The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-12-06
Joara.r in 4 Sl,arE,. Month.

4 Spanish DIVER. while at work ba
neath TIE sea on the wreck OF es-.H
~ with thrilling advent ~. and
gives tie following graphic account Of
It AT the time Z was at The bottom Of
the sea, says Al,etto, Il was Just about
TO signal to be drawn up for moments
rest, when / noticed shadowy body
moving at some distance above me and
toward me. In moment every fish
had disappeared the very crustaceans
lay still upon the sand, aud the cutie
fish scurried away as fast as they could
] was not thinking OF danger. and my
lrst thought was that it was the shadow
of passing boat. But suddenly a feel
ing OF terror seized me. | felt nnpelled
TO lee from something; | knew not
what. vague terror seemed grasping
after me, such as child feels when en-
tering darkened room. BY this time
the shadow had come nearer and taken
shape. 1t scarcely needed q glance to
show me it was mau-eater, and one of
the largest size. Had | signaled to be
drawn up then it would have been Ger
tain death All | could do was
10 remain until it left. 1t lay of
twenty or twenty-five feet, Just outside
tle rigging of the ship; its body notion
less, Its fins barely stirring the water
Above its gills. 1t was monster as it
WIS, but. TO add to the horror. the pres
sure OF the water upon my head made
1t appear as If it was pouring flames
from its eyes and mouth, and every
increment of It's fins and tail seemed
accompanied by display OF fire works,
! was sure the fish was thirty feet long,
and so near that | could see its double
row of white teeth. Inyoluntarily /
shrank closer to the side of the vessel.
But my first movement betrayed my
presence. ] saw the shining eyes fixed
upon me; its tail quivered as it darted
at me like a streak of light | shrank
closer to the side Of the ship. l saw it
turn on one side, its mouth open, and
heard the teeth snap as it darted
by me. 1t had missed me, but
only for moment. The sweep
OF the mighty tail had 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 a hawk on a sparrow. The
jaws opened and the long shining teeth
grated as tEey closed on my metal har-
ness. 1t had me. | could feel its teeth
grinding on my copper breast-plate as
it tried to bite me in two-for, fortu-
natelT, it had caught me lust across the
middle, where | was best protected
Having seized me it went tearing
through the water. / could feel it
bound forward ut each stroke OF It's tail.
Had it not been for my copper helmet
my head would have been torn of bF
the rush through the wafer. l was per
fectly conscious, but somehow | felt 10
terror at all. There was only feeling
Of numbness. / wondered how long II
would be before those teeth crushed
through, AMI whether they would strike
first into my back or my breast Then
| thought OF Maggie and the baby, and
wondered who would take care OF them,
and if she would know what had be-
come 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
monsters teeth kept cIunching and
grinding upon my harness. Then !
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 fireworks and rainbows and
sunshine and all kinds Of pretty things;
then l thought was floating away Cd
rosy summer cloud. dreaming the
sounds of sweet music. Then all be
came blank. The shark might now
have eaten me at his leisure and ]
should have been none the wiser. In
agine my establishment, then. when /
opened MY eyes on board and saw YOU
fellows around metz hIfetto was
fotnd by his comrades q few minutes
after the swapping OF the line. lie was
picked up insensiDle with several holes
punched in tic metallic part Of his div
ing suit. - CayScl'y Saturday JouruaI.