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THE OCTOPUS IX ACTION
SOME NEW FACTS ABOUT THE
MYSTERIOUS DEVILFISH.
Newfoundland Waters Infested by
These Marine Monsters—Fight With
a Fishing Crew—Swiftness and
Enormous Muscular Power.
Th© waters round the Newfound¬
land coast are infested by huge octopi,
and many a fishing beat that never
returns with her hardy crew owes
her disappearance to the encircling
tenacles of this strange and most re¬
pulsive inhabitant of the ocean
depths. Occasionally dead devil fish
are washed ashore after a storm, and
recently one was found on the shore
near Cape Race whidh, as it stretched
its 60 feet along the strand, was
thought to be the sea serpent at iast.
Mere recently one attacked a fishing
schooner in Placentia bay, but was
beaten off by the tsrew with axes and
knives, though not until it had gripped
one man with its long, sinuous arm
and nearly drawn him overboard, the
tenacle being severed by a shipmate
and remaining cm board as a trophy
of the fight after the creature had
been forced to retreat.
Until 15 years ago there was even
scientific skepticism of this octopus.
But then an encounter between one
and a Newfoundland fishing crew en¬
abled the world to become certain of
its existence. Off St. John’s, in June,
1888, some fishermen saw a floatingob
ject, which they took to be wreckage.
Rowing toward it, the bowman dug
his gaff into lit, when, to the horror
of the erew, 'the creature displayed
vigorous signs of life. Rapidly it dis¬
entangled its enormous bulk into its
component members, erected its slimy
tenacles many feet in the air and
flung them over the boat which at
the sam® time it attacked with its
gigantic parrot-like beak.
The men sat. paralyzed with terror,
until they saw the boat being dragged
under water, when they aroused
themselves and tried to beat off the
repulsive creature. One man caught
a tentacle and sought to throw it
from the boat, but instantly it wound
round him and was dragging him over¬
board, His comrade was next caught
by two smaller tentacles, while a sec¬
ond long arm enveloped the boat. A
boy in it sat ^crouched with fright
until he saw his father in .danger, and
then, grasping an ax, he brought it
down on the tentacle and severed it.
Next he cut off a second and then
aimed a blow at the creature’s head.
Agonized with pain it retreated, dis¬
charging a black fluid that discolored
the water all around and giving off
a sickening odor of musk. The two
tentacles remained, and as soon as
the men were freed from the horrible
monster they hurriedly made for the
shore, where they related their grew
seme experiences and displayed the
two tentacles in proof thereof.
The locail clergyman, on hearing
their stoix advised them to wait upon
the Rev. Moses Harvey, an eminent
naturalist in St. John’s, to whom they
took the larger arm, their dogs hav¬
ing got at and eaten the smaller one.
He examined it and, the wounded oc¬
topus from which it had been cut
having drifted ashore next day down
the coast, he visited it and secured
it for the Smithsonian institution at
Washington, where a papier-mache re¬
production of it is now shown, the
creature itself having proved too large
to preserve.
This specimen had a body 20 feet
long, with two tentacles 40 feet in
extent by four inches around and 12
shorter tentacles 10 to 12 feet long
by 16 inches around. The extreme
length from tip of tail to extremity of
tentacles was 60 feet; between the
tentacles stretched out 80 feet. The
head was four feet wide, with two
great, uncanny, malevolent eyes. The
total weight was about 1,200 pounds.
The body was a sort of flabby, jelli¬
fied mass, like a conserve of corn¬
starch, and rounded in form like a
barrel or tube, terminating in a tri¬
angular fin or tall.
In the upper part of the body the
eyes were set and below them the
mouth, a beak-like protuberance of
strong bone, both extremities being
as sharp as steel needles. The ten¬
tacles were tough and sinewy as
leather ropes, the under surface be¬
ing covered with a double row of
suckers. These were about an inch
in diameter, with fine, sharp teeth
around their horny edges, and a mov¬
able membrane which when pressed
into an object and retracted at the
will of the animal created a vacuum.
