Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-11-18

/, accepted this fish as the ambitious
youth from the country accepts"
job in the city-by going after it with
enthusiasm. AS soon as the Smithson-
ian authorities heard of the existence
of this piscatorial phenomenon they
went after it. because it is a species
heretofore unknown. It is mystery
monster of the deep sea.
The fish-and let 1t be borne in mind
that it is true fish. and not a man.
NAL of the whale or porpoise variety
was captured off the coast of Florida.
Scientists believe that it is an in
habitant of the far-down depths Of
the sea, more than $500 feet below
the surface. and that it was thrown
up by some subterranean volcanic dis
turbance which injured it's diving APP
paratus so that It was unable. to re-
turn to it's native levels of brine. The
smallness of it's eyes, which are mere
pin-peints in relation to it's size. are
evidence of it's deep-sea habitat. In
those depths the darkness is such
that eyesignt is not useful. The thick
hide of the fish. its toughness and
stiffness, also tend toward establish
ing its deep-sea origin. for such an
exterior is required at those depths to
withstand the tremendous water pres
sure.
Captain Charles H. Thompson, vet
eran sportsman of Miami, Fla, Is en-
titled to the credit of capturing this
great fish. Ut was great fish" not
whale, that swallowed Jonah. by
the way0 Captain Thompson owns
yacht in hich he was cruising for tar
pop He was off Knights Key when he
sighted huge bulk that looked some
thing like a whale. However, whales
never are found so far south. Captain
Thompson surveyed the bulk which
proved to be alive and in motion,
/ through his glasses. Hardy sailors in
his employ studied the monster.
whatever it is" said Thompson,
well go after it,
A lifeboat was manned. Captain
Thompson accompanied the crew and
the mysterious discovery was pur-
sued 1t disappeared, but arose to
the surface. A harpoon was shot deep
into ;ts side.
Then began the fun, as game fishers
might describe it, but this was more
of fight than frolic. The great hsh,
though unable to employ the deep-sea
diving powers which apparently 1t
had lost, proved to be speed artist
on the surface. At times, the sail
ors and Captain Thompson say, II
made As miles an hour. Four more
harpoons were shot into it. About l5o
bullets also were fired into the fish's
| hide, but as subsequent inspection
showed they did but little damage,
| hardly more than piercing the thick
:. skin.
The fight took place in sight of some
| of the Florida Keys, where thousands
of people gathered to witness it. For
! 80 hours--two days and night-tnat
| fierce and frantic fish pulled the hfe-
| boat through the water with no stops
| for meals. Captain Thompson and ms
| men swear to this. The yacht follow
ed, keeping as near to the hfepoat as
| il could do with safety. Finally, the
monster was subdued-apparently. AS
| a matter of fact it was tired, like the
men who pursued it. Anyhow, the
| fish quit struggling and was lasheo
| fast to the Thompson yacht alongside.
The landward voyage then began.
| The yacht is thirty-ton vessel. 4
had q fifteen-ton fish lashed to its side
| Presently the fish became lively again
| having enjoyed a rest. It began tt
wriggle, and that wriggling was some
thing stupendous. With one powerful
blow of it's tail the fish knocked the
rudder and propeller off the yacht and
smashed in a portion of the after parl
of the hull.
Fortunately the monster had been
lashed at its head by the vessels an
chor chain. The chain held. No hemp
cables could have withstood the her
culean struggles of the infuriated cap
tive. The yacht being out OF COM
mission, two stout tugboats were call
ed upon for aid. The fish again quiet
ed Down, and was supposed to be dead
but only supposed TO be. The tugs
towed the apparent carcass to Miami,
and a mechanism was rigged up by
which it was pulled upon the dock.
There was life in the big fish still.
It gave sudden flip of its enormous
tail. smashed considerable portion
of the dock, demolished the dockhouse
and broke a mans leg.
After that the men kept their dis
tance. The fish struggled for while
and finally gave up the ghost. Exam
ination to determine. its species then
was undertaken. No ~piscato-ial ex-
pert ever had seen or heard of a fish
of that variety 1t was altogether un-
classified-a specimen of an unknown
denizen of the deep.
Captain Thompson. having landed
| his catch. was in the position Of the
Irishman who went up tree to cap
/ ture catamount. He didn't know
how to get rid Of it. The fish, unlike
! the catarnount, was dead at last. but
its huge bulk-15 tons of it--lay there
encumbering the earth. 1t was rolled
eff the beach and became the center of
curiosity for the population. The Mi
ami authorities ordered that the car
cass be removed.
| Just what to do with the prize so
! bravely and labortously won was a
problem for Captain Thompson, but
i that problem was solved when sci
ence became interested in the fish. The
Smithsonian Institution sent J. S.
warmbeth. skilled taxidermist, down
to Miami to prepare the carcass for
L.