The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-02-09
for my heart almost ceased to beat as I

fish, coming in direct line for the place
[ was standing. A feeling or horror
pervaded me at once. Powerless, death
stricken it seemed gave one fearful gel
t-Shark-and giving one despairing,
agonizing look toward my men a mile
away, | turned my eyes almost starting
| from their sockets upon the monster
from which expected the most horrible
death. The agony and mental torture
of that fearful moment can never be de-
scribed or forgotten; it makes me shud-
der now to recall it. As the shark ap
preached me he lessened hisspeed, evil
IDENTIFY accommodating the position. His
graceful evolutions, the Perfect ease with
which he gllded through the water, the
under jaw dropped just enough to dis
close the glitterlng rows of teeth sharp
as razors, the careless. lazy movement of
that powerful tail, and above all, the
cold, horrible glare of those small, yellow
eyes, fascinated me with deadly ter or.
Eo see that ravenous demon so leisurely
confident of his power and [ almost pow
erless, waist deep in water and no weapon
oil defence but common boat hook.
seemed to shrink into nothingness-
compared to my enemy. He gave me
but few seconds to think or prepare for
death, for quick as cat he faced direct
for me and seemed almost to spring clear
| from the water as he Owed for nv legs.
could scarcely hold the boat hook in
my trembling grasp. but as his body
came within reach [ struck at it with the
energy and despair with which drown
ing man would clutch at straw. In a
breath committed my soul to God, and
for the next few seconds became nearly
| unconscious Whether the monster felt
the point of my spear or not, of course
| cannot tell | presume, however, that
he did, for he missed me, his ponderous
jaws coming together with rush and
snap.
Passing full around me. he dashed out
into the harbor again, but not far, when
| he turned and began the same maneu
vefs as before. My feelings as he sprang
for me aud the revulsion consequent upon
| my unlocked for respite, seemed to in
splre me with new courage, and | felt
that the cowardly monster might yet be
banked of his pley. [ gained an aston
fishing feeling Of GOODNESS and nerve, and
determined to present firm front when
he attacked me again, which knew he
would.
began to retreat, stepping cautiously
backward with my eyes fixed on the
shark. Stealing look toward the boat
| saw with joy that the men had got it
oft and were manning the oars That look
nearly proved my last, for [ had hardly
turned TOWARDS the shark again before he
was upon me- | cannot describe minute
ly what occurred, for [ was taken com
pletely by surprise and lost my wits as
we'll as nerve. | saw the dull glare and
devilish ferocity of those terrible ey es,
| the almost white, shining suffice of the
belly as 1t was partially turned upwards,
and the water dashed in my face A
deadly cold feeling went over me like an
electric shock as | felt the Shiny body
brush my bare legs; something struck
me on the chest, and. for an instant, [
believe L became unconscious The
shark seemed to twist his body completely
around me, the boat hook dropped from
my hands and [ fell over the monsters
back, my-feet and legs being thrown en-
urely out of the water as my head and
body we're wholly submerged. Nothing
but an lnterpusition of Divine Providence
saved my life, for the shark failed for
the second time in catching me between
his massive jaws The water seemed to
restore me a little, | scrambled tc my
feet and almost wild with terror, looked
Tor the shark, and none can imagine the
joy | fell as | saw him swimming at full
speed toward the entrance of the har.
tor.
turned my face to the shore and stag
gered along until within a few yards of
the beach, when was wholly overcome
and swooned from the effects of the
dreadful ordeal | had undergone. Fal
ling III water nearly two feet deep, and
after such rem rkable escape from
horrible death, came within hairs
breadth of drowning. The boats crew
arrived not q second too soon as it was
over an hour before | was resuscitated
and then, only after the most unwearied
exertlonS. was as weak as child, and
Tor hours shook like a person with the
palsy. On shiphoard | received eve y
possible attention, but it was many days
before [ was restored to my former con
dition and equanimity. For several
nights | slept but very little, notwith-
standing the administering of powerful
opiates. Whenever | closed NY eyes
would see that shark, and a shock like
electricity would be the result. | served
IN the army during the entire period of
the war and was IN many tight places,
but nothing ever approached the terror
or mental suffering of my encounter with
q shark.
ku IAiuX Outrages i'm Georgia.