Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-10-17
: MAN sEATEes. sF,enr /.

s. snaaAN EATERS FIGHT ea
rye aeasters or sls' Deep uav. = D,.,.~
- ats Enoouneer.
Rev. Ed Randsford told a Brunswick
(Ga) Times reporter the following
story of combat between two sharks:
''Rev. A G. p. Dodge. Jr.. and my
self were driving along the east beach
on St Simons island. on that part of
the shore where the Long island creek
empties itself into the ocean On that
occasion we were witnesses of what /
suppose was a spectacle rarely. if ever,
beheld on these coasts terrible en-
counter in which some half-dozen
man-eating sharks took part +
''Our attention was first directed to
a violent disturbance in the water,
within very few yards of the shore.
1t seemed as if school of porpoises
was keeping holiday, and the men,
bers were gambling about in sheer.
W antonness. As we drew nearer, how
ever. the snorts of our horse and his
unwillingness to go forward told us.
we were mistaken. Driving closer we
saw first one and then another black
dorsal fin darting rapidly about. the
water at the same time being churned
into white foam. We concluded that
we had dropped in for marine hunt,
the porpoise being the quarry and the
sharks the hounds. s ses5
1--WE were mistaken. though, for on
looking closer we saw two enormous
sharks engaged in deadly fray. No
he
not see how great was the share taken
by the four Iookers-on, who may posi-
bly, have simply been filling the roles
of seconds, bottle-holder and referee
in a prize-fght fought according to
the rules and regulations of the prize
ring. They certainly darted to and
fro and sailed round the two center
figures in a most excited fashion. occa-
sionally giving one another shove
with their shouts or gentle reminder
with their tails to let others see as
well as themselves. .
Meanwhile the Sullivan and Kilrain
Of the deep kept hard at it. At one
moment rapid flank movement would
be attem pied by Jake only to be
anticipated by j. L. whose bulk was
about twelve feet, Jake's' being, per-
haps, a trifle less. j. L. would make
a furious dive, then he would rise up
again and try to grab his adversary
with his wicked-looking teeth, which
sounded with vicious snap as the
champion missed his aim. Jake
would then turn and fly first this way
and then that. His adversary would
pursue him and more than once they
both nearly ran themselves aground;
over and over they would leap, expos
ing two-thirds of their lengths, coming
down with a thud like the fall of q
heavy body on a floor. the swift blows
of their tails throwing the water up
high in the air. One moment, Jake
would head up stream followed by
j. L. A swift turn on the side. and
the foamy waves were crimson-fecked.
while Jake was wounded by his enc
my's teeth. ....y....
Jake tried to initiate. j. L. s tao
tics. but being deity countered made
flight oceanward. The big one fol-
lowed and gave Jake two more. in
which proceeding two other sharks
joined-a breach of honor which j. L.
at once visited with condign pun
ishment. jake who had got ten
his second wind. plucked up courage
and sailed in for the seventy-third
round. The two monsters grappled
and for about two minutes wild con-
fusion reigned: foam. blood. tails, fins.
shouts, white bellies, glistening teeth.
one after the other turned up in mys-
tifying succession, kaleidoscope in
their mixed up variety. Had the COM
batants been able to speak doubtless
the air would have been filed with
curses. But as they were only dumb
fishes the vigorous blows of their tails
and the quick, sharp clashings of their
jaws. like the snap of gigantic steel
traps. sufficiently emphasized their
violation of the third commandment.
This battle of the Titans of the
deep at last came to an end as unex-
pectedly as that in Mississippi
Whether finny sheriff with mon
strous watch put in an appearance or
not. or whether Jake had had enough
of it, we could not affirm, but all of
sudden he turned tail, literally, and
dived one way, j. L. going another.
Then both of them made out to sea,
with what speed they might, perhaps
to renew the combat where they would
feel less confined by their surround
I'M s."