The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-08-01
Keeling IN a MAN-EATEa.
Exciting Fight With a Shark in Great
South Bay.
From the Nero York Times.

| From the Neto York Times.
The cool, dim shadows of early dawn still
chung to the leeward side of things as old
| Cap'n Joel made sail on the little slooD. A
mild breeze came up from the southwark
and stirred into lazy life the vagrant patches
of mist that hung here and there on the
surface of Great South Bay. Away out in
the solitude Of water the lighthouse on Fire
| Island doomed family against the rosy sky.
As we went along close hauled for the Fire
Island inlet | made ready my new shark
tackle Capt'n Joel had never seen it before
and in ordinary circumstances he would
have been as curious and as eager about it
as child, but ne said never a word. When
| had last fished with the old man had
used a heavy trolling line one end of which
was made fast to the boat. When
hooked a shark l simply hauled in hand
over hand by main force. This year |
decided to put little more skill into shark
fishing. and for that purpose prepared an
extra strong bass rod and reel and fitted to
it as stout line as | could find that would
run readily on the reel. | intended to play
the shark as / would play bass. Old Cap'n
Joel shifted contemptuously but silently as
he took note Of the new-fangled shark
tackle, but let him alone in his she'll.
The wind came in little fresher with the
food, SO that the sloop had good working
ne AWAY. Ouo WOulu Jlbo HulChly duu uOD
too hard, while at the same time she could
be luffed up in a twinkling. [ baited the
large hook with plump mossbunker. which
the old man had provided the day before,
and threw 1t overheard.
"SacK away and stand Off and on across
the flood" said |. The sloop filed away
with lifted sheet. The long line trailed
astern with constantly increasing pressure
Away off on the lee quarter there was
SliUht CnTnmOtiOn the SnrfaCR Of tho
water, and in a moment or two / fancieu
that | could catch u glimpse now and then
of the triangular fin OF shark
Suddenly there came tremendous Jerk
on the stout line, the reel gave a wild
scream and began to revolve like a buzz
saw, and the stiff rod bent like a whip. l
had struck big game. put on the check
very quickly, ana as the velocity of the
line lessened thought OF the pain that the
big hook was causing in the mouth of the
| ferocious sea devil. The pain would stop
him if the line would not. Presently the
liue sackeued and l reeled in furiously.
Ease off and run for it," shouted, or
| he will be on US
The little sloop gathered Roadway and
darted off before the wind, but still the line
was slack. The shark was trying to see
what held him. In about two minutes l
had the line tight again, and then l had the
sloop brought up into the wind. The shark
then took a notion thst he would go across
the bay on his own account, but before he
had made away with the line the lively
little sloop was chasing him. All the time
l kept up a steady pull on the line, now
holding fast and then Stacking away, as the
necessity of the situation seemed to require
The shark was getting vicious. Suddenly
he made lunge and changed his course.
"Jibe over, quick" l called out He's
after us again" The nimble sloop turned
| like a top and went racing away toward
| Babylon with her lee rail awash. Ireeled in
as fast as | could turn my hand The shark
came on like a race horse, dragging the
slack line after him. He made straight for
the boat.
"Luff lively" shouted Huff, or we lose
him" The sloop came into the wind shak-
ing and futtering. 1t may have been the
change of course, or it may have been the
pull of the line but whatever it was the
shark just missed the rudder. If he had
fouled it we should have lost him. l saw
/ him plainly as he darted past, aad in my
perspiring and painting condition he looked
Is be the living incarnation of devllish
ferocity. The ship bore away, and in a mo-
ment more had the shark towing by jerks
at the end of the line, and the line we'll in
the reel at that.
The shark was by no means subdued, how
ever for he led US lively chase for half an
| hour after that. The nimble little sloop ran,
and reached and luffed, and came about.
aud jibed and spun arouud like q crazy
thing, and all the while old Cap'n Joel said
never word. He was kept nearly as busy
as 1 was, for it is 70 small task to keep a
| sloop dancing about on the water like a