The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-03-31
LETTER ABOUT FLORIDA
BIZ Fish nj Mlaml.

LETTER ABOUT FLORIDA
BE- Fish 1t Mlami.
For the Advocate.
4 recent issue Of the Pilot" CON
tanned a communication from Mr..
Joseph EnglaT, OF Linwo0d, who -
spending the winter IN Florida. CIV
Ing the dimensions and weight Of .
fish caught n Florida waters By Cap
tain Thompson, the expert fisherman.
Since my return l have heard Of .
great many people who seem 10 think
this Fish Story" snd being good
friend of Mr.. Englar. I want to assist
him In holding up his end OF the com
munication. and say that the fish vas
caught--that the fish has been seen BY
thousands Of people. and that this
great fish i IN Miami. and can b seen
any day for the small sum OF twenty
iYe cents. Now, vii be honest
md say that was too close with NY
quarter and did not 90 to see i.
partly for the reason that my cousin,
Mr.. J. Charles Bale. saw It when 1t
was brough. In and his word vas
sufficient for me
now ask you to copy. word for
word. what IL Is supposed to be,
when. where. how and by whom
caught, and attested 10 by the great
eommoner. The Hon. William Jen-
nIngs Bryan, ex-Geeretary of State
and whom | know all Democrats Will
believe and all Republicans as we'll.
n this fish story is . trne one.
Thompson's Rlg Fish.
The weight OF this fish is 10000
pounds u5 tons.D and other dimen-
slons and descriptions are as fol-
lows:
The monster was captured Juno
1t, 1912, In the vicinity of Knights
Key. Florida. after a tight lasting %
hours
Five harpnons and III bullets we're
required To subdue the Monster md
1t took five days to finally kill It.
Il smashed boat into a thousand
pieces, crushed the rudder and pro-
peilar of ! 3I=ton yacht.
Il was toHed ITO miles by tug.
Weight 10000 pounds.
Length. i feet
circumference. % feet. inches.
Diameter. J feet. J inches
Mouth. lopanl. 81 inches.
Mouth. = inches vide.
Mouth. Is inches deep.
Tongue. 70 inches long.
Several thousand teeth.
Had swallowed an animal weigh
ing 1900 pounds.
The liver weighed ! DO pounds.
Tail measures 10 feet from tlp %
tn.
PICTORIAL IN. s feel long, ] feet
vide.
Dorsal TN. fest long. feel. .
inches vide
GlIls. feel long
Hide. ; inches thick. 10 scales
Prepared by J ) Warmbeth.
recommended BY the Smithsonian IN
sIItntion. Washington. d. {.
Washington. D. :. July is. 1913.
Dear Capt. Thompson.
had The pleasure d seeing he
monster fiah you caught south Of
Miami and en- commend IL as = most
Interesting curiosity. eel worth a.
aiming
Yours truly.
W. ]. bryan. Secretary Of Safe.
The fizh saa captured on June
1T. 1912. Il Knights Fey Il 80
fIfat noticed about 10 miles from
shore. and Capt Thompson and TO
nm put OF IN z4sIoot boat md
harpooned IL II took I'VE harpoons
md lbi bullets To capture II. and Il
- i've daYa from he time It as
iIfat harpoansd until I died.
The specimen 81 nol whale. - i
hTsathes through gill. u which there
ar i've In number. .hIle the whale
bTeathea through lung the tame ~
any human animal.
The backbone II IN eaftilagsnaam
condition. which " the condition only
found In = young creature. aud Il
therefore : natural proof that The Liz
fIah Il a BAH Of It's species. and would
have continued to haxH grown until
The white round ring IN the center
Of tho backbone had developed INTO
IHns bone
Tho three fIdges thai run along he
entire Length OF the IN. Is the ap.
faralus sIIh which tie flah. feels Ihe
vibrations Of the water. and they are
IN the nh shat the ears are L a
land animal
The small eye is one Of the proofs
lhai the BIZ hsh Is deep SEA IIsh.
Tho reason N the small eye IN The
deep sea nh Ii due u the fact that
The pressure Of the water Is 30 great
thai the ere would be rnptured i II
Haa so large. The pupil Of the sTe
would not dllate according TO differ
euee OF lIEhI. and thai proves hat
the tish LIVED In a depth whore there
i very little light. and that Il be-
tween 300 md 1000 feet.
Tho scientific theory Of the izh ap-
neaTinE on the surface i that It IS
driven 10 the surface b. some vol
aanie eruption. and thai on account
Of the difference of pressure On the
surface the IlHh was unable 10 adjust
IL swim bladder TO he conditions.
and the gaHaea In The swim bladder
expanded and burst That organ. 70
tint the flHh vas unable 30 20 down
again.
Tho structure of Tie teeth shows
Tho fish 10 BE OF a family which lives
on other large Ash. - the throat Is
able TO expand as large n the mouth.
and anything that the fsh can get IN
il mouth Il can swallow whole. II
Is not necessary for The fish To have
teeth To cut Or tear anything apart.
30 far n the scientific world L.
concerned. this fish Il the only one Of
It kind ever seen or heard OF. Il II
i n true species in Itself. OF course.
there must be whole family of them
IT tho bottom of the sea, but there IL
theory TINT the fish i hybrid. or
cross between two other fishes. md
il that Is the case. II Is possible that
such another will never be caught.
u L 4. IL -.