The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1885-02-18
A Journey in a Sharks Mouth.

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, 81 was just about to signal
to be drawn up for moments rest,
when l noticed a shadowy body moving
at some distance above me and toward
me. In moment every fish had dlssap-
peared, the very crustaceans lay still up
on the sand, and the cuttle-fish scurried
away as fast as they could. I was not
thinking of danger, and my first thought
was that it was the shadow of a passing
boat. But suddenly a feeling of terror
seized me. felt impelled to flee from
something, new not what. A vague
horror seemed grasping after me, such
as child feels when entering darken-
ed room. By this time the shadow had
come nearer and taken shape. 1t scarce
ly needed glance to show me that 1t
was a maneater, and one of the largest
size. Had / signalled to be drawn up
then, it would have been certain death.
All could do was to remain still until
it left. 1t lay off twenty or twenty-five
feet, Just outside the rigging OF the ship,
it's body motionless, its fins barely STIR
ring the water around its gills. 1t was a
monster as it was, but, to add to the hor-
ror, the pressure of the water upon my
head made it appear as if it were pouring
flames from its mouth and eyes, and
every movement of it's fins and tail seem
ed accompanied by display ofireworks.
| was sure the fish was thirty feet long,
and so near that could see its double
row of white teeth.
Involuntarily l 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. | shrank closer 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 only for moment. The
sweep of its mighty tail had thrown me
forward. l saw it turn, 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 on me
like a hawk on sparrow. The jaws
opened, and the long, shining teeth
grated as they closed on my metal har-
ness. 1t had me. | could feel it's teeth
grinding on my copper breast-plate as it
tried to bite me in two-for, fortunately,
it had caught me just across the middle,
where l 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. l was perfectly conscious,
but somehow / felt no terror at all.
There was only a feeling of numbness.
/ wondered how long it would be before
those teeth crushed through, and also
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 ever know what had become of
me. All these things 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 crunching and grinding upon my
harness. Then | felt the cold water be-
gin 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 float
ing away on a rosy summer cloud,
dreaming to the sounds of sweet music.
Then all became blank. The shark
might now have eaten me at his leisure,
and / should have been none the wiser.
Imagine my establishment, then, when
l opened my eyes on board this boat and
saw you fellows around mel" Alfetto
was found by his comrades a 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.