Then the sharp teeth would sink into
the flesh of the victim and the sucker
would establish a hold from which es¬
cape would be impossible except by
cutting off the tenacle or killing the
octopus. Each tentacle has about 200
suckers and each smaller arm 100, so
the total is about 1,600, which gives
the fish an almost resistless power.
The octopus can move backward or
forward with equal ease and travel at
an extremely rapid rate. Its means
of locomotion is a funnel or tube be¬
hind the head. The breaching organs
admit the sea water by a pair of
valves worked by the muscular dila¬
tion of the body. This water, when it
has communicated its oxygen to (ae
blood by the internal mechanism pro¬
vided by nature, if, expelled through
this tube or funnel, and the rate at
which the liquid is ejected causes
a corresponding speed of the creature
through the water. When, working
this apparatus, which realiy acts like
a great hydraulic engine, the monster
is enabled to dash uaekward with
amazing rapidity, and the triangular
fin or tail acts the part of & (front rud¬
der and directs the way.
In an instant, by the exertion of its
enormous muscular pewer, the crea¬
ture can arrest its movements, alter
its direction and speed ahead as ra¬
pidly, being then propelled by its tail
in the manner of ordinary fishes. Its
habitat is the deep and rocky cav¬
erns around the shore, and It has
only one enemy it fears—the mighty
sperm whale. When attacked it ejects
copious jets of inky fluid which dye
the surrounding waters an inky black,
and under cover of this cloak of dark¬
ness it retreats to its lair. The ink
sack opens into the funnel already
described, by means of a special duct,
and' whenever it pleases the creature
can squirt out the black fluid which
the sac secretes. The whole appear¬
ance of the monster is repulsive and
uncanny, and It is far and away the
most unpleasant object that inhabits
either the sea or the land.
Its discovery creates the Keenest in¬
terest in the scientific world, and the
most eminent naturalists of Europe
and America wrote extensively on the
subject Prof. Agassiz made ft the
occasion of a special paper, and Prof.
Verrill, of Tale, set up the creature
in its proper form. Drawings of it
appeared In all the scientific publica¬
tions of both hemispheres, and the
matter awakened such attention at
the time that Barnum. the famous
showman, wired to the Ret- Dr. Har¬
vey to secure two of the very largest
sized devilfish for him and to spare
no expense In so doing.
Unfortunately, however, la devilfish
is not an easy thing to catch, and ona
has never been secured alive. A few
years ago some fishermen out of Logie
bay, four miles from St. John’s, found
one entangled in their net and tried
to take it ashore alive, but it fought
so desperately that they were obliged
to dispatch it. Several others have
been found dead at different times
along more remote sections of the
coast, and now the leading American
museums have a standing offer with
tlje local authorities of a reward of
$500 for the delivery of a specimen in
good condition to the United States
consul in St. John’s.—P. T. McGrath,
m St, John’s letter to Chicago News.
-H
An Admiral’s Bluff.
In 1797, the Dutch, who were In al¬
liance with the French, had equipped
their fleet at the Texel, and had made
preparations to embark 'fn it their
whole army for an attack upon Ire¬
land. It be was imperative] that they
should watched in force and pre
vented from joining the French fleet
then in Brest, and this task fell to
Duncan’s lot.
Just as he was on the point of sail¬
ing from Yarmouth with i the North
Sea fleet to blockade the] Texel, the
famous and eleven mutiny of his at the line-of Norej Rattle broke ships out,
turned back and joined th tiie e ringleader
Parker at the mouth of Thames.
admiral In spite of went this desertion his jthe destination gallant
on to
with his own ship, the venerable (74
guns), the Adamant (50 jguns), and
the Active, a cutter.
He then proceeded to? bluff the
Dutch. By keeping up a regular suc¬
cession of signals to the ^Adamant in
the offing, as though sending orders to
a fleet outside, he actually induced the
enemy to believe that ht lay off the
coast in force. In fact,- the Dutch
never discovered that then* were only
two ships and a cutter watching them
until the mutiny was over and Dun¬
can’s other ships had rejoined him.
Later on in the same year, the great
victory of Camperdown cat no to crown
liis triumph.—Pearson’s Weekly.
Courting in Caracas.
When passing through the streets of
Caracas in the evening one may see by
lamplight a woman sitting near the
window inside of almost ('very house.
