Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-07-20

Terrible Fight with q Shark.
An officer on one of the ships Of the
United States Survey Service relates this
instance of his own rashness and narrow
escape with his life. He waded into the
sea at Charlotte Harbor, Fla, to spear
"stingarees," q fish like founder, but
with curious, rat-like tail:
had started up good sized stingaree,
probably about three feet in width 10 two
in length, with q beauty Of tail" and
soon the hunt became interesting Twice
had pierced its body with the boat hook,
and the water in the immediate neighbor-
hood became dyed with blood.
The shoals extend out nearly a mile in
many places in Charlotte Harbor, ard !, in
my excitement, had waded out full half
that distance from the shore, and at least
mile away from my men. The thought
of danger never once entered my head,
though the harbor was full OF sharks,
many of them twelve to fifteen feet in
length. My feet and legs were bare, my
trousers being rolled up as high as posi-
BILE. But | had gone out some distance
from that depth, the water being up To my
waist and not dreaming of peril, was bent
upon the capture OF the fish was pursuing.
| Suddenly, but why, l could never CON
prehend, turned my eyes from the stin
| garee and looked out into the harbor. l
never saw that stingaree again, Tor my
| heart almost ceased to beat as | beheld
monstrous shark, that no doubt had scent
ed the blood of the wounded fish, coming
in direct line for the place where l was
standing.
A feeling of horror pervaded me at
once. Powerless, death stricken 1t seemed,
| gave one yell--shark-and giving one
desperate, agonizing look toward my men
mile away, | turned my eyes, almost
starting from their sockets, upon the mon
ster from which l expected the most hor-
rible death.
The agony and mental torture of that
fearful moment can never be described or
forgotten 1t makes me shudder now to
recall it. AS the shark approached me he
lessened his speed, evidently reconnoiter.
ing the position. His graceful evoiutions; ;
the perfect ease with which he glided
| through the water the under jaw dropped
just enough to disclose the ghttering 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 terror.
In those short seconds lived an age
| Of horror. To see that ravenous demon
80 leisurely confident of his power, and l
almost powerless, waist deep in water, and
no weapon Of defence but common boat
hook. / seemed to shrink into nothing
ness when compared TO my enemy.
| He gave me but few seconds to think
or prepare for death, for quick as a cat
he faced direct for me, and seemed
almost to spring clear from the water as
he dived for my legs. l could scarcely
hold the boat hook in my trembling grasp,
but as his body came within reach l
struck at it it with the energy and despair
with which drowning man would catch
| at a straw.
In a breath l committed my soul to
God, and for the next few seconds be-
came nearly unconscious. Whether the
monster felt the point of my spear or not,
of course | cannot tell l presume, how.
ever, that he did, for he missed me, his
ponderous jaws coming together with a
rush and snap.
Passing full around me, he dashed out
| into the harbor again, but not far, when
/ he turned and began the same maneuvers
as before. My feelings as he sprang for
me, and the revulsion consequent upon
my unlocked for respite, seemed " inspire
me with new courage, and | felt that the
cowardly monster might yet be baked OF
| his prey. gained an astonishing feeling
| of GOODNESS and nerve, and determined To
present firm trent when he attacked me
again, which knew he would.
| / began retreat, stepping cautiously
backward, with my eyes fixed on the
| shark Stealing look toward the boat,
saw with joy that the men had got 1t OH
the beach, and were manning the oars,
That look nearly proved my last, for had
hardly turned toward the shark before he
was upon me. / cannot describe minute
| Iy what occurred, for was taken com
| pletely by surprise, and lost my wits as
well al nerve / saw the dull glare and
ferocity Of those terrible eyes, the almost
white, shining surface of the belly as it
was partially turned upwards, and the
waters dashed in my face.
A deadly cold feeling went over me like
an electric shock, as 1 felt the Shiny body
brush my bare legs; something struck me
| on the chest, and for an instant l believe
became unconscious. The shark seemed
to twist his body completely around me,
the boat hook dropped from my hand, and
| / fell over the monsters back, my feet and
! legs being thrown entirely out OF the wa
ter as my head and body were wholly sub
merged.
Nothing but an interposition 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 little. Iscrambled
to my feet, and, almost wild with terror,
looked for the shark, and none can i'm,
agine the JOY felt as saw him swimming
at full speed toward the entrance OF the
harbOr.
turned my face to the shore and stag
gered along until within few yards of
the beech, when was wholly overcome
and swooned from the effects of the dread
full ordeal had undergone. Falling in
water nearly two feet deep, and after such
a remarkable escape from horrible death,
came within hairs breadth Of drown
ing. The boats crew arrived not second
| too anon AZ IL waa over An hOur before