The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-09-28
ADIREFUL SEA PUSS.
Human Sacrifices Claimed by the
Monster OF the Deep.
FRUlTLESS FIGHTS WITH DEATH.
The Unlucky Bather Who is Once Caught in
the Tolls Rarely Escapes to Tell
the Story.


many dangers that Turk along the sands
within two or three hundred feet of the
shore. The white caps chase each other in
rolicksome frolic, the waves in their I'M
dulating motion give restful and quoting
feeling to the spectator, and the fascination
of plunging into the surf and toying with
the breakers grows apace.
Who would suspect, much less suspicion,
that there could be any danger within a
hundred feet of the shore? Why, the water
scarcely reaches to ones hips. There are
hundreds of people in the surf, and II sug-
gestion of peril would be treated with de-
rision. And yet the very moment the sense
of security seems greatest. that moment the
sea puss" selects for it's work A swish
of water, sinkingo of the sand under ones
feet, Il sudden current of mighty strength,
and the ''sea puss" has seized the bather for
| its own.
| BATTLE WITH DEATH.
Those who have seen victim succumb
to the sea puss" never forget it. The
scene beggars description The victim
sportively and wantonly plunges and plays
in the surf, entirely unconscious of danger
| The shore is only u little distance away
| Suddenly a cry of danger is heard The
victim is seized by mighty force. and
| finds himself powerless to reach the
| beach. Every effort to do so not only ex-
hausts his strength. but sends him further
into the ocean. In the awful excitement of
the moment despair comes upon him.
! Suddenly he sinks once then twice, and
now all is over
| 9ahe ''sea puss" has claimed it's tribute
a human sacrifice Lifeboat and lifeline
ell
tim has passed beyond the pale of human
assistance.
The ''sea puss" is an outward current of
great power between two sand flats. This
current carves channel of greater or less
depth in its course, which extends to the
bar or ocean proper. The channel is al
most always at right angles to the shore,
and serves as sluiceway for a great vol
ume of water The ''sea puss" has several
points in common with the wind-you can
not tell whence it comes or whittier it
goes. 1t appears without the least warn
ing, stays few hours, a few days, perhaps
a few weeks, and it has been known to
linger in vicinity for even whole year.
The bather usually takes Il liking to some
particular spot where the shores slope cas-
lily. the bottom is sandy and the small
waves tOli III WIN iluSiCttl CdQeQceS.
On a day, even while be is standing on
the spot, he feels the ground under his
feet cut away. and lol the 'sea puss" is at
handi
Again, the bather will go into the surf
day after day, and thinks himself perfect
ly at home. What is his surprise on enter
ing the ocean a little later to find that a
great channel has been cut through his
accustomed place, and that one misstep
will perhaps send him to eternity. The
sea puss" seems to be here and there and
everywhere, and safety to the bather is
only to be had at the price of eternal vigil
lance.
AN EXPERT OPINION.
A reporter talked with several persons
along the coast regarding the ''sea puss"
Perhaps the hest account was received
from Capt. Lambert Edwards, of the Deal
Life Saving station, at Loeb Arbour. Capt.
Edwards is II veteran in the service. and
has crew Of seven men under him to man
the life boat.
3 THE sea puss' is one of the worst enemies
OF the bathers," said he, land claims more
victims than even the tiger of the beach
the undertow. The reason so few escape
from its clutches is that it's operations are
so sudden and unexpected that few recover
from their fright at its appearance in time
to save themselves. People go in bathing
on the sand flats and bars near the shore,
and think themselves out of harms reach.
They move hither and thither, driven by
the big waves or the undertow, when sud-
denly they find themselves in strong cur
rent, and mt the same time the water be-
comes quite deep. The current has carried
them to channel whose depth is over their
heads, while fifteen or twenty feet on either
side the waters depth is only to the waist.
or course the bather becomes frightened I
beyond measure at this sudden turn of
affairs. and loses all presence of mind He |
wildly strikes out, vainly endeavoring to |
make Roadway against the force that is |
driving him seward. If he understood ,
the nature of the sea puss and would keep |
cool he might save himself But it almost |
invariably happens that he loses his head |
and does the thing which most surely
hastens his Overwhelmingly, tries to
oppose his strength to that of the current.
The best swimmer is poweress in the arms
OF the sea puss.' His only salvation is to
swim along with it, but at the same time
to head for the flats on either side. In this
way he gets out OF the dangerous channel,
ouu consequently Uue tremendous strength
of the current, and soon lands on one of
the sand bars.
Correspondence with the sea puss' covers
many years, and we know no more about
it now than when we first saw its work.
ings. 1t appears suddenly along our strips
OF beach, stays maybe few hours, and
then disappears, only to turn up again at
IN unlocked for moment and in an unex-
pected place. We have known it to remain
In one spot all summer-yes, all the year
and then, again, to tarry hardly an hour.
1T seems to be caused by flats of sand.
like grdiron, over which the waves dash
rs they plunge toward shore. The volume
Of water in the intervening spaces must
lind an outlet to the sea- Accordingly, all
The eddying currents north and south unite
in one grand channel with which to return
this vast volume of water to the sea. The
sea puss' is, in fact nothing more than
concentrated in one small
Itch leading seward
As a general thing sea puss' is not
more than fifty feet wide, SO that if YOU
we're ever caught in the center of the chan.