The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-06-08
A GREAT NHAnaT
miami Metropolis.l

The auxiliary yacht Samoa came
limping into port yesterday morning
at about o'clock, towed by the Kath-
crime K and bearing a curious Great
ure OF the deep seas. forty feet long.
weighing sixteen thousand pounds. as
a trophy OF the cruise
When IL was learned by the citizens
Of Miami that Captain Thompson real
iy had captured the strange monster
told of in yesterdays Herald. crowds
OF people thronged to the waters
edge to catch a glimpse of the fish,
and curious and interested persons
stood about all day. watching the pro-
cess Of hauling the creature out en-
the land.
Speculation was rife as to the name
and nautre of the mons,sE. and many
suggestions have been given and many
theories advanced as TO the genus and
species.
Some persons said it it a shark, 9th
.ers. Indignantly said a whale. But
those who held TO the shark theory
pointed out the fact that all members
of the whale family has horizontal
tails. and that the sharks have verti-
cal tails. They said also that the
whales are warm hlooded animals. and
blow. OF breathe. while the monster
on the south bank of the Miami river
has gills. and ereathes like a shark
or other fish. They added, too. tina,
| the mouth is unlike that of a whale
| II Is said by those who have a knowl-
edge OF such creatures that the mon
ster Of the deep cannot be a cetor-
hinus maximus, although the descrip-
tion of the giant shark more nearly
tallres with Captain Thompson's fish
than any other Neither can it be q
rhinodon typieus, which often exceeds
fifty feet In length, as there are sew.
eral material differences. Nor can II
be cachorodon carcharias, which alss
grows to be forty feet in length. as
that giant fish is almost white in
color.
| 1t is quite evident, 1t is said. that
| the great fish fs not of the mysticete
| as they are warm blooded creatures
Hand are not provided with such breath
ling apparatus as the strange cap
tive of the Samona Some one ha:
said that the great creature is g
1 grampus. but that idea is scoffed at
as the wise ones say the grampus be-
longs 10 the whale family and has al
lof the characteristics of the mammals
The jaws of the grampus are armed
| with teeth. they say. and it has {
horizontal tail.
A byst&ndeF advanced the theor,
that 1t Is one of Frank C1ark's Ever
glade land sharks, but this was hoot
ed at, as they are said TO be too plen
tiful to Great excitement and com
ment
Captain Thompson told a harrow
ing tale OF the fight with the forty
foot monster, and of the mad dash TO
the open sea made by the creatur
when harpooned. He told of how he
with one man as helper, and with hi
passenger. Mr.. c. F. Brooks, leadini
lawyer of Cleveland, went out in
small launch and harpooned the Great
ure. had remained all day in the ope
boat, without food, towed toward tn
deep by the great fish; how the
fought ana struggled; how the fis
minded not in the least the engine
ter the launch and the propeller pull
ing against 1t. He spoke of anothe
launch which came to his assistanc
land httehed on behind. both engine
pulling ahead with full power.
The creature cared nothing for tha
land did not seem to know he was pull
|
tunity came, they poured shot afte
shot into the body of the big fish frol
a thirty-thirty Winchester rifle, with
out any noticeable effect After a tim
they tied their captive to knights Ke
dock.
When the big fish learned that h
was made fast, he gave one terrif
lunge and tore seven pflfngs loos
.aH~
again made off towards the deep ws
ter.
During the fight the feroeious mor
[ster struck the launch repeatedly wit
its tail, hurting it high above the w;
ter, and later overturned the bo;
which came TO the assistance of Cal
tain Thompson and his party, spillir
the frightened occupants.
> After a time the fish came arour
= and started toward the Samona, son
miles off When they had arrived
the neighborhood of the yacht, Il
fish was maneuvered into a positi'
aiongsid II was tired by then, al
Captain Thompson made it fast wi
anchors, but left the five harpoons
position. Soon the monster made a
n lother wild dash for the deep sea, al
! attacked the Samona, which lay b
tween II and liberty.
The yacht was so badly damag
that it became necessary for CAPITA
Thompson to send kilograms for a
In response to message, CAPITA
George F. Cook yesterday mornil
sent the Katherine K to the rescue.
Il She encountered the Samona ne
Dusenberry creek. limping slowly t
ward port. still hanging on to (
}, captive. The Katherine K threw I
Samona a line and came into port to-