The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-09-12
SHARK story NONSENSE.

these poppycock stories about sharks chewing
human beings all to pieces.
:" have seen sharks in many waters, and OF
all kinds, from the little fellows that sport in
northern waters to the tiger and ground sharks
Of the tropics, but have never known yet OF
awell-authenticated instance of shark attack
| ing human being, and don't believe they
do. unless under very peculiar circumstances
indeed.
81 have known OF instances In the Western
waters-Dake Erie-where a black bass has
| taken a nibble at naked swimmer and IL may
just be possible that at times an inquistive
| shark might do the same; but i never knew
| OF an authenticated case. As said, 1 remem-
| Der one case where n man-o'-war's man return
ed on board from liberty on shore, minus three
fingers of one hand, and with story that the
missing fingers had been nipped by shark while
be and party of messmatcs had been bathing
| up the beach.
1t turned ont that the rascal was n lying
old beach -comber, and the fingers had been
sliced of in drunken fight with lot of Dagos.
That exploded ono shark story.
The worst nest OF sharks in the world, j be-
| lieve, is on the man of war anchorage Mt Cura-
Goa. Sharks are there in thousands and / be-
| leye they include every species known 10 the
Caribbean Sea. IL you throw a beef-bono over
board, the water will fairly Churn by the fight
| ing OF the sharks for the morsel. The anchor
| age is the crater of an extinct volcano, and is
| just at the head of the narrow. canal-like chan
mel that leads out to the sea, mile aud a half
away.
Il was in a vessel in February, 1884, at Gu
racoa, when we lay out in anchorage for ~ full
/ week. The ship was hot, in spite of all the
awnings, and the Captain was asked TO let the
men take buff bath He gave permission,
/ and the mon, almost without exception, were
| ready rs soon rs the boat out aud the
| boom lowered.
4 I Ill. IL
| of-war, when the men are given a buff BATH
| the port boom, for making the boats fast To. is
| lowered away until about six feet of the end is
| below water, so that the men can run up to the
rail to return aboard and. besides. the dingy
1.-THE smallest of the ships boats is sent out to
cruise around and pick up anyone that swims
too far or needs assistance
Well, at CuracOa, the boom was lowered
away. and overheard the men went at once,
while the dingy pulled around about 100 yards
away. The sharks were scared half to death,
and made a dash away from the neighborhOod
| TO point just beyond the cruising dinghy.
when they formed a huge semi-circle and
swan about here and there watching the an
tics of the human swimmers.
Il stood on the top gallant forecastle and
watched the scene with amused interest. /
already knew OF sharks. and had TO laugh at
some OF the men having fun with the sea
hyenas. One OF two men would swim out to
the shark line, when the circle would at once
give way, just as gold fish in a park fountain
viii IL you put your hand in the water, and
then close IN again rs the men would swim
back toward the ship. The men had their swim
there almost each evening of our stay in port,
and the scenes were the same.
" In the same ship, a month or more later, we
lay at the upper end OF the Navy wharf at Key
West. and there the men went overheard each
evening OF two di iierent visits 20 the station in
a MS ms ma dor flo D. ~,
treme end of the wharf. Key West is as bad
as Santiago de Cuba or MatauZas for sharks in
number, size aud variety. Much of the time
while we lay at Key West the boilers were
under repair, and most Of the men were idle
and had plenty Of liberty.
Even the guaranteed men could lounge
about the huge wharf, aud 80 a fayoritc anuse-
ment was fishing Tor sharks 10 get the teeth.
Ihore was no day but that from two to half
dozen or more sharks were hauled out and some
oil them were so large that falls had to be rcged
to land them on the wharf. when they would
be- clubbed 10 death with capsigu bars Yet
the iavorite place for shark fishing during the
day. aud the one where most Of them were
caught. WAS the very point where the men
went swimming each evening.
" hen a shark IS hauled out on a wharf or
deck, he kicks around Just Is any other fish
ever saw does. and then tail aud laws alike are
dangerous. ! have heard OF men being bitten
by iOSlhardily going too close in such cases aud
fancy that Jack 5 elaboration OF such cases 10
wondering lanislnen has given rise to all this
nonsensicai belief.
" However must concedc responsibility for
some OF them 10 general travellers for / have
heard some 0i them tell stories Of places where
have been, and things have seen that would
discount poor Jaek's widest galley yarn
Don't yOn take stock in these wild stories about
sharks chasing boat three miles OF so. or bit
u in, rls. I'll
the other hall after he swallows the legs"
VETERANS IN THE CITY.
w. w. Jerman, Co. II, 18th Ill.,, aud Co. I.
18th ". Y. Cav Waterbury, Conn. Comrade
Jerman is visiting Washington for the first
time since has discharge. lie Is Postmaster Of
large factory in Waterbury, and would be
glad 70 hear from his old comrades
Maj. j. IL simpson, san Francisco Cal Mai
Simpson served in the 3ih Mich Cav. and was
on the STAFF Of Gen. J. H. Wilson. who com
mAndsd the cavalry OF Sherman's army aud
made he celebrated raid through the very
heart Of the C0nicdcracy while Sherman
marched % the sea. The Major now lives IN
California. aad IS prosperous aud respected
business iaaD. aud has heart almost as large
- his body, which IS 10y no means small. he
Is IA ardent adHIircr Of Senator Leland Stan
ford, and he thinks he II one Of the best fricndg
the old soldier ever had, aud cites instances Of
AAD bS'iN4v9+Ag ~ AAg HCbFEaHE WNlCH luliy
bear out his assertions. Mai Simpson says
that when the Encampment Of the c. A 4. was
held Iii San Francisco, Senator Stanford con
tributed $1,000 10 the fund for the entertain
ment Of the Order, aud being President Of the
Southern Pacific Railroad, he ordered that
every excursion throughout California be given
to members Of the Encampment at such rates
a. the Executive Committee sh0nid sec flt 10
charge This order was carried out on every
road IN California through Senator Stanfordig
say 50, ana the members OF the q. A. r. received
the beueft OF very much reduced rates To every
point ia that State which they visited. The
MAJOR also says that whenever an old soldier Is
stranded ia California and applies to Senator
stanford Tor assistance. lac never goes away
empty-handed. lie will receive transportation
% any part Of the United States free Of charge,
aud ia many Cases his proyender is provided
him at tue eating stations along the route,
That Senator Stanford has long been a friend
OF the veterans everybody knows and we arc
sure that every cOmrade Of the unforiunates
whom the Senator has assisted will give him a
vote Of thanks for has kindness aud generosity
10 the afflicted who gave their all for their
country.
John w. Barnes. 9th u. S. C0mrade Barnes
was originally member Of the ed ILL.,, and
was captured with that regiment at the sur
render OF Muiligan, at Lexington, Mo. The
regiment was discharged from the seryice,
as there was no exchange then going on be-
tween the rebels and Federals. and he sulse-
quentiy entered tie 35th Ind. under the name
Of bharkey, and served his time out In that
regiment. lie was captured at Chickamauga.