By and by a young man appears in
front of each of these w indows and
converses with those inside. In most
cases, says a writer in Harper's Maga¬
zine, he is the suitor for the hand of
one of the daughters of. I the house.
Evening after evening he ius pays his
respects to her family, tanding for
hours on the sidewalk, til the day ar
rives when the mother o his adored
one believes the fact of fis courting
her daughter sufficiently a dvertised to
the neighbors, as well as to the com¬
munity at large. Then on ly the doors
of the house are thrown c pen to him.
Woman’s Undying Love.
Every woman is an a ristocrat at
heart and demands hon age. Every
woman is born with the love of rule.
stincts; Every weman is an is imperj§ hapB in her in¬
no woman until she
has proved her power to,*e; no man
is really happy until he submitted
himself to a good woman’s
ty is evanescent, even if
a woman in her youth
ways the case—ten, twe
the utmost, and it is ttj
love of rule never die
Church Eclectic.
FORTUNE IN MAINE SKUNKS.
Skins Shipped to Philadelphia and Oil
Valuable Medicinally.
It will no doubt surprise many peo¬
ple to learn that the despised skunk
is worth twice as much to Maine as is
the much admired heney bee, but such
is the fact; and, counting things at
their actual worth, the skunk is worth
about as much as ail the deer killed
in Maine in a season. The skunk is
valuable both for his fur and for the
oil that is in him, and both the fur and
the oil are in ever-increasing demand.
Fashion in furs regulates the price
of skunk furs. Four years ago the
coat of a dark skunk was worth from
$2.50 to $3, and the demand exceeded
the supply. Since then the muskrat
has come into favor, and the price of
skunk skins has fallen to about $2 for
the best. When, however, there are
a dozen fat skunks to be had on every
acre of meadow land, when a hard¬
wood club is the only weapon needed
for kiling them, Kind when every fat
skunk contains atyeast a quart cf oil,
worth $5 a gallon at wholesale, there
is money in the business.
Most of the skunk pelts are shipped
to a Philadelphia firm, where they are
made up into furs for export to France
and Germany, in which countries they
pass as monkey skins. It is estimated
that Maine's revenue from skunks
amounts to $150,000 or $175,000 annu¬
ally, which is double the sum derived
from all the honey bees in the state,
and certainly more than all the 8000
deer shot are worth to the men who
kill them. From 100,000 to 150,000
skunks are killed in Maine every fall.
The demand for oil is steadily in¬
creasing and the price has advanced
50 cents to $1 a gallon within a year.
The natives prize the oil for its vir¬
tues as a cure for rheumatism and
stiff joints, and large quantities of it
are bought by country traders and
sent to druggists cut of the state.
It is estimated that the annual pro
dustion of skunk oil in Maine exceeds
25,000 gallons, and the quantity is in¬
creased by adulteration with the fatty
oils obtained from hens and wood¬
chucks, a deception which has
proved most profitable to the skunk
magnates.—Philadelphia Record.
The Turkish Admiral.
I remember an amusing incident in
connection with the entertainment of
a Turkish admiral some summers ago.
I had made the admiral’s acquaint¬
ance in a curious and casual man¬
ner. His ship had been lying in the
harbor for some time, and it was a
very beautiful one. A well-known
Venetian asked me if i would like an
order to go over ner with a party
of friends. I accepted, and never hav¬
ing been to the east, was much im¬
pressed with the quaintness of the
whole visit. We went out in a gon¬
dola, and a young officer came run¬
ning down the steps, and said in Eng¬
lish that he hoped I wouldn’t mind
leaving my dog in the gondola, as
the dog was not an animal beloved
of Mohammedans. Then he proceed¬
ed to show us over, but presently a
quiet looking elderly man who was
standing near, and who bore no dis¬
tinguishing marks of his personality
about him, came and took his place.
