The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-07-19
DIVERS AND SHARKS.
Strange Adventures with Finny Monsters
beneath the Waves.

Harry II. 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
inflammatory rheumatism, caused by ex.
posure rs diver.
"Did you not fear the sharks in your
diving expeditions ?" asked an ERquirer
reporter.
That is u subject about which there is
Il great deal of humbug. Old sailors
with lots Of idle time nii their hands love
to spin yarns about tho ferocity of sharks.
The shark is a cowardly fish. He never
attacks one ua!ess you provoke the quar-
fcl / have met thousands Of them, and
had them swim all around me with their
horrid, CLASSY, dealh-likc eyes glaring at
me. and their huge mouths under their
belly swapping rs though it was ready to
swallow me. The noise that tho air
makes roaring into tho shell frightens
them, and then they see the man ia
moving about. At Callao Harbor, which
is regular sharks nest, went down
forty feet or more aud met lots Of these
ocean devils, but none of them offered to
molest me-"
Divers have various expedients G,s
avoiding these animals, and one was
told me on the Peruvian coast. A diver
was at work on the wreck Of Spanish
man.of.war in West India waters. A
safe containing SO, 100000 was the object
labor the treasure was found. While he
was shackling heavy iron chains to the
treasure box dark shadow, long and
motionless, suddenly attracted his atten-
tion. Looking upward he saw huge
spotted shark, twenty feet long, poised
above and watching every movement as
a cat does mouse. The diver forgot
a9out the $3,000,000, and, walking q
short distance, was on the point of sig.
mailing to the tender to pull him up, when
glance convinced him that it would be
sure death. The shark watched his
every movement, and, with scarcely
perccptible movement of his tail, over.
shadowed his victim with his huge proper.
tions. Never before had tie diver more
need of GOODNESS and nerve, together with
his wits about him. He spied u long
layer OF mud close at hand, and he NOV.
ed toward it. The shark followed, glid
ing stcalthily toward him, while thrill
of horror ran through bis veins. With
All iron bar he stirred the mud, which
rose thick and fast above him; the clear
golden light of the water disappcare d
and the diver escaped.
The only scare ever had with fist.
was when first went down off the South
American coast. had q great big crow.
bar in my hand, which perhaps fell
about foot or eighteen inches below my
feet. Just beneath ne lay huge cattle
fish fast aleep. OF course did not see
him, aud the crowbar went clear through
! him. The cutie fish has peculiar mod,
of attack. lie discharges black hur:ur
which makes the water look like ink
The first thing knew it was so black al
around me could not see my hand be.
fore my face. Icouldn't imagine wha,
had broken loose, aud l signaled to pull
me up. The natives all laughed and told
me it was cuttle.fsh. Not long after
the cutie. fish was worked ashore, and
there was my crowbar gone clean through
him. Cincinnati Enquirer.