The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-12-28
A True Shark Story.

TT may not be generally understood
4 that in the playful marine acrobat,
the porpoise, the shark possesses an
inplacable enemy that will permit no
intrusion on its fishing grounds. The
writer first learned this fact from two
old and experienced fishermen when out
ON fishing excursion one lovely August
day, off Swan Beach, New Jersey. 1t
came in the course of a story, which is
here given as it was told in the boat.
The fisherman were serious and quiet
men, watchful and ready; and 1 noticed
that they not only used no profane ex-
pressions themselves, but appeared to be
annoyed and distressed at the occasional
expletives that escaped me under the
exasperating excitement of losing fine
fish from the hook after hauling it
to the surface. Somewhat surprised at
the demeapor had not been accustomed
to in "toilers of the sea-" L asked them
at last if anything was the matter. They
replied very respectfully, that being
odst church they felt panied by every
thing approaching the sin of profanity,
and that if would listen they would
tell me the story of their remarkable
deliverance from death which resulted
in their conversion. 1t was as follows:
Some ten years ago we were hard
drinkers, swearers, wild surfmen and
fishermen. We never entered a church,
and cared for neither God nor devil.
On fine Sabbath morning in August,
1867, we started at daylight for this very
reef of rocks. With plenty of bait, we
looked for four or five hundred weight
of sea- bass, founders and black fish. At
first we pulled them up as fast as our
lines touched the bottom; then we had
not single bite. Surprised, we looked
up and around, preparatory to changing
our ground. TO our astonishment the
water was alive with sharks. We COM
menced pulling up our anchor, when a
savage fish rushed to the bow and bit
the rope in two. Then we hoisted sail,
but the moment we put the steering oar
into the water several sharks began
biting it into pieces. So we were COM
PEELED to take in sail and drift, We
were in the midst of school of sharks
two miles long and half mile broad.
They were all sizes, from six feet long
to twelve or fourteen. They swarmed
around our boat, and dashed it one-third
full of water with their tails. We had
to bail, one with his hat and the other
with the bait pail. Every. moment
some big fellow would put his nose
almost on our gunwale, while his yellow
tiger eyes glared ferociously at the pale
faces. One shark dashed at the boat
and seized one of the side planks, and
almost shook us out of our seats. For
tunately his teeth broke off, and away
he went with bleeding jaw. In a
moment he was torn to pieces and de-
voured. Then the school returned to us
again.
We were in despair, and never expect
ed to see shore again. We could not
sail, we could not row and were drifting
out to sea. FINALLY, Charlie said: Bill,
we are in an awful muss. Let us see if
God will help u.s." We knelt down and
prayed for help, and confessed our sins,
and promised amendment and repent
ance. We had hardly finished before
we saw great school of porpoises.
They hurled themselves out of the water,
jumping twenty feet at bound. Soon
we were in the midst of them. The
sharks started out to sea, but the por-
poises were too quick for them. They
bit and tore the sharks fearfully. Some
times three porpoises would have hold OF
one shark. Then they jumped out OF
the water and fell heavily on these
tigers Of the ocean. The fight continued
for miles, and we were saved. We