The national leader., 1889-01-12
WASHINGTON. D c.. SATURDAY, JANUARY l2 1889.
DROPPED INTO The SEA.
A Boys Miraculous Escape from &
Savage Ocean Vulture.

An old sea captain says, in relating
a recent incident III his experience to
San francisco EIrdmaner reporter:
zone day the mates son, lad OF
fifteen years, fell overheard. A sailor
named Banning leaped into the water
after him. The sea water in this
neighborhood Is so cold that man
can not live much longer than twenty
five or thirty minutes In it: The atten-
ton of every man on board was given
to the two men in the water, but when
one sailor raised his eyes and saw an
enormous bird making direct for the
boy he emitted cry of terror, which
was joined In by every one as soon as
they saw it. 1t did not resemble q
cloud, nor did it carry rock In its
talens, but 1t was an enormous creature
that no two men would care to battle
with under any circumstances. When
Banning raised his eyes and saw the
bird his first thought was to turn
around and make for the ship. Fear
took possession of him, and his strokes
grew less powerful. Seeing Banning's
danger James Gray jumped in after
him. Just as he reached the water the
great creature reached the boy, who
was growing very faint. At first the
bird seemed undetermined what to do.
1t pecked at the boy about the body,
needing not the shouts Of the sailors
who sought to frighteA it away. Itwas
some time before the boat could be
lowered, and by the time it was let into
the water and manned the boy had gone
down once. His sudden disappearance
surprised the bird, which was about to
turn its attention to Banning, when
the boy came to the surface again. ]
ran to my cabin and returned with a
rifle to shoot the bird should 1t grow
ugly. When l got on deck the first
thing saw was the strange creature
rising into the air with the boy, and its
mate, which suddenly appeared, almost
as large. was attacking Banning. He
was on his back. lodging the beak oil
his adversary and swimming toward
the vessel with all his might. 1 was
never more excited in my life. l hard.
ly knew what to do. The boy was be-
Ing carried away and was up thirty or
forty feet IN the air. Shoot the bird,
yelled the mate, running about the
deck like crazy man and shouting at
the top of his voice orders that were
not Obeyed. In shooting I, of course,
ran the risk OF killing the boy instead
of the big bird, if. indeed. he was not
killed by the fall; but there was not
much TINA to think of this; the bird
was still rising, and, after hasty aim,
fired. 1t was an excellent shot. A
wing fell helpless, as 1 had broken 1t |
and the bird tumbled down into the |
water. The second bird, when 1t saw
the boat approach, left Banning and |
made fierce attack on one of the boat |
men, striking him with Its foot blow |
that felled him to the bottom of the |
boat. Another of the crew raised an |
oar and hit the bird with all his might, |
when it flew away, Banning, Gray |
and the boy were picked up. The latter
was unconscious, but after good rub
bing he was brought to. Banning was
about the face, and more or
less injured about the body. The |
wounded bird fought viciously when
an atteml was made to capture it. It
was finally lassOel and taken on board.
Three weeks afterward it died. The
boy said that before he went down he
felt himself losing consciousness and
grabbed at the enormous bird that was
lowering over him. He caught its feet
and held on with the grip of drown.
ng man. He partially regained his
sense i'll the air, but thought he was
higher up than he really was and did
lOt dare to let CO."