The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-08-29
From the Pensacola (Fld } Ne,cs.

Gus ElLZen Narrowly escapes q Fear
full Death-Facts About the Gulf
Shark.
From the Pensacola Ella y Ne,rs
1t is reliably related that Gus Eitzen, a
brother of Capt. D. c. Eitzen, the ship
broker, while bathing in Little Bayou last
Sunday, was attacked by a shark. He was
above the bridge and swimming beyond
his depth, when he noticed the dorsal of
the fish cutting the surface of the water, as
the creature came at him with lightning
speed. He swan with might and ma in
for the shore, but the shark was
swifter than he. In a moment the
huge fish was within a few feet of
him; it turned on its back preliminary to
taking hold of its seeming prey, such action,
as is generally well known, being necessi-
tated by the location of the fish's mouth.
Mr.. Eitzen had stopped swimming and was
celebrating as hurriedly as he might the
best course to pursue in order to save him
self from so awful fate. The bank was
distant only few feet. He is a strong
swimmer, and he acted with courage and
skill born of desperation. The shark had
| hardly made the turn described when he
was almost upon the object of his attack-a
quick stroke took Mr.. Etzen barely to
hand ere the fish reached him and, with a
vigorous shove, turned the course OF the
creature, which scraped him as it shot by
Before the fish could recover itself few
strokes had taken tue man further shore
wards, and ere the attack could be renewed
in close quarters Mr.. Eitzen was out of
danger he was visibly affected when he
had regained the bank and he vOmited very
freely before his compoSure was restored.
IL was a narrow escape.
Speaking of the humans exemption
from attack by the Gulf shark, there are
many readers of the NelVs who know of
local drownings in which the bodies of the
victims, when recovered, showed signs of
attacks from nothing but the crab-and at
times when the shark might be ex pected to
manifest prediction for a flesh diet A
few stories have been told of men falling
overheard in Pensacola bay and being cut
In two by sharks before they could be re-
| covered, but they have either been dis
proved subsequently, in the finding of some
of the bodies untouched. or in other cases
been lacking in authenticity.
Beyond Key West there is no doubt that
the human is tempting meal to the man
eaters of those waters; and instances have
been reliably related of the fish's attack on
man at some distance up the Atlantic coast
| of Florida. But in the Gulf or on the Gulf
coast, if there have been such cases, the
record is very meager, and it may be we'll
doubted, in the absence of credible testi-
mony, that the Gulf shark is by nature
man-eater.
During the present summer bathers on
the outside beach of Santa Rosa island have
been startled in the sudden rush of a shark
that would sweep by them iu the surf; and
the story is vouched for that, on one coca
sion, when a young lady and gentleman
with Joined hands were separated by but
two feet, a shark passed between
them, hut an attack was never made
| Men have been known to jump over
| board off Fort Pickens and swim to the
| shore unmolested, and many a sailor
has left his ship in mid-harbor at Pensacola
| and padded himself ashore in no other
boat than his skin. Sailors at present in
the harbor often take dive from the tim
Der moored alongside their vessels, and
with no direful result. and the custom has
been in vogue since ever vessels came to
Pensacola, the record being without refer.
| ence to an attack by a shark.