The Worthington advance., 1882-08-10
BATTLE WITH SHARKS.
"A Fight for Life Lasting Whole Az.
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IA isnC 1Of lIllc Lasting VnOle Al.
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From the Mobile Register.
Captain Francis Ganello, Of the italian
bark Maddalena, related the following
circumstance, which occurred to him
while with his vessel at Greytown, Mica
ragua, where he arrived on the 9Th oi
June. He ordered his launch to be
rigged with mast and four oars and
sailors to use them. Taking his ships
papers with him, he entered the launch
and was about to push off when French
passenger, named Leon Birard, asked
the captain to be allowed to 60 in the
launch, which request was granted.
They pulled to within three or four hun
dred yards from shore, when they met
high breakers and saw it was
almost impossible to land, as a sea
was running over the bar. The
captain made 81 gnals to those on shore
to come oif to his assistance, but no at
tention was paid to his movements. He
then determined to try to land, and
pointing the bow of his boat to the shore,
told his men to pull, which they did with
Il will. The launch safely crossed the
first and second reefs, but when they
reached the third reef very heavy
breaker struck the boat, which capsized
and filled. Three of the sailors got each
an oar and tried to make shore, which
they succeeded in reaching in an ex-
hausted condition. The captain with
one sailor and the French passenger
laid hold Of the launch, righted her, and
though it was full of water, got in and
waited for assistance.
While thus anxiously waiting large
school of sharks encircled the frail craft
and continually drew nearer The men
fought them with desperation though
the captain came so near their merci.
less jaws as to have his breeches torn in
several places. From three o'clock un-
til nearly nightfall they kept up the
fight for life, when the captain made UP
his mind to attempt to swim ashore and
told the sailor and passenger to follow
him. The mast of the launch was near
by, entanged in the cordage, and the
captain succeeded in loosening it and
with the sailor at one end, took the 9th
or, They asked the passenger to take
hold of the middle>Df the mast, but he
refused, saying that he feared the sharks
he told the captain that he would wait
in the boat and begged him to send
speedy assistance The venture some
pair were thrown on the beach by a
heavy sea in an exhausted condition
AS soon as TREY partly recovered they
told the citizens Of the passenger vet
adrltt, and boat with six oars was i'm
mediately rugged and went out in search
Of the unfortunate man and the launch,
The captain, having recovered FROM
his buifeting with the waves, procured
another Lcat and pushed from the shore
with one of his own sailors to find the
launch. They searched until the night
was far gone, and finding no trace of
either launch or man sadly returned to
shore. The next morning at daybreak
the governor went out in q boat
with picked crew and examined the
whole coast and found neither boat nor
passenger, and concluded that the launch
had been beaten to pieces on the reefs
and that the unfortunate passenger had
been devoured by the voracious sharks.
Captain Ganello brought a certified de-
position from the governor Of GrcytoWn
relating the above facts.