River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-11-20
THRILLING SHARK STORY.
The Experience of a Diver.
am GasSelIa Saturday Journal

From Cassells Saturday Journal
A Spanish diver, while at work be.
meath the sea on the wreck of vessel,
met with thrilling adventure, and
gives the following graphic account of
it: "At the time / was at the bottom
of the sea" says Alfetto, Il was just
about to signal to be drawn up for D
moments rest, when / noticed shad
owy body moving at some distance
above and toward me. In moment
every fish had disappeared, the very
crustaceans lay still upon the sand, and
the cuttlefish scurried away as fast as
they could. [ was not thinking of
danger, and my first thought was that it
was the shadow of passing boat. But
suddenly feeling of horror seized me.
felt impelled to flee from something.
knew not what. A vague horror
seemed grasping after me, such as a
child feels when entering darkened
room. BY this time the shadow had
come nearer and taken shape. 1t scarce
ly needed a glance to show me that
it was a man. eater and one of the larg-
est size. Had [ signaled to be drawn
up then it would have been certain
death. All could do was to remain
until it left. 1t lay twenty or twenty
five feet just outside of the rigging of
the ship, its body motionless, its fms
barely stirring the waters aboveit gills
1t was monster as it was, but, to
add to the horror, the pressure OF the
water upon my head made it appear as
if it were pouring flames from its eyes
and mouth, and every movement of its
fins ane tail seemed accompanied by
display of fireworks. / was sure the
fish was thirty feet long, and SO near
that / could see it's double row of white
teeth. Involuntarily / 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
streak of light. / shrank to the side
of the ship. L saw it 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. The sweep
of its mighty tail had thrown me for
ward. I saw it turn and balance itself,
and it's tail quivered as it darted at me
again. There was no escape. 1t turned
on it's back as it swooped down at me
like hawk on sparrow. The jaws
opened and the long shining teeth
grated as 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, it had canght me just
across the middle, where [ was best
protected. Having seized me it went
tearing through the water. L 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 no terror at all. There was only
feeling of numbness. I wondered how
long it would be before those teeth
crushed through, and whether they
would strike first into my back or my
breast Then thought of Maggie and
the baby ana wondered who would take
care of 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 connect.
ing air tube had been snapped and my
head seemed ready to burst with pres
sure, while the monsters teeth kept
crunching and grinding upon my har
ness. Then / felt the cold water be-
gin to pour in, and heard the bubble,
bubble, bubble as the air escaped into
the creatures mouth. l began to hear
great guns and to see fireworks and
rainbows and sunshine and all kinds oil
pretty things; then | thought | was
floating away on rosy summer cloud,
dreaming the sounds of sweet music.
Then all became blank. The shark
might now have eaten me at his leis-
are and / should have been none the
wiser. Imagine my establishment, then,
when ! opened my eyes on board and
saw you fellows around mel' Alfetto
was found by his comrades few min
utes after the swapping of the line. He
was picked up insensible with several
holes punched in the metallic part of
his diving suit.