Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-08-31
Terrific Battle With a Shark.

fishermen had in Delaware bay with a
shark that measured eleven feet and
weighed 400 pounds
John Williams and James johnson,
Of Port Penn, a fishing settlement near
New Castle, went down the bay to fish
for sturgeon Several hours were
spent in casting and recasting their
long net without getting even the
sight Of a sturgeon or fish Of any
kind. They grew despondent and
grumbled at their hard lot in being
compelled to submit to parboiling
process by the hot sun without getting
anything in return. High water came
about IL o'clock, and the two men be-
gan to hope for better luck.
@We were pretty well disguised, \
said Mr.. Williams, in speaking Of the
affair to reporter, ..and when we had
cast the net the Last time told my
partner, Jim, that if we didn't strike
anything in the next haul we would
go home. He assented to this. Just
as we began to make the last haul,
johnson cried out in glee. He said
the net pulled so hard that it made
him think there were two or three
surgeons floundering around in it.
Suddenly the water was disturbed on
the left side of the boat, about thirty
feet distant, and while we were ex-
changing opinions as to the cause Of
the c0mmotion we saw huge fin cut
the water, and then an immense fish
sprang half way out of the bay. 1t
was enveloped in 50 much spray that
we did not at first think it
was anything more than an extraor-
dinarily large sturgeon. We at once
hurried to close in the net, and in five
minutes the disturbance had entirely
ceased. Thinking that the fellow had
escaped through thenet, we were tardy
in hauling in the rest Of it. When the
circle was twenty feet in diameter all
of sudden the monster renewed his
capers under the water, which boiled
and foamed as though it had burst
into whirlpool johnson and / held
on to the net for dear life, for by this
time we were thoroughly excited and
bent on capturing the fish, which we
began to suspect was other than a
cowardly sturgeon. Foam flew in all
directions, which SO blinded US that
we were hardly able to see. Il Thought
frequently the old net would 60 to
pieces, for it was never before sub
jected to such rough handling as it
received that morning. In the midst
of all this the thing jumped out Of the
water not more than seven feet away
from the boat. "If it amt sharkT'
yelled Johnson, who Immediately
seized a hatchet that lay in the bottom
of our boat, and stood ready to hack it
to pieces as soon as it came within
reach. But we did not succeed in
capturing him as easily as we
calculated upon. The next time
he appeared on the other side Of
the boat, which he came near capsiz-
ing by diving under it. The net
became entangled about him worse
than ever at this iuncture, and after
fioundering about for two minutes
johnson buried the hatchet in his
side. Then there was a circus.
The shark sunk out Of sight and came
near swamping the boat by pulling On
the net, which 1 had fastened to a
cleat. When he came to the surface
he dashed wildly at the boat and
strained the bow 50 badly that it began
to leak terribly. Both of US pulled on
the net with all our strength. The
water all around us was red with
blood. johnson again succeeded in
cutting a big cash in the tail of the
monster, which he followed up a min
ute later by spearing him with the
gaff. Then it was the shark, mad
dened with pain, boldly tried to crunch
the side Of the boat in his big jaws.
Now, give it to him 7 screamed
to johnson, who began to ply the
hatchet at lively rate. The monster
maintained his hold on the boat all the
time johnson was dealing him such
terrible wounds about the head and
belly. The blood spurted out of the
fish every time he sank the hatchet
in him, which covered us from head to
foot. We were well scared, I must
say, because we thought it was a
case Of life or death with either the
shark or ourselves. We were miles
away from land, and we knew that if
the boat was swamped and we escaped
the shark we could never swim ashore.
The knowledge Of these facts lent rs
additional strength, and although ]
was well-nigh exhausted ] seized bar
Of iron which lay at my feet and aided
johnson in beating the shark about
the head until he ceased to struggle
We finally got him quelled 50 that we
pulled him into the boat. As soon a.
he felt that he was out Of the water
he began to raise more mischief and
nearly broke the boat with his Hopping
and pitching Then we wished he was
in the water. l was compelled to be-
labor him again with the iron bar unit
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