Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-26
THE DADDY OF THE SHARES.
he Smashes a Boat and Hurls Two
Fishermen Head Over Heels.


Fishermen Head Over Heels.
A correspondent of the st. Louis Globe.
Democrat, writing from Key West, Fla,
relates the following shark story:
The shallow waters around this city is
the home of millions. more or less, OF big
man-eating sharks, and scarcely day
passes but what one or more are killed
from the wharves and in the shallow
waters around the island.
w. S. Wilson and Duke Dart, of the
Naval Station, recently had big expert
ence with fine specimen of the man-eat-
ing variety that will last them for several
years, so they say.
The other afternoon, while near the bar
racks, they saw several huge specimens
swimming in the shallow waters, their
huge dorsal Ems going in every direction.
Aiming themselves with couple of heavy
bore rifles, they started out. After chasing
the daddy" of the gang around for some
time, they got close to him and planked
two bullets from A Winches.ers through
his ugly body. The big shark leaped clear
out OF the water on feeling the bullets, and
came down with swash, nearly upsetting
their boat. To their surprise he then be-
came perfectly quiet, and as they thought
they had secured a prize without much
trouble, they hastily pulled up to him, pnt.
ting rope round his body, started to tow
him to shore.
All at once the seemingly dead shark
awoke to the ignominious fact that he was
being towed hind end first into land, and
his objection was shown very strongly.
With dash of his big tail the end of the
boat was knocked to pieces, and the two
| shark fishermen were hurled head over
heels about ten feet into six feet of water.
| with scores of other sharks in very close
4 verl rr,st Tha l. IL l.
circle round the two wet fishermen, the
rope trailing beneath him still fast to some
portions of the boat. The shark hunters,
however, were not thoroughly cowed by
their surroundings, but selling hold of the
rope, attempted to stop the shark. As
Dart explained afterward, it was like stop
ping locomotive with 200 pounds of
steam on.
On feeling the weight on the rope. as
they grasped it, the shark darted forward
with lightning velocity, towing the two
astonished hunters through the water at a
pace that they did not relish. Brayelv
they held on for a hundred yards, and
then, finding the pace too much for them.
| they let go especially quick, as the shark
was heading out for deeper water.
The big shark, finding himself partially
free, again turned and came straight for
| them with a tremendous plunge As he
came up he turned over on his back.
opened his capacious mouth and made a
dive for Wilson. The latter was spy
enough to elude him. springing high into
| the air as the shark neared him. By
some mischsnce, as he dropped back, be
fell a-straddle of the shark. Instinctiyely
his hands caught the knot 10 the rope tina.
was tied round the sharks body, and the
big water tiger, greatly astonished at this
turn of affairs, started of with all his
might.
! Fortunately he was so blinded by his
terror and surprise that he did not know
which way he was going, and. being headed
! toward the shore. be ran up on the sloping,
gravelly beach, and in second or two lay
gasping almost out of the water. As he
struck the sand and glided up the incline
he gave vicious twist of his tail that
sent his rider head over heels on to dry
land. Dart then fastened out of the water
to his compsnion's assistance. and. secur-