The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-12-21
A TRUE SHARK STORY.

IT may not be generally understood
that in that playful marine aero pnt the
porpoise, the shark POSSESSES an lnplac-
able en- my that viii permit no Intrusion
On its fishing grounds.
The writer tirst learned this fact from
two old and exp rlenced fishermen
when out on a hshIng excursion one
lovely August day, OF >wan Bea h, Aeg
Jersey. 1t came in the course OF story,
which is here given as It was told II tie
boat
The fishermen were serious AMI quiet
men, watchlul and rea "; and no ICED
that they not only used no proiane eS-
pr -ssions Themselves, but appeared 10 0e
an Dyed and distressed at the occasIo onaI
exp etIves that escaped me under the
ex isprratng excitement OF loOslug hne
fen rom the hook alter han ing II TO ne
surface. 90 ewhat surprised at de-
mranor 1 had not been accustomed TO
in 'toilers OF the sea, l asked them 1t
last IA anything was the matt 7.
They replied very respectfully, at
being relig GUS men and members OF the
Methodist ch rch, they felt panel 10y
everything approach NJ the sin OF pro-
fan ", and that IL l would listen they
would tell ple story o. their relnark1oie
delIserance from death, which resulted
in their cow, Tsion. 1t was as follows
"Some ten years ago we were har
lshermen. We never cnt red a church,
and cared neither IOr Goi nor devil.
Cn a me sabbath morning IN August
1907, We started al daylight Tor this very
reef Of rocks. With plen J o. bait, we
looked for lour or five hundred " ight Of
seq bass, noun icrs and blachish. At
first we pulleI them up as fast as our
lines tou- heI the bottom tn II We hal
not a single bil e. Surprised, We looked
up and around, preparatory 10 changing
our ground. 10 our aston shmeut the
water WAS alive WITH sharks. We com
mencrd puiling mp our an -hors, wh-n a
sava- C fish rushed TO the low ana ult the
rope in two. Then We hoisted SAIL but
he moment We put the steering oar into
the water. several sharks began biting il
into pieces. So We were compelled t.
take in sails. and DRIFT. We we're in the
midst o a schooI OF sharks two miles long
and hall a mile broad. They were oi all
81 es from SIX feet long to twelve or
fourteen. They swarmed around our
boat, and dashed ii one third full Of
w1ter with their tails. W.. had to bail,
one with hIs hat an the other with the
bait ptil. Every moment some big lei
low would put his nose almost on our
gunwale, while his yellow tiger eyes
: ared Zero clously at our pale faces. n5
| shark dashed at the boat and seized one
| OF tn side planks and almost shook US
out Ol our sEltNS. IOf NlsLtLGlN MS l.'ELli
broke OF, and away ne went with a
| bleeding Jaw. In a moment he was torn
into plvces an1 devoured. Then the
| school retu ned TO us again.
1--WE were in desp air, AMI never ex-
| pected TO see shore aLain. We Joul1 not
| TO -, and were ,rIiting out to sea. Final
| iy, Charley sal 1: 'DiIl, We are in an aw-
| 1ul muss Let Us see ii God will help
| US We knelt down, and L praved-ior
help, conf IS d our sins ant promised
amendm nt ana rep -ntancs. We hal
hardly finished before We saw great
shoot OF p rpoises. They hured them
| 5 Ives ont OF water, iuupin twenty feet
| ut a bouni. soon We were IN the midst
ol tn n. The SHARKS started out to sea,
uut tn 81 proposes We're to gui for
them. They bit and tore the sharks
fear uily. combines three porpoises
would have hold oi one shark Then
they junpe1 ont OF the water and fell
heavily on hese tig rs OF the ocean.
The fight continued for miles, and we
were s4v-d. We rowed sa ely To shore,
and beca ne professors OF religion, we
up swearing, drinking and all vices. We
have respect Tor por oises, and believe if
they were not s. plentiful, the New ] er-
sey shore would swarm with sharks, an
tlen gool-by 10 fishing and bathing" -
H4rpe's Weekly.