He then invited us into his cabin,
told us who he was, and clapped his
hands for a huge negro, who appear¬
ed with a tray with Turkish coffee,
edd little saucers of sweetstuff and
glasses of Nile water. We talked for
a long time and became such good
friends that the admiral said he would
like to return the visit. So one bak¬
ing afternoon, as I was sitting in my
window on the ground floor of the
Casa Blondetti, a beautiful steam
launch came down the canal and out
got the admiral. He had just been
to lunch with Don Carlos, the Pre¬
tender, he said, and the repast had
been a gorgufous one, but, alas, he had
come away hungry, for his royal host
had ordered a meal principally com¬
posed of meat, being doubtless un¬
aware of the fact that Mohammedans
may eat only the meat of animals 1
killed by their own people or by
Jews.—London Globe.
Chopin’s "Inspiration.”
Many people have heard the j
"Marche Funebre” of Chopin, but few
are aware that it had its origin in a
rather ghastly after dinner frolic. The
painter Ziem, still living in hale cld
age, relates how, about 56 years ago,
he had given a little Bohemian din¬
ner in his studio, which was divided
by hangings into three sections. In
one of these was a skeleton some¬
times used by Ziem for “draping,”
and an old piano covered with a sheet.
During the after dinner fun Ziem and
the painter Ricard crept into this sec¬
tion, and wraping the old sheet like
a pall around the skeleton, carried it
among their comrades, where Polignac
seized it, and wraping himself with
the skeleton in the sheet sat down to
play a queer dance of death at the
wheezy old piano. In the midst of it
all Chopin, who was of the
sei:
irefvKfiy ^jXirvd^ .31
rCC&JMe
Truiis form lit ion.
I find no fuder s skill can show
How Heaven doth wash so white the snow;
iVhat miracle of pure new birth
Hath glorified these drops of earth,
t only know the upper air
Hath wrought this change that moves a
A holier prayer; secret angels know,
How souls are made more white than
snow.
Though Though once sunken in deep clouds of lands thunder forlorn, born,
in
Yet mgy the skies their gift reclaim,
And write thereto this white new name.
AH But moveless, spirit changeless, and lies of the God; clod,
Though comes, have lain goes,
The heavens we so dark, so low,
can make us white as snow.
—Carl Spencer.
When Beil Time Comes.
On a Santa Fe train going out of Kan¬
and sas City her brood one ni||ht recently was a and mother
of five, four girls one
hoy. fore, and They hai] left Illinois the day be¬
were on their way to “the new
country” has claim where' which her husband and father
a is the new home. The
oldest girl appears to be about fifteen, and
from that age down to the only boy, a
chubby dress and little fellow about four. Their
manner showed that they had
not been reared in the midst of luxury
and opuline, bun with all they were model
children and scrupulously clean. The
mother was thin and bony, her face slick
and shone from' much washing and hag¬
gard her from the Jong flock, trip and the care of
twenty-four precious little for there were
end. hours yet beyond the jour¬
ney’s Wd
88 afte ‘\ ti mc when the train
left i -m Kansas City, and the younger ones
Were keep awake. soon yawning In. fact, and scarcely able, to
the pet of the family
had mosed his eyes and was fast approach
mg "shut eye tfjwn,” while the next eld¬
est tugged her mother at him while she looked appeal¬
ing at with an expression that
was The others pitiful. began Hct mustn’t go to sleep yet!
selves and then ;to whispering the mother, among if
thing exciting hid as
pen soon, all of which happened attracted or would the
tention of other passengers, who sat
wonderment as, they tried to divine
cause of so much whispering and
strenuous efforts to keep the least
awake.
Presently the j cause of this
was made plain “ it was bed time and
had not said their prayers. Quietly,
y> ' V1 t>liout ostentation, yes, even
idly, the mother and her children
together at bate the long seat at the end of
car the Wing his head with
rest and rubbing with chubby hands
eyes that would! hardly stay open,
the evening prayers were said.
Just for a moment, and then they
the children were made as comfortable
possible for the; night, and soon all
the mother wes-p asleep, while the
t'ued eyes and quivering lips of the
passengers, the 'traveling men with
grips, the politician with his schemes,
business man with his worries, paid a
lent but might#-tribute to the
civilizing agent of all ages, the
tian religion.
Here, oh, yon ‘eachers of theology,
a sermon greater than you ever preached!
