Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-08-04

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EIEIL S0N0Idl w
WIS April II, opened calm
Wu.,I l..W and hot.
%mn5sous$ To kill Manta,
which is the scientific name for
devilfish, perfect handling of the
boat is necessary and proper crew Is
the first consideration in equipping an
expedition. In my 20 years expert
ence of fishing off the coast OF North
Carolina, I have always made up my
crew from the native market fishermen,
in preference to the guides and boat
men usually employed by sportsmen.
On this occasion, In addition to Capt.
Charlie Willis, was fortunate IN Sc
curing the services of Capt. John NC
Cam of Punta GOrda, Fla, beyond
question the best-known and most effl-
Gent fisherman on the Florida coast,
and he selected the three other men,
bers of the crew-all young men,
trained, active, and without fear. Cap
tain Mccain also furnished the boat,
which was a small 6-foot, open boat
with an Lighthouse power gasoline en-
CINE. The construction, however, OF
this little boat was extra strong, or 1t
would have been wrecked by the terri
fc pounding it received.
The men were nearly perfect for the
positions which they were to fill, know
ing what to do no matter what condl-
ton might arise; therefore not mucn
time was required in training the crew.
On such an expedition it is necessary
for every man to move instantly When
the word is given, like part of per-
feet machine, for | cannot turn my
head when the fight Is on.
When the boat passed out through
Captive Inlet into the Gulf of Mexico,
| the water was so thick that a Mania
would have had to rise to the surface
to be seen, and posted three men to
| keep close watch, one on each side OF
the boat, and one behind us, while
watched in front.
We had run down the full length of
| the coast of Captive Island and were
| about q mile off the shore of San1hel
Island and in front of Blind Pass,
when there came, suddenly and with
| out warning. a most terrific shock,
which threw the four of us who were
standing to our hands and knees for a
| fraction of a second. The boat, which
was running at full speed, had met the
head of a Mania, rising to the surface
and coming toward us at moderate
speed. The shock of the collision was
so great that it almost stopped the
| Roadway of the boat, and its bow was
lifted more than a foot out of the wa
| ter: but our speed carried the boat UP
over the high part of the back of the
| Mania Just as the two great black inns
were flung nadly into the air, almost
meeting over our heads and deluglne
us with many gallons of water Then
| the two fins crashed down on the sur
| face of the sea with a noise that could
have been heard for miles, and the
| Manta instantly repeated the perform
ance as I yelled to the engineer. keep
her going" Just as the boat was slid
| ing from the back of the creature, an
other huge Mania rushed up from be-
| low, striking full on our port bow with
sufficient force to spin the boat around
until it's direction was almost reversed
At one time all four of the great black
pectoral fins were towering above US
and large quantities of water were
| flung into the boat. First the head and
| then the stern of the boat was highest
as it was pitched from side to side, ano
then / heard the chug, chug, chug OF
| the racing propeller blades as they
gashed the tip of the pectoral I'm OF
| the first Mania. The engineer kept the
engine going at full speed, but the pro
| peller blades were not catching the wa
ter now, and for short distance we
| were carried upon the broad backs OF
the two monster devils of the sea.
I fully realized the danger, as d1o
every one of the men with me In thai
| little boat, but every man filled MS
place perfectly and there was no out