The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-19
IN THE JAWS OF A SHARK.
A Marine Divers Remarkable Adventure
with Huge Man-Eater.

Marine Divers Remarkable Adventure
with Huge Man-Eater.
Letter in St. Louis Globe Democrat.
The following thrilling adventure with a
shark was related to your correspondent by q
gentleman of authority, and who claims to know
both the diver and the Atlanta which was cap
sized in storm on Sept. %, 1883, on the coast
of North Carolina. He says THE owners of
the craft contracted with diving company to
have her raised and to recover as much of her
cargo as possible Two divers Went to work at
once. They made several successful descents,
but on the fourth trip one of them met with the
adventure which We are about to speak of His
comrade signaled hastily to be drawn up, and
when he had been hauled into the boat he re-
lated how his other comrade had been seized by
a monster shark and carried off, but scarcely had
he done speaking when the that was sup
posed to have been devoured rose from the water
about fifty yards from the boat and was picked
up insensible, with several holes punched in the
metallic part of his diving suit. Means were
successfully adopted to bring him around, and
next day he told the following story:
1--WE made our fourth descent, and. while my
companion clambered into the vessel, / waited
on the ground till he should attach the cords to
draw something out. was just about to signal
to be drawn up for moments rest when l
ticed shadowy body moving at
some distance above and toward
me. In moment every Ash had disap-
peared, the very crustacean lay still upon the
sand and the cuttlefish scuITied away as fast as
they could. was not thinking of danger, and
my first thought was that it was the shadow of
a passing boat. But suddenly feeding of ter
ror seized me. felt impelled to fee from some
thing, l knew not what; a vague horror seemed
grasping after me such child fancies when
leaving a darkened room. By this time tho
shadow had come nearer and taken shape. 1t
scarcely needed glance to show me that it was
man-eater. and of the largest size. Had / sig
nailed to be drawn up then it would have been
certain death. All could do to remain
still until it left. 1t lay off about twenty feet,
in of
body motionless, its fins barely stirring the
water about its gills. 1t was q monster as it
was but to add to the horror the pressure of
water upon my head made it appear as pouring
flames from its eyes and mouth, and every
movement of its fins and tail seemed accompanied
by display of fireworks. ! was that it
was thirty feet long and so near that / could
see its double row of white teeth.
"Involuntarily L shrunk closer to the side of
the vessel. but my first movement betrayed my
presence. l saw the shining eyes fixed upon
me, its tail quivered as it darted at me like a
streak of lightning. / shIank closer to the side
of the ship, l saw it turn on one side its mouth
open, and heard the teeth snap as il darted
by me; it had missed me. but only for
ment; the sweep of its mighty tail bad thrown
me forward; | saw it turn balance ITSELF
and its tail quivered as it darted at me
again. There was no escape. 1t turned on its
back as it swooped down ON me like hawk on
a sparrow. The cavernous jaws opened. and the
long, shining teeth grated as they closed on nv
metal harness 1t had me. could feel it's tteth
grinding upon my copper breast plate. as it tried
to bite me in two for, fortunately, ii had caught
me just across the middle, where Was best pro
tected. Having seized me, it went tearing
through the water; could feel it bound forward
at each stroke of its tail. Had it not been for
my copper helmet my head would have been
torn off by the rush through the water / was
perfectly conscious, but somehow felt 40 terror
at all, only feeling of numbness. ] wondered
how long it would be before those teeth would
crunch through, and whether they would strike
Just into my back or breast. Then I
thought of my wife and the baby, and won
dered who would take care of them, or if she
would ever know what had become of me. All
these thoughts passed through my brain in an
instant but in that time the connecting air-tube
had been snapped and my head seemed ready to
burst with the pressure. while the monsters
teeth kept erunehing and grinding away upon
my harness. Then l felt the cold water begin to
pour in and heard the bubble, bubble bubble as
the air escaped into the creatures mouth /
began to hear great guns and to see FIRE works
and raintrbws and sunshine and all kinds of
pretty things then thought was floating away
on a rosy summer cloud, dreaming, to the sound
of sweet music. Then all became blank The
shark might have eaten me then at his leisure
and l never would have been the wiser. Imag-
inc my establishment then, when / opened my
eyes on board this boat and found you fellows
around me. Yes, sir. thought was dead and
eaten M. sure