Daily Republican., 1884-08-02

A Spanish diver, while at work be-
meath The SCR, on the wreck of vessel,
met with a thrilling adventure, and
gives the following graphic account OF
it:
" AT the time was at the bottom of
the sea-" says Alfetto, 1 was lust
about to signal to be drawn up for q
moments rest, when noticed shad-
owy body moving at come distance
above me and toward me. In a moment
every fish had disappeared, the very
|crustaceans lay still upon the sand, and
the cnttle fish scurried away as fast az
they could.
" | was not linking of danger, and
my first thought was that 1t was the
shadow OF passing boat. But suddenly
feeling Of terror seized me. l felt i'm
PEELED To flee from something, knew
not what. A vague horror seemed grasp
Ing after me, such as q child fancies
when leaving a darkeHe1 room. BY this
time the shadow had come nearer aud
taken shape. 1t scarcely needed glance
to show me that 1t was . mau- eater, aud
of the largest size.
Had sigpsled to be drawn up then,
1t would have been certain death. Al,
l could do was to remain still until IL
left. It laylOf 20 or IS feet, just outside
the rigging Of the ship. its body motion
| So, its fins barely stirring the water
about its gills.
1t was monster as It was, but to
add 70 the horror. the PRESSURE of th..
water upon my head made it appear az
II pouring flames fron its eyes and
mouth, and every Dovem. mt OF its fins
and tail seemed accompanied by dis
play of fireworks. was sure the fish
was thirty fest long, and 30 near tina,
l could see its double row of white
tech.
"Involuntarily shrank closer to the
side Of the vessel. But my first move.
ment betrayed my presence. saw the
shining eyes fixed upon me; its tail
quivered as it darted at me like streak
Of light. Ishrank closer to the side of the
ship. l saw 1t turn on one side, It's
mouth open, and heard the teeth snap
as it darted by me. 1t had missed me,
but only for a moment.
1.-THE sweep of its mighty tail had
thrown me forward. saw it turn,
balance itself, and its tail quivered az IL
darted at me again. There was 10 Is.
cape. 1t turned on its back AZ it swoop-
cd down on me like hawk on a spar
row. The jaws opened and the long,
shining teeth grated az they closed on
my metal harness.
"lt had me. Icould feel its teeth
grinding on my copper breastplate, as
1t tried to bite me in two, for fortunate
iy, 1t had caught me just across the
middle, where l was best protected.
Having seized me it went tearing
through the water. 1 could feel II
bound forward at ach stroke Of Its
tail. Had 1t not been for my copper
helmet my head would have been
torn off by the rush through the
water.
~ was perfectly conscious, hut some-
how felt no terror at all. There was
only feeling of numbness. 7 wonder
Ell how long before those teeth would
crush through. and whether they would
strike first into my back OF my breast.
Then | thought of Maggie and the baby
them, and 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 pressure, while the monster 4
eoOth hOpn oEN kAihNAb6 upOu
my harness.
Then | felt the cold water begin to
pour in, and heard the bubble. bubble,
rs the air escaped into the creatures
mouth. began to hear great guns and
to see fireworks, and rainbows and sun
shine, and all kinds of pretty things;
then thought was floating away on
q rosy summer cloud, dreaming to the
sounds of sweet music Then all be-
came blank. The shark might have
! eaten me at his leisure, and l never
would have been the wiser. Imagine
my astonishineut, then, when opened
my eyes on board this boat and saw
you fellows around me. Yes, sir, Il
thought was dead and ate up, sure. "
Altetto was found by his comrades a
few minutes after the swapping Of the
line. lie was picked up insensible, with
several holes punched in the metallic
part of his diving suit.