The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1878-11-20
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 20. 1878.
Fighting Sharks near New Haven.

NEW HAVEN, August 3l.-When the tide
was right yesterday morning Fisherman Mea-
cham of East Haven and his helpers prepared TO
draw in the immense nets which they had set for
menhaden. For some days the hauls OF these
fishes have been immense and the fishermen have
often been obliged to get extra help. for the nes
were so heavy. Meachem knew yesterday before
he tugged at the nets many minutes that he had
the biggest haul of the season. The water surged
and bubbled like a mill.race, and at times 1t
seemed almost impossible TO make aay Roadway
with the nets. "There's another shark in there
Meacham shouted as be saw The tip of fin shoot
like bullet through the water. Get the axes
and hooks"
Only the dav before the men beached mon
ster man-eating shark which was eleven feet
long, and as ugly as be had chance of being,
and at acother haul last week five more were
beached, the largest measuring seven feet. The
presence Of sharks in that region IS unusual, Tor
the nets are stretched only few hundred feet
from the New York steamboat pier, and not
far from the Yale boat-house Boys have been
swimming there all summer but the latest cap
ture has frightened them.
AS Meacham and his men pulled the net nearer
shore, the white bellies OF the menhaden flashed
10y thousands on the surface OF the water and
there was frequently such commotion that the
men were sallcueu ludI lueTe was JUG
shark. and that they were all big ones and were
swallowing the fish as man would buckle
berries.
The sharks paid no attention to the gentle
motion that was pulling them shoreward. 1t
brought the fish closer and closer together and
soon found themselves surrounded like dog in
there % 600 OF them in the net. The sharks
q snoH-storm. with the little white fishes. AT
| length they discovered they were under restraint
1 and then there began the widest kind OF CON-
motion. The water was ashed with their tails
I until it was fosmy, and the sharks, as the semi
circle which held them, grew smaller, darted
back and forth with velocity that lett wake
( in the water. The pressure they made against
the sides of the net was so great that Meachau
/ was afraid they would break it, and he took al
\ axe and walked boldly into the water to HE
waist and waited with the axe uplifted until 1
: shark got within reach. The white fish swan
4 between his legs in such numbers as almost &c
peril his footing. and we're SO thick that 1t wa
/ hard work TO wade through them. At length a
. monster shark halted an instant in front OF him
and he brought the axe down on its head with
all the force he could The axe sank to the
helve, but the shark only seemed u little stunned
just then another shark brushed by him, ant
turning, he dealt it blow that must have touched
vital part, for the shark raised its head from
the water and vomiled, Mr. Meacham thinks
half bushel of white.ish As he did not SEE
the other sharks, he asked one of the men tt
pass him the hook. This is a sharp barb at
tached to pole which, in turn, is fastened TO
rope With quick motion he thrust the hOol
into the belly Of one of the sharks and then
giving the word the men ashore, fifteen of them
pulled with all their might. The shark Tough
violently but the hook held, and the great hsl
was landed 10 about ten minutes. 1t was al
ugly fellow, measureng eight feet, and with vi
tally enough TO throw the sand of the beach al
over the men. One of them thrust pole int
its mouth. 1t snapped it as man would a pip
stem. Then board was put between the shar
teeth, and the teeth sawed right through il
When Mr. Meacham thrust the hook into tn
second shark, the sudden jerk the men gave Il
the rope ripped the belly open and little shar
two feet long. which the hIg one had probably
sucked in with the white.fsh. fell out. This one
when beached. measured seven feet, and bega
to strew the sand with the whlte-fsh that
yomited. -Four others were landed in the sam
way, measuring six and five feet One of til
men thrust a hook into little shark, and ther
lifting it on pole, stuck its head between th
jaws of one of the big sharks The head cam
of as clean as though severed witt knife. Ate
watching the sharks few minutes, the me
pulled in the net, in which we're thousands
whlte.hsh. The sharks were of the gray maj
{ EATING kind