The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-06-14
A VIVID SCENE IN FLORIDA.
The Feast of the sharks aud the tsaiis--The
Hattie Of the sharks aud the AitiEatsrs--
The Water itrddrned with their Hisod.

A correspondent If the New York Sun
gives the following graphic description
Of scenes witnessed uu barren and
nearly inaccessible point un tAo coast Of
FLORIDA II You wall look at the map Of
Florida away down the eastern coast Of
the iingrr-like peninsula, yOu may soe
u spot marked Jupiter" on Jupiter
lnlvt Some maps make II Juniper. "
This is wrong. Its uamesake was old
Jupiter the slave uf au army officer,
who was stationed at this point during
the first Seminole war. Jupiter is be-
tween latitude tweuty-six and twenty
seven degrees Although only l2O miles
north Of Key West, il bulges 10 the east
nearly "A degree OF longitude beyond
Cape Canayeral Ii is probably the
most inaccessible aud barren nook on the
whole Floridiuu coast, and can be reach
ed only Ia light draught boats, sailing
the whole length Of the Indian river.
Sharp coral reefs fringe its shore, and
high hillocks of white sand, spriukled
with thick clumps Of scrub and cactus,
rear THEN heads above the inlet. The
lively sand crab catches hrctlirs on the
beach, aud hugh turtles deposit their
eggs Iu the sand. This attracts scores
Of bears from the sWamps and ham
mocks bordering the Everglades; for 10
them tne turtle and its eggs are "a tooth
some delicacy. Spotted tiper-cHts play
among the sand hills 10y moonlight, and
the fierce puma pruwls along the shore
IN quest Of king crabs or more hubstln-
tial diet The largest puma ever seen IA
the State was shot IN TINS region by the
keeper OF the lighthouse. 1t Was 4s
formidable as royal Bengal tiger, and
measured over thirteen feet fTum snuut
30 tip.
The shallow salt water swarms with
fish. Schools Of MULE, aud pompino
flash IN the sunlight, and cayallu, bona
fish, bluefish, red bass, drum. suappers
and groupers are here IN myrials. jew
fish have been caught weighing over 500
pounds Sawiish, lhe fiZe uf young
whales, surge through the narrow chan
uels. and rayruous sharks from twelve 10
twenty feet III length keep IA rigid block
ade outside. A. the tide rises they
come within the ,nlct ia search II prey.
The bass aud other fish that have been
feeding upon the mullet. become in turn
tho victims oi the shark The smaller
fish dart T. and fro. making the water
boil ia their efforts to escape. Millions
are slowly but surely driven into a small
bay by the sharks. who whip the waves
into foam Ia their hungry fury. Peuned
AZ last, the doomed fish leap IN the air
with terror, and shoals Of them run
ashore The sharks charge with rush
Their jaws snap Ike pistol shots, and
mut.lIed fish are scattered over the wa
ter. Schools If parpuisea lUln in the
slaughter. and occasionally an old alli-
gator sLoycs OF from the shore, sinks
himself like a submarine battery. and
steals bauuteaus meal
Nor is an alligator thconly free feeder.
The air Is filled with thousands Of lilac
fcathcred terms and gulls Full well DO
they understand the situation. The
rush uf their wings is Ike q breeze IN q
forest uf pines. and their screams are
dcaicuiug by plaioons they dash into
tie ag4iaiei water. and sore off above
the roaring surf each with fish iu It's
bill. The very air Fparkl-s with fish.
for the Eulls toss their victims up uuul
they catch them los the head Then
t%'y are easily bultei. High above the
terms float tlorEs ~ gray pclicans, larger
than geese. and grave and formal as
judges The wind whistles beneath
their great wings. but they make no au-
dIhlo expression 81 satisfaction. Drop
ping into the waves with a great splash.
after q few luhbcrly mAncuvors they
I'LL their pouches, and sail away as
though the whole affair had been mr.
ranged for their own exclusive benefit.
A party uf stalwarf hcrons pace the
strand ln their Austrian uniforms, and
pick mp the tiny silver fish stopping
ashore during the general commo.iUn.
And las; ami least, uur little Northern
kiugiisher, clad IN o sky blue suit,
springs las little rattle. and hangs On
the outskirts al the battle, picking mp
the choicest tidbits. Sach is an every
day scene al Jupiter during the summer
and fall
lighthouse is the only sign of civil.
cation At Jupiter. II towers leo feet
from q sand hill ON the main land. and is
a plain brick shaft crowned with re-
volving light Heavy eastern gales COM
biuci with the action of the gulf stream.
sometimes shut the inlet. About fifteen
wears ago a storm closed the gap. Bill.
lions ui salt water fish were damned IN.
Then long rainy season followed. The
Jupiter. North. Allokohatchic and Lake
Worth rivers. which empty into the In
dian river within q mile %. the inlet,
poured ont volumes Of fresh water. hut
the ocean had done its work well, and
the dam remained intact. The fresh
water passed through Hope sound and
forced its way 90 the sea through Indian
river inlet. fifty miles north Of Jupiter.
The salt water at Jupiter became fresh.
All the oysters died. Trillions Of tid-
dlcrs and hermit crabs gave mp the
ghost The mangrove trees turned a
sickly yellow, and the thousands Of in
sccts that draw their nourishment from
saline disappeared. Schools Of black
bass left the fresh streams and appeared
nj Jupiter. Solid acres uf fresh water
fishes piled themselves into the blight Of
the inlet, and fought for the sea water
that oozed through the sand at high tide.
The alligators Of the Everglades got wind
Of what was going on. They came down
the Allokehatchic and Lake Worth creek
in scores. and attacked the fish damned
in the blight The slaughter was aston
ishing
The water turned 10 blood. and was
carpeted with dead fish. The alligators
were rc-enforced until their number was
estimated at five hundred. They gorged
themselves with fish, aud dozed away
their DAYS on the hot sand beneath the
scorching rays of the sun. The beach
was black with their mailed bodies. At
night their muttcrcd thunder fairly
shook the foundations 81 the lighthouse.
One day n north wind arose. Ii gath
cred in strength day hy day until its
fury WIS that of n gale. It began 10
back mp the waters in the inlet. Rain
fell. and the waters increased in depth.
The wind shifted 70 the northwest. A high
nenp tide followed As il began 10 fall,
thread Of fresh wnter found its wAy
over the sandy barrier. Within twenty
minutes the dam was burst, and the pent
mp waters were roaring and rushing into
the sea. The army Of alligntors was
caught in the flood and carried outside.
A terrific fight ensued The neap tide
had brought hundreds Of enormous
sharks 10 the coast. They scented the
fresh water and made for the inlet. Fran
tic after their enforced fasting during the
storm, they attacked the alhgators. The
noise Of the combat was heard above the
roar of the ocean. A son of Judge Paine,
Of Fort Capron, who was an eyewitness of
the scene, tells me that he saw sharks
and alligators rise on the crest of the
waves and fight like dogs.
Many of the killed floated belly up