Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-03-24
WHIP RAY WORST OF
TROPICAL TERRORS
Singing Sea Weed, Sea Scor-
pions and Spiders Also Hor-
rify Fishermen.

The name Of Il. A. Mitchell Hedges,
y. u. G.. s.. 81 rapidly becoming world
famed as an explorer and big-game
fisherman. ] have Just returned after
having witnessed in the Caribbean
sea some OF hts battles with the
hitherto little-known leviathans and
horrors of tho deep.
Almost beyond the imagination OF
jewellers Of great cities are tho ter
rors beneath these tropical waters,
singing sea weed poisonous sea
Anemonos, sea scorpions. sea spiders
are "A few OF the smaller dangers. hut
it is when man Is opposed in deadly
combat with the greater denizens
that death In many forms may como
momentarily. have watched with
hair on end and the Precipitation
streaming down me some of these
terrific encounters. Here is an ex-
ample:
Fishing just OF a coral reef in only
four fathoms OF water-suddenly there
* a tightening OF the line--a rush
Mr.. Mitchell Hedges strikes with al
his might driving the hook well home
The line vibrates and the crazy dug
out rocks with the shock. WHIP
ray?" he tersely remarks. But handled
carefully the Ash has to come to the
surface. and as tho hideous fiat brute
g. gradually worked alongside the dug
out, suddenly he roars: "Down-f1a'
down in the bottom, and for Gods
sake don't move" The flsh's great
nukes start 10 thrash the water like q
ships propeller. driving the little boat
round and round in circles.
glimpse over the side. my curl
oslty overcoming discretion. Suddenly
thin black. flickering thing like
whip ticks across the boat. out shoots
the fisherman's right hand. l hoio
my breath. Missed
IL Il touches YOU" he shouts. you
are dead. for nothing can save you.'
The thrashing continues. Again some
Thing strikes into the air. Like light
ming, his hand once more shoots out
Get a rope around it, he thunders
20 the native boatman. 1--WE got the
whip." And, with water and foam fly
irg I'm all directions. this is done.
With his free hand. he draws a gun
from hs belt and four bullets are
fred through the brute's head. There
is a frightful CONFUSION Of the water
and the boat IS nearly overturned
but the steel grip never relaxes Its
hold upon the deadly tail. Setting his
opportunity, the boatnsn rises up anc
strikes with all his strength at the
head with a logwood club and then
M last. quie:ness prevailing. l breathe
more freely.
Now I sit UP and take in the full
spectacle. There. two inches below
where the fisherman grips the whip !:
Che great fsh's weapon OF defense
fashioned like a saw, about fourteen
inches in length and set near the base
Of its long, rough tail. 1 shudder' foi
ne 4, known that within a few minute:
81 IL MERGING the flesh one dies In Tho
most horrible commissions. In fact, TIT
boatman had actually witnessed
friend Of his die a terrible death IRON
one Of these creatures
Tho camera is now busy and ult'
rna,ely the huge reptilian-looking hs'
is ,owed ashore TO be weighed ant
more photographs taken.
II would take much more space U
give ALI the encounters / have witness
ed with strange and fearful-lookins
ash. one OF which was colossus tina
took ten men all their strength TO hau
ashore.
c, II. Fraser.