Evening journal., 1922-03-23
FISHING FOR RAY
PERILOUS SPORT
Single Touch of Sea Mon
ster's Saw Means Death
In Agony
BATTLE WITH ONE
GRAPHICALLY TOLD

Tie name Of r. A. Mitchell
Hedges. F. r. G. s.. Is rapidly be-
coming world-famed ss an explorer
and big game fisherman. I have just
returned after having witnessed iD
the Caribbean Sea some Of his bat
ties with the hitherto little-known
levisthans and horrors Of the deep,
writes c. II. Fraser IN the New York
Times.
Almost beyond the Imagination OF
dveilers OF great cities are the ter
rors beneath these tropical waters.
Singing sea weed. poisonous sea
anemones. sea scorpions. sea spiders
are few OF the smaller dangers
bat Il Is when man Is opposed in
deadly combat with the greater dem
liens that death in many forms may
come momentarily. I have watched
with hair on end and the perspira-
ton streaming down me some of
these terrific encounters. Here is an
example;
Fishing Just on coral reef In
only four fathoms OF water-sud-
denly there was a tightening Of tho
lne-s rush. Mr.. Mitcheli-H dges
strikes With all his might, driving
the hook we'll homs The line vi
hrates and the crazy duGout rocks
With the shock. WHY rNyf" ne
terssly remarks. But handled care
fully the nsh has 70 come to the
surface, and az the hideous nat
brute is gradually worked alongside
the duEout suddenly he roars:
Down - nat down in the bottom.
ana for Gods sake don't move.
The nsh's great fukes start to thrash
the water like a ships propeller
driving the little boat round ard
round In circles.
I glimpse over tie sido. my GU
riosity overcoming discretion. Sud
denly, thin, black fickering thing
like a whip licks across the boat.
out shoots the hsherman's right
hand. I hold my breath. Missed
If II touches you. he shouts, you
are dead. for nothing can save you!"
The tkrashing continues. Again
something strikes into the air. Like
lightning. his hand once more shoots
out "Get a rope around IT," he
fhunders to the native boatman.
1--WE 20 tihe whip" And, with the
water and foam flying in all direc-
tions. this Is done.
with Lis free hand, he draws
gun from his belt and-fou bullets
are fred through the brute's head.
There Is a friEhtful convulsion OF
the water and the boat is nearly
overturned. but the steel grip never
reiaxes its hold upon the deadly tail
scizinr his opportunity. the boatman
rises up and strikes with all Ills
strength at the head with a logwood
club and then. at last, quietness pre-
vailing. / breathe more freely.
Now I sit up and take In the fun
spectacle There, two inches below
where the fisherman grips the whip
Is the great fisL's weapon OF defense.
fashioned like a saw. about fourteen
inches in length and set near the
base OF its long. rough tail. 1 shud-
der for be IL known that within a
few minutes OF ii piercing the flesh
one dies in the most horrible con-
Vuisions. In fact. the boatman had
actually witnessed a friend OF his
die terrible death from one Of
these creatures.
The camera is now busy and ulti-
mately the huge reptilian-looking
FISH is towed ashore to be weighed
and more photographs taken.
1t would take mucn more space
TO give all the encounters I have
Witnessed with strange and fearful
looking FISH. one OF which was a
colossus that took ten men all the
strength to haul ashore.