Jiem, oh, ye choirs, is an anthem
er than you ever pang!
creeds Here, and,doctrines ye host of Israel, quarreling over
and torn with strife
you God evTtaught °" m ° re P ° Werfu! than
save the mother and her brood,
t0 the ‘>' bo, «c in safety, and to
tiieir last home m peace.
Seeds That Will Grow,
act-UffilS J r J !er ® if,,nothing e pKS that will make f a man
SneS8 ° “ n,Can
m g TfV n jny vice is hut a hold
inv ing nm out of the hands for manacles. Sin
Wellspring? 8 ’ afterwards ** compels
Kyi'ssAir- ffirt’ a* » “•
( did ,.¥ and 0 m y rising c ta' at "? to hf something doing something splen¬
and gone, i will take hold great are dead
™ hat 1 know I do with a wil at
pose, and then let can still to a good pur
the eternal love which is
Robert R? Collyer me takC Care ° f thc rest -
“ ft
m~j V N VlOAil itjZ-et kh follows the selfi8h
A,1 __ . 1 1
them deTofiZitTX* t . r \ ou from thcm seeing *4 through “he
U T‘
staTs & litot i tb mU qU J’ smit great out ’ all crimes the
to hide the J re
Little f n (!rod * countenance.
faults d i ° Just ' as well.—H. W.
Beecher.
able aoie thTtrnJ that true work "getting is to be what done, is irrepar- but bv
by cmLkfnb eSt f Wliat We are !t is not
th that ‘
s i we v have not the right
k b Z l ,s 'n« well the tools have,
Wha t ue /9°d » we
msnt-Gods rn-'nl doing, 8 though providential arrange- lie
l it may
n °h r>g r ,fc 'I a 6eries of 111 is
takes ml ' ~
tska.
to'. AraoId . ’ e ,,ai, y Prayer,
n r X T
Mess d th 01 |? ht Do Thou
thlt them and a keep their work Thine,
heart thnuJht i > .through d Thy hlo°d natural laws mv
an ? y flows without
anv il ht of t m i ne 80 my spiritual life
y h 0 ^ irirf ■ course ' at these times
■
mot conspicuously turn
.each particular thought
lean m y prayer, for my
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JANUARY 17.
Subject Tbe Bapllsm anil Temptation of
Jesus, Matt. HI., 13 to iv., 11-Golilen
Text, Matt, iii., 17—Memory Verses, iv.,
3,4—Commentary on the Bay’s Besson.
T. The baptism (vs. 13-17). 13. “Com¬
eth Jesus.” So far as we know this was
His first public act since He was twelve,
years old. “To Jordan.” Probably at;
Aenon near to Halim Nazareth. (John 3: “Unto 2, 3), a John.”j day’s,
Although journey from John His cousin toldj
was we are
(John 1: 33) that he "knew Him not;”
which may mean that John did not know
Jesus to be the Messiah. "To be bap¬
tized.” Any confession of sin was of course
out profession of the question. There was that only a
on the part of Jesus as
-n Israelite He became subject to the
law, and that He was connected with hu
manitv by the ties of blood,., of suffering
and of love. This act was an endorsement
of John and a solemn inauguration of his
ministry. “Forbad.” Earnestly and pressing-
14.
lv opnosed Him. "I have need,” etc. Al¬
Ghost though John his was birth filled (Luke with the 15). Holy yet
from 1:
he needed tbe baptism of the Holy Ghost
and fire. He neded to receive a larger
measure of the gifts and graces of the
Holy Spirit. 15. "Suffer it to be so' now.”
These were the first words of Christ’s
nubile ministry. In this Jesus humbled
Himself at the -mry outset. "Fulfil all
righteousness.” To leave nothing undone
which would be nonoring to the require¬
ments of God. "He suffered Him.” The
same decline modesty which Christ led offered him at him first to
the honor now
caused him to nerform the service Christ
enjoined upon him.
16. "The Heavens were onened.” Luke
says that Jesus prayed as soon as Tic was
baptized recorded (Luke 3: 21). Christ Here is the first
prayer of and its answer.
