Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-11-06
THRILLING STORY OF A SHARK
The Experience of Diver.
Casselrs Saturday Journal

A Spanish diver, while az work
beneath the sea on the wreck Of yes
sci, met with a thrilling adventure,
and gives the following graphic &C.
count of it;
SAT the time | was at the bottom of
the sea. says Aifetto, II was Just
about to signal to be drawn up for a
moments rest, when | noticed a
shadowy body moving at some dis
lance above and toward me. In a
moment every fish had disappeared,
the very crustac ans lay still upon the
sand, and the cuttlefsh Scurrled away
as fast as they could. was not think
ing Il danger, and my FIRST thought
was that il was the shadow of a passing
boat. But suddenly feeling of hor-
ror seized me. | felt lmpelled to flee
from something. | knew not what.
A vague horror seemed grasping after
me, such as child feels when enter
ing a darkened room. By this time
the shadow had come nearer and
taken shape, 1t scarcely needed q
glance to show me that it was a man
eater and one of the largest size.
Had signaled to be drawn up then it
would have been certain death. All
| could do was to remain until 1t left.
1t lay twenty or twenty five feet Just
outside of the rigging of the ship, its
body motionless, its fins barely stir
ring the water above its gills. L was
monster rs it was, but to add to the
horror, the pressure of the water upon
my head made it appear as If it were
pouriag flames from its ewes aud
mouth, and every movement OF its
fins and tail seemed accompanied by
"A display of fireworks. | was sure the
fish was thirty feet long, and so near
that | could see its double row Of
white teeth. Involunarily ] shrank
closer to the side of the vessci. But
my first movement betrayed my pres
ence. ! saw the shining eyes fixed
upon me; its tail quivered as it darted
at me like a streak of light. / shran6
close to the side of the ship. | saw it
turn on one side, its mouth open, and
heard the teeth snap as it darted by
me. 1t had missed me, but ogly for
moment. The sweep of its mighty
tail had thrown me forward | saw
ii turn, balance itself, and its tail
quivered rs il darted at me again,
There was no escape IL turned on
its back as il swooped down at me like
a hawk on a sparrow. The jaws
opened and the long, shining teeth
grated rs they closed on my metal
harness. 1t had me, | could feel its
teeth grinding ON my copper breast
plate as it tried to bite me in two for,
fortunately, il had caught me just
across the middle, where was best
protected Having seized me it went
tearing through the water. ! could
/ feel it bound forward at each stroke
of its tail. Had ii 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 ter
ror at ALL There was only a feeling
of nurhbness / wondered how long
il would be before those teeth chrush-
through, and whether they would
first strike into my back or my breast
Then [ thought OF Maggie and the
pdDN ant NOuhtItu VIM WbulN lhhi
care of them, AID if she would ever
know what had become of me. These
thoughts passed through my brain in
an instant, but in that lime the con
Meeting air tube had been snapped
and my head seemed ready TO burst
with pressure, while the monsters
teeth kept crunching and grinding
upon my harness. Then | felt the
cold water began 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 fireworks and rainbows
and sunshine and all kinds Of pretty
things; then thought ] was floating
away on a rosy summer cloud,
dreaming the sounds OF sweet music
Then all became blank The shark
might have eaten me at his leisure
and | should have been none the
wiser Imagine my astonishment,
then. when ! opened my eyes on
board and saw you fellows around
mem Alletto was found by bis com
rades few minutes after the swapping
OF the line He was picked up in.
sensible with several holes punched
in the metallic part Of his diving
st1it