The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-08-30

at the city harbor, foot Of Nine
] teenth street, from 9 a. m. to 10
p. m, is As feet in length and meas
ures % feet, 8 inches in circum-
ferenca 1t weighed when captured
Is tons Or 10000 pounds and its
liver weighed 100 pounds.
Think of happening such moa-
ster as this and being dragged
through the water at express train
speed for hundreds of miles for two
days and q night before the game
was up and the captive safely land
ed. Think. Of catching a fish with
a mouth big enough to hold three
men Of ordinary size and Of such
, strange and peculiar aspect that
men Of science stood astounded.
Sounds like Jonah story, doesn't
| it? And for all one knows to the
contrary it may be and unquestion-
ably it is the sequel to that story
in the bible that for ages has
proved a stumbling block for men
of science and made ministers OF
every creed use their wit and ingen-
uity to logically explain the story
of the big fish that swallowed the
Hebrew prophet some thousands of
years ago.
1t remains for Captain Charles
H. Thompson of Miami, Fla, to end
the controversy, as to him belongs
the credit of capturing the mon
ster that could have swallowed
Jonah with the greatest ease had it
been in the neighborhood when the
prophet was lost overheard by the
crew on the ship he was travelling
on.
Nobody is better known in the
world of sports than Captain
| Thompson. For years he has been
and still is the favored patron Of
the Vanderbilts, the Whitneys and
other millionaire sportsmen who
frequent the lower coast and who
invariably engage him to accom-
pany them on their trips through
the Everglades and through the
magic waters of the Florida Keys
after big game fish, for which that
lsection is noted.
Captain Thompson encountered
this strange fish while cruising off
the lower Florida Keys in that
stretch Of water that for more than
half century was the scene Of
countless thrilling adventures and
romantic exploits alike Of Spanish
explorer and flood thirsty pirates.
Long the home Of romance and
mystery, it seems only natural that
this strangest and most mysterious
of monsters should have been dis
covered lurking in these magical
waters. Captain Thompson has
captured many a wonderful inhabi-
tant OF these teeming waters. rang
ing all the way Rom predatory
sharks to to terrible devil1sh, but
nothing so strange, so weird, so un-
accountable, as this extraordinary
creature, this puzzle to the scien-
tifc world, which has become
known as the Deep Sea Mystery.
ever came out Of the sea before.
With the first announcementin
the papers of the remarkable
achievement Captain Thompson
was flooded with letters and tele-
grams from all over the country,
asking for descriptions and particu-
lars of the wonder, and insistent
that after havin 6 the unique speci-
men preserved at great expense by
Professor J. S. Warmbeth, who was
recommended by the Smithsonian
institute at Washington, he decided
| to exhibit the wonder. throughout
the country. p
Yacht in Rock Island Monday, Tues
day and Observation-Disclosures
| at City Wharf, Levee Front
To that end he had a large sea-
going yacht constructed, the entire
lower deck Of which was especially
designed to accommodate the mon
ster fish and was made sufficiently
large to allow for ample space for
as many as 500 spectators to view
it from every side.
The yacht also carries one Of the
finest and most valuable private
marine exhibits ever brought to
gether, strange specimens OF ma
rine life, all of which were person
ally collected by Captain Thompson
while on his many cruises in the
Florida straits and adjacent waters
Captain Thompson's palatial yacht
! for such it is, which was built at q
cost in excess Of $4,000. will an
Choir at the city harbor, where the
huge sea monster will be on ex-
hibition from 8 a. m. to 10 p. m.
The people OF Rock Island now
have the great privilege for the first
time Of seeing this truly wonderful
marine exhibit, including the huge
monster known as the Deep Ses
Mystery, which probably has beer
the subject OF moro speculation anf
controversy than any other crea
ture that ever came out Of tht
ocean.
What, then. is the great Deel
Sea Mystery?
No one knows. You must sec 4
for yourself and your guess will b
ss good as anybOdy's.
You may think it is some kind O
a whale. But 1t Is not . whale
Whales ars not classed a. fish, bu
are warm FLOODED like q COW.
Except for its huge size. the Deel
Sea Mystery has not a single fea
ture In common with the whale
. The creature 10 . true fish. with al
Fl the well known chATacteristies Of |
| fish, including tho gills, which ar
! four fest long, and BY means 0
nlvhich 1t breathes, Yet It does no
1Iresemble any species OF dsh know
| to scientific authorities,
II You may think it IL shark. bu
Hit in not a shark. No shark eve
I-ev n auch 4 siSo q this: beSidea