It was when He was praying that the
Spirit was sent down linon Him, and in
all probability it was this that He was
nraving for. A threefold sign was gh-en:
1. The Heavens opened. 2. The dove
descended. 3. The Father snake. “He
saw.” Christ saw it (Mark 1: 101, and
John saw it (Jnhn It 33. 34). and it is . '
probable that all who were nresent saw it,
for this was intended dove.” to be ITis public has
inauguration. "Like a^ There
been a differenee of opinion as to whether
this was a real, literal dove. Luke says
it was in a "bodily” shape like a dove
(Luke 3: 22). 17. “Mv be'oved Son.”
Jesus Christ is the Son of God from eter¬
nity. He never began to be His Ron. He
was also H’S Son because of His suner
natrral birth, and He was His Son “by
special designation to the work of the
world’s Redeemer.”
TT. The first temptation (vs. 14). 1.
Then.” Immediately after His baptism.
Such are the violent alternations of human
experience; Cod baptized and handed and tempted: the ap¬
proved of over to
devil. “Of the spirit.” Luke says He was
“full driveth of Him. the Spirit:” A divine Mark influence says, the led Spirit Him
on. "Into tbe wilderness.” Tradition lias
fixed upon a high ridge called Quarantania,
near Jericho. Mark says He was with the
wild beasts. “To with be tempted.” Christ
begins His work a personal eneoun
te- with Satan. To temnt is. literally, to
rtreteh out, to try the strength of
Temptation is _ thc testing of a person.,
Lord 2. “Forty fast days.” forty Moses. days Elijah because and they our
could
were in communion with God and living
a ed heavenly during life. the whole Luke savs forty He days. was tempt¬ The
struggle was powerful, personal and in¬
tensely real. Christ for our sakes met
and conquered “Afterward the tempter’s hungered.” utmost After
strength. the forty days ended. an 3. “Tempter
were
came.” How Satan appeared to Christ
we do not know, but if he came
in bodily angel form of light. it must “If have Tliou been be.”
as an
Beware of temptation that conies with an
if in its mouth c ” rpl '»
consciousness
now in a Hlt«suic imvc uccu winm-cu.
Alone in the wilderness and weak and
worn from fasting, Satan saw his chance.
“Stones . . . bread.” You are hungry;
now if You are thc Son of God use the
power You have to supply Your Your necessi¬
ties, and thus temptation prove Satan divinity. In
this first bodily tempts our
Lord, as he did Eve, by the appe- ,.
first. tite. He By this appeals to the he approaches animal nature and i v ’J —
avenue
conquers the great majority of mankind.
Beneath this temptation of bodily appetites
all gluttons, drunkards and debauchees
have fallen and become the devil’s prey, A ’]
4. “It is written.” Dcut. 8: 3. Jesus
answered the devil by using the sword of j
Human the Spirit. support "Not depends live by not bread on bread, aiotie.'’^ but /
upon “God’s unfailing word providential! of promise f
and pledge of all needful
care.” 5-2'J f
III. The second temptation (vs. sc^J
5. “Pinnacle of the temple." The
changes from thc wilderness to Jerusah
Some intended, well known probably pinnacle the royal must hj
been
on the southern side of the tempi
“Cast thyself down.” In His first ri
to the devil Jesus had shown High
bounded confidence in God. Now
takes Him at that very point. If ff
be the Son of God east Thyself woj frond '■
pinnacle. All the world will
so grand an exploit. This was a j
tion to presumption, pride. or “For as Mr.) j
says, to spiritual it n
ten.” The devil has a Bible, but, ’
quotes charge.” and A misapplies. mutilated quotation “Cive hi
91: 11. 7. “Tempt.” Him Deut. the 6:
tempt God is to put to p
demand evidence of His powei J
His will to fulfil His promises,
waiting patiently and trusting. J
ration Carried appealed from to the God love by ol sf
away w
ures or the vanities of fashio? J
IV. The third temptation
“Exceeding high mountain,'!
mountain in Judea, where ’
could be had of the cou
. . of . the kingdoms, third tempi of t!
root
supposition that the 1
he world could w'ere dispose the devil’s of tb k,
me.” Here the devil »
character. Christ wi
worship “not by an
age, but by using for:
temporal "Get kingdom.” thee k
10.
with him no loni
commands him to
third tion teropt atio] ’ “
3l
