Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1889-09-13
Sharks in a Prize Fight.

Rev E ward Rsusford, Episcopal rector
at Brunswick, Ga tells thrilling story of
a shark asns CO tie coast OF Cumberland
Islands
1.-THE Rev. A. g. Dodge, ir., and myself"
he said, were driving along the east beach
on St. Simon's Island, on that part OF the
shore where the Long Island Creek emp;ies
i self inlo the ocean. On that occasion we
Wore witnesses of what I suppose was
spectacle rarely If ever beheld on these
ccas,s-s terrific encounter between two
man eating sharks. Our attention was trst
directed to violent disturbance In the
W Ater, within few yards of the shore. 1t
seemed as though school of porpoises were
keeping holiday and were gambolipg about
ia sheer wanionness. As we drew nearer,
however, we saw first one and then another
black dorsal I'm darting rapidly about, the
water at the. same time being churned
into white foam. On looking closer
we saw two enormous sharks en-
gagged in q deadly fray. We could not
sse how great was the share taken by the
four other sharks, who may possibly have
been filling the roles OF seconds, bottle hold
or, and referee They certainly darted to
and fto and sailed around the two fighters
in & most excited fashion, occasionally Civ
ing one another shove with their snouts
or gentle reminder with their tails to let
others see as well as themselves. Mean.
while The Sullivan and Kilrain of the deep
kept hard at it. At one moment rapid
flank movement would he attempted by
Jake, ouiy to be anticipated by John IL.
whose bulk was about twelve feet, Jake's
being per haps trlfle less. John l.. would
Il Aiun nd upnn n
agaiu and try 10 grab his adversary with
his wick looking teeth, which sounded
with vicious soap as the champion missed
his aim. Jake would then turn and fly,
first this way and then that, his adversary
would. pursue him, aud more than once
they nearly ran themselves aground. Over
and over they would leap, exposing two
thirds of their lengths, coming down with
a thud like the fall of heavy body on q
foor, the swift blows Of their tails throw
ing the water up high in the air. One
moment jake would head up sLrsam,
followed by John l.. A swift turn on
the side and the foamy waves were Grim.
son from wounds made by Jake's enemy's
.rtp. Jake tried to initiate John LIS
tactics, but, being deftly countered, took
flight oceanward. The big one followed,
when two other sharks ioierfered, breach
of honor which John l. at once visited
with punishment. Jake who had gotten
his second wind. puoked up courage and
sailed in for the seventy second round. The
two monsters g,sppled. and for about two
ninu es wild confusion reigned foam, blood,
tails, fms, snouts, white bellies, glisteniDg
teeth, one after the other turned up In my5.
tifyine succession. Had the combatsnts
been able to speak, doubtless the air would
have been filled with curses. But as they
were only dumb fishes, vigorous blows of
their tails, and the quick, sharp olashings of
thei, Jaws, like the snap of steel traps, suf.
iciently emphasized their violation of the
third commandment This battle of the
Titans of the deep at last came to an end
and as Unexpectedly as that in Mississippi.
Whether fnny Sheriff with monstroue
watch put in an appearance or not. or
whether Jake had had enough of it, we
could not affirm, but all of sudden Jake
turned tail literally and dived one way.
Johu L going another. Then both of them
went ou, to sea, perhaps to renew the COM
bat where they would feel less confined by
their surroundings"