The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-13
Jim Hartley's Tale Of Adventure
With Shark OFF Diamond
Head.
On the Oceans Bed He Struggled
With the Tiger Of the
Deep.
Tactics of the Diver in the Unequal Contest
He Ripped Its Chest Wide
Open.

the storm to Talk about yeSte<uuy.
A diver, who gave his name as Jim Hart
ley. cruised about AL Whites all the morn
ing helping to get steam schooners OIL the
bar. and rewsrding the lounGers who placed
them there by telling aas wonderful en-
counter he had with tiger shark 2 month
ago, says the San Francisco Examiner.
He laid the plot of the yarn just off Dia-
mond Head, Honolulu, and there is no doubt
about shark material being plentiful enough
in that locality.
Hartley said he was deaerter from an
English ship, and had learned diving in the
old country. When his funds gave out at
Honolulu the first job that presented itself
was an exploration of the sunken wreck of
of the reef.
"They rugged up the only diving appara-
tus in the islands," said Hartley, land I
tackled it. They gave me little sloop to
work from, and I found reliable fellow
for helper. The only weapon had was a
big knife, made out of the blade of sheep
shears, Ieuess-auyhow, il looked rs though
it was. Everybody told me about the
sharks, but didn't anticipate any big
ones, and sharks don't bother diver much
one landed me among q lot of sharp rocks
and rough coral lodges that didn't like to
move around much for fear of cutting my
air hose, which was old and not overstrong.
II soon went MP, and on the next good
tide made another descent. and this time
her port bow big enough to poke house
through, and was starting to 60 around to
the other side when felt a jerk at both
air hose and signal line. accompanied BY q
swirl of the quiet clear water and sudden
cloud that told the story. l knew that
some big fish had fouled my connections.
but I was not prepared for what saw when
turned my windows upward. A couple OF
fathoms over my head was the biggest
shark ! ever saw, and man-eater II ever
there was one.
His underside trap-door looked big
sure he was one of the tiger kind, though
the Kanakas tell me that species is not
common in those waters. He was having
look at me, and was at a standstill when I
saw him. just waving his fins enough to
keep his position. a.. :,
back mighty quick. knew his game, not
from personal experience. but from what
some of my diving mates had told me.
knew that he would settle down on me in
about minute and that my chances of
winning in a stand-up fight would be slim.
Scared? should say SO, but diver has
got to keep his nut cool under any circum-
stances, and kept my little thinker going
at top speed. I had two main fears, one
that he would break my hose and another
that the fellows in the boat would see him
and commence hauling me up. If they did
it was sure shot that Mr.. Shark would
take my rubber suit for the skin of
Kanaka and bite me in two while was in
mid-water and had no fighting leverage for
my feet. was lucky; the men in the
sloop never pulled pound.
''In minute, that seemed an hour, the
shark commenced to settle. He hauled off
few feet backward, and then came slowly
forward again good deal lower down, but
still not low enough to reach me. OF
course had my knife all ready long before
this. He repeated the performance, and
this time he passed within three feet of me
just over ME. He started to back off again,
and the next trip, thinks l, would fetch
him right at me mouth on. l didn't want
to meet him that way, and as he COM
menced to move gave him the knife with
both hands, right in the stomach. He
stung him, and sting HIM it did. for drove
it good and hard. with pulling slash that
ripped him open for good two feet. The
whirl Of his forked tail knocked me fiat
again and kicked up SO much sand that
couldn't see an inch. gave the line
vicious tug as soon as could find it. and
away went for daylight.
Il passed another one on the way up, but
he was baby compared with the fellow
down below, which was every inch of twelve
feet long, as I'm living man. They got me
into the boat and pulled my helmet off, and
as soon as got drink felt better. was
all of tremble for good hour afterwards,
and pint of perspiratlon ran out of my
boots and jacket when pulled them off
II don't want any more of it. I made
report to the owners that convinced them
there was no use trying to wreck the old
hulk, collected my money and worked my
way up here with Captain Grit6ths.'