Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1883-06-21
UNDER WATER,

A Divers Experience with Sharks and
Other Creatures OF the Vastly Deep.
Harry H. Ballard, of New Orleans,
one of the eighteen marine or salt
water divers of the United States, was
found confined to his room in the pay
ward of the Cincinnati hospital by an
attack of infammatory rheumatism,
caused by exposure as diver.
"Did you not fear the sharks in your
diving expeditions ?" asked an EnquiT-
er reporter.
''That is subject about which there
is great deal of humbug. Old sailors
with lots of idle time on their
hands love to spin yarns about the fe-
saffeeiityE- tRff1s tRf sharks The shark is cow
less you provoke the quar-
rel. l have met thousands of them
and had them swim all around me,
with their horrid, CLASSY, deathlike
eyes glaring at me and their huge
mouths under their belly swapping as
though ready to swallow me. The
noise that the air makes roaring into
the shells frightens them and then
they see that the man is moving about.
At Callao harbor, which is a regular
sharks nest, went down forty feet or
more and met lots of these ocean dev-
lis, but none of them offered to molest
me.
Divers have various eXpedients for
avoiding these animals, and one was
told me on the Peruvian coast. A di-
yer was at work on the wreck of a
Spanish man-of-war in West India
waters. A safe containing $3,000,000
was the object of his search, and after
hours Of patient labor the treasure
was found. While he was shackling
heavy iron chains to the treasure box
a dark shadow, long and motionless
suddenly attracted his attention.
Looking upward he saw huge spot
ted shark, twenty feet long, poised
above and watching every movement
as a cat does a mouse. The diver for
got about the $9,000,0O0, and walking
short distance, was on the point of
signaling to the tender to pull him up.
when a glance convinced him that it
would be sure death. The shark
watched his every movement, and
with a scarcely perceptible movement
of his tail, overshadowed his victim
with its huge proportions. Never be-
fore had the diver more need Of cool
ness and nerve, together with his wits
about him. He spied long layer OF
mud close at hand, and he moved tow
ard it. The shark followed, gliding
stealthily toward him, while a thrill
of horror ran through his veins. With
an iron bar he stirred the mud, which
rose thick and fast above him; the
clear, golden light of the water disap-
peared, and the diver escaped.
"The only scare ever had with a
fish was when L first went down off
the South American coast. I had a
great big crowbar in my hand, which
perhaps fell about foot or eighteen
inches below my feet. Just beneath
mo lay huge cuttle-fsh fast asleep.
Of course / did not see him, and the
crowbar went clear through him. The
cuttle-fish has peculiar mode of at
tack. He discharges black humor
which makes the water look like ink.
The first thing I knew it was so black
all around me I could not see my hand
before my face. I couldn't imagine
what had broken loose and signaled
to pull me up. The natives all laugh
ed and told me it was only cutie
fish. Not long after the cuttlefsh was
worked ashore and there was my crow
bar gone clear through hin" Gin
Giaanl.Iti Es1oltirer.