Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-11-19
A HUGE SEA MONSTER.
Landed After q Struggle Of Two Days
and Nights.

The following IL taken from tHc
Tampa Daily Times:
Through the courtesy OF the Wide
World Magazine. Captain Thompson
is permitted 10 publish the artists
conception of his thrilling battle with
the deep sea monster, which lasted
for two days and a night and which
was the most nerve-racking experience
that ever befell mariner or sportsman.
In the terrible ordeal which followed.
Captain Thompson lost sixteen pounds
Of weight as a result OF the terrific
strain and was near complete exhaus-
ton before his capture was safely
landed. The creatures enormous
strength was evidenced by the fact
that It knocked the stern, rudder and
propeller of a thirty-one ton yacht
while in dying condition. II also
knocked 16 feet OF temporary piling
from underneath the trestle OF the
Florida East Coast railway at Knights
Key, Fla These facts are authentic
and can be verified.
The monster was forty-five feet long
and weighed thirty thousand pounds.
It's liver alone weighed l.7o0 pounds.
or more than ten full grown men put
together.
II is twenty-three feet around tho
body and its tail measured ten feet
from tip to tip.
It had swallowed an octopus weigh
ing 1900 pounds, which was still alive
In It's stomach when caught.
1t could have swallowed twenty
Jonahs without suffering the slightest
Inngs Of indigestion.
II smashed a boat into thousands.
Of pieces and crushed the rudder and
propeller Of thirty-one-ton yacht
with a single swish Of its mighty tail.
Five harpoon thrusts and $50 large
caiibrc rifle bullets only served TO In
crease its fury and 1t took fve days
to finally kill 1t.
The battle lasted thirty nine hours
two days and a night--in open sea
with the monster dragging a small
boat at express ,tEain spesd. for hun,
|ereds OF rniies.. n &
Smithsonian authorities believe that
the creature was an inhahtant OF
depths more than 1900 feet below the
surface and that II was blown up by
spme subterranean or volcanic up
heayal which injured its diving ap-
paratus 50 1t was unable to return to
It's native depths.
It's hide Is three inches thick and en-
abled TO withstand the most enormous
water pressure, pressure almost In
conceivable to mon. Its eyes, which
are very small. have no lids and are
never closed. indicating that It lived
at depth where eyes were Of
no avail.
The creature is not classified in
natural history the genus or species
Is unknown and 1t Is not only tho most
remarkable geological specimen, but
the largest specimen Of the Ash tribe
known in history.
Although the largest fish ever cap
tured, scientists claim II was only
baby of its tribe and II II had lived to
attain full growth It would have been
two and half times as large.
Every undertaking establishment on
the Florida east coast from Jackson
VILE to Key West, gave up their en-
tire supply of formaldehyde to pre-
serve the monster and over nineteen
tnrrcls were used.
1t was mounted by ]. 8. Warmbeth.
the celebrated taxidermist Of the
Smithsonian institution. who was also
chosen to accompany Admiral Peary
on his famous trip to the Pole.
II Is now exhibited In Tampa, at the
city dock in front of the Tampa Bay
hotel, on board Captain Thompson's
large sea-going yacht which he built
al a cost Of $4,000.