The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-03-20

Fer eyes, angelic now, look down on you and me-
She still Is busy, busy through the heavenly
hours. -E~stE
Weaving fair celestial life that links with ours
Thus We i've on.
Laura Whitman, in Interior:
A MAN-EATING SHARK.
The "Old Commodore" Got His
Man at Last.
During the spring and summer of 1853
was attached as junior deck officer tc
the United States schooner Para, en-.
gagged in blcckading Mosquito Inlet,
Florida, about fifty miles below St.
Augustine.
The vessel was usually anchored just
outside of the bar, in position com
handing an excellent view up the chan
mel into the inlet, but far enough off tc
allow sufficient sea room in getting un
der way at any time.
Occasionally, in fine weather, the YES
sci would make short cruise up OF
down the coast, always leaving boat
crew. thus maintaining constant watch
over the inlet. We also sent in boat
expeditions from time to time, princi.
pally for the purpose of obtaining fresh
water-as our sole sources of supply
consisted of the rain water we were en-
abled to catch upon our awnings, and
such small quantities as we could OBJ
tain at certain springs upon the main
land.
There were no regular Confederate
troops stationed in the vicinity, but a
band of home guards, or, more properly,
guerillas infested the neighborhood,
whom we were liable to encounter at
any time when landing, which obliged
us tc' take the utmost precautions, es-
pecially against ambuscades, as, about
a year previous, several of our officers
and men had been killed in that manner,
near the small hamlet of New Smyrna,
on the Hillsborough river, about three
miles south OF the inlet.
Being very fond of fishing, devoted
the most OF my spare time to that sport.
Inside the inlet, on the shell banks, we
caught large numbers of sheepshead,
channel bass. and many other varieties
of edible fish, while outside, in the
vicinity of the vessel, there were multi
tudes of sharks, porpoises. and other
large fish, and so engrossed did become
in devising means for their capture,
that actually begrudged the time re.
quired for the performance of my regu.
lar duties on shipboard.
One of the seamen, Tom Stearns, 9
native of the State of Maine, was nv
constant companion on all fishing ex.
cursions. He was fully six feet in
height, well-proportioned, always cheer.
: full and obliging, and brave as lion. He
had been whaling several voyages, and
besides being an expert in throwing the
harpoon and grains Ia large flve-pronged
fish spear). was thoroughly posted
in the habits of nearly all the varieties
Of the ifnny tribes in those waters, sc
that our united efforts kept the whole
crew constantly supplied with fish.
From the mainmast head counted al
one time. within radius of one hun
dred yards from the vessel, upward oil
forty sharks, ranging from six to twelve
feet in length, and seldom day passed
that we did not catch one or more Of
them, as the shark-hook, we'll baited
and securely fastened to the end of a
strong line, was kept hanging overheard
from the stern constantly, day and
night. There was one very large one
among them, that, as we became fami].
lar with the almost daily sight of him
- =
He appeared to be very shy and kept al
a respectful distance from the vessel
He was various'y estimated by the mem
beers Of our crew to be from seventeen t;
twenty feet in length, and was of {
mottled gray color, of the variety known
as the tiger shark, the most dangerous
and dreaded member of that family. II
became my particular ambition to cap
ture the 'Old Commodore" but all
efforts in that direction, though ably
seconded by Tom, were failures. In
vain did we bait the shark-hook with
attractive pieces of fat pork, fresh fish
and other tidb.ts most likely to temp
the "Old Commodore's'' palate. He
would never take the least notice o.
them, nor could we ever get near enough
TO strike him with the harpoon. Ton
finally gave 1t up in despair, saying:
''It's no use trying, sir, we can't catch
that shark. He's an old man-eater. and
is waiting for some one on board of this
vessel, and he'll get him, too. You'll
see, SIR"
One pleasant morning, when the SET
was perfectly smooth, with scarce ,
breath of air stirring, as was leaning
against the rail amidships, idly watch
ing the gambols of a school of porpoise.
near US. Tom slipped up alongside of me
and said:
those porpoises, sir?'
'"That would, Tom, but how are ",
going TO do it?''
II think we can contrive to steal III
near enough in the dingey to put tn,
harpoon into one," he replied. -.
Every well, we'll try it," said I; an
obtaining the requisite permission, w
lowered the dingey, our smallest boat
and off we started with twomen pulling
myself in the stern steering, and Ton
in the bow with the harpoon, to which
one end of long line was fastened
while the other end was secured to tn
forward thwart.
Rowing cautiously and making as lit
tie noise as possible, we soon found our
selves in the midst of the porpoises
which could be soon in all directions
some rising to the surface to breathe
while others. leaping out at full length
foil sideways upon the water with lon,
splash, or with graceful curves of thei
long. 1.-the bodies, plunged back int
their native element, leaving scarce
ripple % mark the place Of their disar
psaxanoe