Evening star., 1924-01-06


~ young sea diver was captured
n by a giant jellyfish and slain
by the monsters poisonous
fentacles while group Of terror
stricken friends stood helpless on the
shore has been brought to Washing
TON from the tropical Philippine Is
lands by DIR. Paul Bartsch, curator of
the department of mollusks of the
Smithsonian Institution.
1t is. perhaps. one OF the most CHASTITY
deaths on record and definitely places
the apparently harmless jellyfish.
whose smaller but blood relatives
abound in the Chesapeake bay and
lower Potomac river, in the class of
mankilling denizens Of the deep and
makes 1t an even more ominous foe
than the dreaded octopus. because it's
obstruction is instantaneous.
The tragedy occurred while the
Young man. an expert swimmer and a
professional diver. and a group Of
friends were enjoying an hours sport
near a popular Philippine resort.
Having finished their swim, the young
men were yying for diving honors.
1t was the unsuspecting victims turn
to dive. Posing himself on the
springboard, he plunged deep into
the water.
\ minute later he came TO the sur
face few feet away, his head trap
ped in the awful tentacles Of the
ghostly jellyfsh. He gave one pierc-
ing scream before the creature shot
thouSar5 CT mo Of daa div yapop1 IN IN
his brain-and sank back wrapped in the
Shiny arms of his executioner. Death
came an instant after the big sea net
tie had injected it's fiery poison into
his head.
BY an unfortunate stroke Of fate the
young man had come up squarely be-
meath the motionless umbrella of the
tellyfish. Had he not been a strong
swimmer and fought for a brief in
stant to free himself his head, it is
said. would never even have come
above the surface, SO quickly does
the man killing jellyfish destroy.
Hundreds of Washington swimmers
who have ventured into the waters
of the Chesapeake bay and the lower
Potomac river know what it is to
feel the fire" of the sea nettle. Local
species, however, are pygmies beside
the giants of tropical seas, and were
Washington victims of the nettle to
multiply their temporary discomfort
a hundredfold. scientists say, still
they could not measure the mo-
mentary agony of the young Filipino
before death mercifully ended his
earthly pains forever.
x < X *
DR. BARTSCH, accompanied by
Lewis Radcliffe, assistant United
states commissioner of fisheries, re-
tries that are infested with the giant
sea nett1e. So painful is the sting
OF even the smaller variety that it
was necessary for him to wear heavy
hip boots to protect himself while
he was making observations in Flor
Ida waters recently.
The jellyfishes were so numerous
In the inlets and along the
coasts of Florida he said, that Oft
times it seemed that he was walking
in a large bowl of gelatin rather
IMAM dIOHB ali SlloEe line.
On one occasion his assistant, Mr..
Radcliffe, was attacked by a large
sea nettle and poisoned so badly that
he was ordered to bed for forty
eight hours. suffering untold agoniee
before the venom that was injected
into his system was overcome.
Although SO per cent water the jelly
fish is a highly organized animal with
most complex nervous system, and, /
according to Dr. Bartsch, all species |
are more or less venomous, their degree
of poison depending largely upon size |
rather than anything else. Experiments
have shown that there is 80 little sub !
stance in them. however. that If one is |
placed on a piece of blotting paper and |
left for a few hours, nothing will re- /
main but a slight stain.
There are many different species, but |
In appearance they are similar. Their |
bodies are shaped like an open umbrella,
from the edge Of which hang innumera-
be tentacles. It is in these ghastly
arcs that the jellyfish carries it's poi
son. Each tentacle is packed by thou