The sun., 1919-02-09
FARNUM HARPOONS
BIG HAMMERHEAD
Along Florida Keys Billy Finds
Excitement Ironing Saw
fish and Tarpon.
TWO THRILLING FIGHTS
Sec Monsters Weighing Half
. Ton Afford Exciting
Sport.
TWO THRILLING FIGHTS

william, Farnunl. angler for big game
hshes OF the sea, has just returned from
ths Florida Keys, where for fifteen days
Ss INDUCED in the spectacular and thrill
ing sport Of happening the monsters of
the deep
Because Of transforms a. l.. Selig,
who accompanied him. thinks that the
most striking OF the pictures he took
with his grafiex will not turn out we'll.
selig snapped n hammerhead shark. har-
pooned by Farnun. that had leaped out
Of tfe shallow water in pursuit Of n
vhipray and clicked the camera Just at
ne moment when the whipray was de-
Acending from the air and the shark had
turned on its side and opened its jaws
10 receive the leaping fish.
Another photograph that Selig snapped
was a huge shark harpooned bv Far
mum that had seized in It's jaws the pole
which inserts In the harpoon and rushed
with It toward the boat breaking the
pole into splinters as II 1t might be a
teothpick. .
These pictures are in the process OF
development. They were not taken with
che idea of making a movie, but II rain
storms had not interfered these pictures
would have given thrills TO William
Foxs audiences.
Farnum had just finished making
picture at Miami and play time having
come the actor chartered for fifteen days
Capt. Jim Thompson's auxiliary schooner
Yuma In the party were Farnum. Selig
Capt Jim Thompson and George Thomp-
son.
Actor shows skill With Harpoon.
The Thompson boys ere brothers OF
Charles II. Thompson. no some years
ago had his boat towed for thirty mine
hours by whale shark weighing $4,000
pounds. Later when the story was pub
hshed In THE Sun Capt. Thompson got
offers 70 exhibit the fish IN New York.
but the offers were not big enough flnan-
c.ally TO tempt the captain to part with
BIS FISH that was large enough to swal-
low Jonah and all Jonah's companions.
That of course has nothing to do with
P''ly Farnum and his thrilling fights
harpooning sharks, one OF which was
twenty-one feet long, but 1t shows the
sort OF men Faruum picked for his pur-
suit of big fish.
In fact Farnum had TO demonstrate TO
oe satisfaction of Jim and George
Thompson that he had the right sort OF
STUN in him for this dangerous angling
IN shallow waters, but the moment that
rarely ever accomplished except by pro-
tesstonal guides, the Thompsons were
willing to take a chance on his ability
ard his judgment to do the right thing
at tho right time. Death sometimes
turks in harpooning the manta, or DEVIL
Ssh the hammerhead and leopard
sharks, which are manestcrs. and even
the pursuit OF the sawrish with its long
saw is no occupation for a mollycoddle,
d ,S-,n "a.
game with Russell J. Coles, deyilfish
hunter. would say.
Farnum did his happening in Conkey
Bay and along the Florida Keys. where
the big fish OF the sea come in through
channels to feed, and here and there
these waterways are deep whereas the
water spreading over the flats are only
four. five and six feet in depth. The big
sea creatures swim over these fats in
pursuit of food. and thrilling encounters
take place, where every man must be
alert to do what Is required OF him.
snwfish and Shark Ironed.
Tarnum has had much experience at
Catalina Island, California, angling for
big sea FISH. but harpooning is a new
game for him. In the California waters
he has taken tuna, marlin swordfsh,
yeIlowtail, white sea bass, Jewish, bar
with the Thompsons he made an effort 10
get various Florida species, fishing both
day and night. for at this season of the
year 6sh like the tarpon feed only at
night
In addition 10 an 500 pound sawfish
Fa-num landed flammerhead shark es-
'ensted 10 weigh between 1900 and
400 pounds, five tarpon, one Of which
was harpooned: whipray Of ESQ
A. IL
big green turtle, in addition to barra-
cvda, amberjack and similar species.
TIE experience that Farnum had IN
the southern California waters was USE
tul on the Florida trip. How Farnum
got the love of big game fishing came
about IN an unusual way. The doctor
advised him after ha had been in bed for
nine weeks following an attack OF acute
p.eugsy 10 go to Catalina Island to rest
~. So he bound him up with yards OF
Ue1dages and tape and told him to be
careful and take II easy. With him were
lis brothers Dustin and Marshall.
Dustin thought 1t would be tine thing
TO go to San Clemente. and an extra rod
Sas PIT in in case Billy wanted to try
fishing.
The start was made Just after sunrise,
and at c 40 that morning Billy got a
strike from broadbill swordfish that
showed that II was in fighting trim II its
angler was not. Billy forgot all about
the Doctors orders and the yards OF
binding.
After two hours and ten minutes work
Farnum got the fish close to the boat.
near enough almost for the guide to put
his hand on the wire leader. What they
saw was n monster broadbill swordish
hat looked as IL 1t might weigh 1000
pounds.
Fought Swordhsh IL Hours.
Suddenly 1t shot out, came upward. It's
eyes glaring with anger as II to say,
sad Billy In telling the story. what
N hell do you think you are going TO dc
WIN ne, YOU poor boob?" Then with a
"n'sh Of its tail was Off for a run of coo
tcs'
Billy fought that fish all through the
n.fAing and the afternoon. At O'Clock
'"a' .ght the broadbill swordhsh that
O. had close to the boat several times
e'.tr that was still going strong. having
u"ed the boat eighteen miles. II was
o1rk and dismal. and playing a tiger Of
Tie s-as for twelve hours is enough tc
caHs 81 strong man weak. let alone q
man Just out OF bed after a nine weeks
Illness. So. despite the fact that Billy
farnum knew at the time that he wa:
spo'lng all Ills chance Of award OF the
TUNA Club. he passed over his rod e
rlsiin with the remark; 'Dustie. yot
fsht himl"
Dustin took the rod over and Billy