
and completely enveloped it.
With a presence of mind singular
in view Of the unique horror of the
situation, one of the men grasped n
Ratchet and slashed furiously at the
menacing arms of the octopus. He
cut them completely through, and the
creature, ejecting such a quantity of
ink-like fluid as to blacken the water
for many yards around, sank back in
to the depths. The tentacle that has
been preserved measures nineteen
feet in length, and it has been esti-
mated that it was cut off at least six
feet from the body.
A terrible battle between men and
devilfish was waged in April, 1899,
in Neah bay, on the western coast of
this country. A number of Tatoosh
Indians were out in their canoes fish
ing with haTpoons when one caught
sight of what he took to be a small
whale rising and falling on the waves.
The largest canoe was hurried for
ward, but as it approached the crea-
ture, the harpooner uttered cry of
terror.
"Big fish DEVIL" he yelled, and the
crew backed with all their might.
1t was too late, however. The next
moment the huge tentacles of the
marine monster grasped their craft,
noe, forty feet in length, cracked it
like an eggshell. All five occupants
were flung into the sea, and were al
most 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 be-
low and was there disposed Of After
these fatalities, the other Indians
were fortunately enabled to bear a
hand in the rescue of the rest of the
occupants of the unfortunate canoe.
A shower Of lances was driven into
the bloated, jelly-like body of the dew,
ilfish. The latter was killed and tow
ed ashore, and was photographed by
a local naturalist, who CHANGED, for
tunately, in view of the incredibly
which is often cast upon such occur
ences, to be investigating marine phe
nomena in the vicinity. Frederick
Edwards, the naturalist in question
has recorded that this nightmare o
the deep measured, from tip to til
of its outspread tentacles, fifty-si'
feet, and its weight was $500 pounds
On each arm there were $50 suck
ers, ranging from the size of sauC
, err to mere pin points.
When there was received at tn
} fine aquarium in the old Castle Gal
den building in the Battery Grounds
, New York, a specimen of the gree
/ moray of Bermudian waters, 1t wa
= widely heralded as a veritable Sc
} serpent. This great eel is Of an III
} naturally brilliant green, and is po'
: sessed of an eye which is the yer
l epitome of intense and malignant IL
rocitv Its nature ia saVapa and VI