Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-08-29
SHARKS AT LONG BRANCH.
Pleasant Bathing Companions There
and mt Ocean Grove.

For weeks past the lower bay has
been full Of sharks and porDoises, while
three or four man-eaters at time
have been discovered in Newark Bay
as far up as the Central New Jersey
Railroad bridge, near Bergen Point.
1t has been suggested that the sharks
have been attracted so close to the city
by the bodies of many suicides and
people who have fallen off excursion
steamers but suri-men here say the
man-eater approaches so near in chase
of his prey, the por 2oises, who flee to
the Hudson River TO escape them. AT
Long Branch we have always had
sharks in summer time, and scarcely
a day would pass but that one would be
washed up dead IN the shore. They
would often come over the bar and be
tossed into the bathing grounds and
soon drowned by the breakers. But
this shark was not of man-eating kind,
but harmless fellow, rarely exceeding
four feet in length, and never doing
anything worse than to snap his jaws
in his drowning struggles and scare
every bather out of the water.
Recently, however, fishermen going
out daily to the fishing banks from
Long Branch have seen several huge
man eating sharks patrolling the waters
outside OF the bar, lying IN wait for
venturous bathers. Around Sandy
Hook the monsters were numerous,
and in the Horse Shoe Bay, the crew of
the marine news yacht had sport nightly
cruising about and harpoonlng them.
The presence OF sharks caused much
apprehension that the plucky English
man Webb, in his swim from the Hook
to Coney Island might make a good
meal for one of this man-deyouring
species Of the sea, and caused his
manager, Capt. Hartley, to take the
precaution of having two men with har-
poons always on the side of the boat
next the swimmer. The presence of
the man-eater has made Long Branch
bathers timid, and few venture beyond
the bar.
On last Tuesday morning three Ven
turesome young fellows entered the
water at Ocean Grove, and passing out
beyond the bar, swan south to Ocean
Park. The leader Of the party was
William Killock. of Philadelphia, Is
years of age. Suddenly killoc!l was
heard to cry out for help. Looking to-
ward their companion the other youEg
men saw huge monster lift It's body
half out of the water, while klllock,
swimming toward them, called for help,
saying that he was sinking. Reaching
killock lust in time us he tainted i'll the
water, the young men swan with him
to the shore. They found that the
4. Gu, 80 No laft lncv La
Grated. Shred5 of flesh were torn out
OF the fleshy part, the wounds having
the marks OF many teeth in them.
Ki!lock was brought to Ocean Grove,
and when lac got well enough to talk
|, said that while floating on his back
something snapped at his leg, the sensa-
J ton being rs If II thousand needles
had been stuck into him. He turned
over and rubbed against huge body,
Thoroughly frightened, he struck at the
object, which let 90 Its hold, Jumped
partly out Of tho water and swan
away Young killock IS sure it was q
shark, as it had II shoyal-nose. He
thought its length must have been nine
feet. The wound, though serious, is
not dangerous. and Killoek's physician,
DIR. Kinmouth, says he will be well in
few weeks
: Another narrow escape occurred here
on Wednesday. A party OF several
gentlemen, hiring sailboat, boarded 1t
J from the Long Branch pier and went
out on q fishing excursion. Some one
in the party proposed a swim. The
sea was rough and the man in charge
, of the boat cautioned the others not to
90 in. They insisted on doing SO, and
, the buatmen, rs II precautlon, attached
life buoys to the yacht and threw them
|, into the water for the safety OF the
bathers, who kept swimming near the
boat. Suddenly one OF the ropes NJ
: tached to the life buoys snapped, and
one of the party in the yacht rushing
i. to the side Of the vessel saw big fish
resembling Il shark swimming through
1 the water with the line and buoy. lie
had hardly time to tell the master OF
j the Yacht what he saw when cry oil
: Help help" was heard from Simeon
! Walters, one Of the bathers, who was
l close to the boat swimming for dear
3 life. The master of the yacht seized a
Q light oar, with which he jumped into
the water and swan to the now almost
exhausted man and helped HIM or
$ board.
i Walters said he was apprised first oil
e the presence of sharks by the swapping
| Of one of their jaws. 1t was then he
: screamed and put for the boat, two o
: them following him until the yacht
, man approached, beating the water witt
t his our, when they disappeared. The
!. same day n bather from the Lake
) House, while in the surf atSpring Lake
d Beach, was surrounded by a school o
u porpoises. They disported with him
/ and tossed him up and down severa
e times, but made no attempt to bite
a He was thoroughly alarmed, however
5 and shrieked for help. His cries scared
e oil the troublesome monsters and h'
r made for shore. He said the sensation
was queer as the burly fish swarmec
/, around him and lodged between hi
/ legs, tossing him over, their slim,
4 skin coming in contact with his own
r He said he was not afraid of being eat
4 Il 4 a l... I.,,.,