The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-12-20
SHARKS ARE NOT ssAN-KA1ERa


SHARKS ARE NOT ssAN-KA7ERa
TIE lesult or Issuiries and Observations q
All the Seas OF the Woris.
Several weeks ago Herman Oelrichs bold,
announced in TIE Bun that he did not believe
that sharks are man-eatere. He laughed n
the stories that are so common In books o
travel and adventure He called them nctions
That had been imposed cunningly upon the
public or written by persons who had been de
ceiyed. The announcement attracted consid
cradle attention. Tho old sea dog was in arms
because Mr.. Oslrichs attacked the credibility
Of his most terrifying and graphic stories The
traveller was in arms because his friends were
looking suspiciously at him as the victim Of
some such ingenious liars as. once filed old
Herodotus with fictions which ho afterward
put into his history. The boys and girls were
| excited because their favorite awe-inspirer
| was going the way Of William Tell and Joan Of
| Arc and Santa Claus. The result has been
many columns OF most interesting commune
cations from AL sorts and conditions Of
men," setting forth their own adventures
with sharks or the misiortunes Of other men
| to which they have been eyewitnesses.
Mr.. Oelrich's incredulity was not original
| For a long time the Same disbelief In tho ter
ror Of sharks has existed. So far has this dis
| In their remarks about the habits OF the shark.
| as they once were not. Perhaps the best
thing that was ever written on this subject is
| n monograph entitled. Arc Sharks Man
eaters 2" published in 1881, but now out OF
print. Indeed. it never had a wide circulation.
and. being published anonymously. It never
got the credit 1t 80 Justly deserved. The au-
thor is Commodore Samuel r. Griffin. who
commanded the United States brig Rescue In
the Grinnell expedition. and was afterward
Commodore Of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Companys feet. He died In 1887. One Of his
sons. Mr.. Robert H. Griffin. is lawyer in this
city. associated with Col. Robert q. IngersolL
Commodore Griffins monograph is the re-
suit Of nearly half century Of experience in
all the seas OF the globe. II is written in q
clear. concise. direct way which carries con-
viction with 1t. Not only is 1t Of tho greatest
interest to the general reader. but 1t also has u
scientific value. Nothing that has been con-
tributed to the shark controversy in THE Sun
thus far covers such wide range or deals with
the subject SO exhaustivcly. THE author
herewith presents" he says In his preface.
tho result Of his special study and observa-
ton concerning sharks. which have extended
through lifelong service at sea-" He begins
by referring to the widespread beliefin sharks
rs man eaters and to the extent Of the terror
euoS uuNo Au5piou Aio tuhCS w the uNpedE-
ance and the distribution of sharks. and says:
'Some species are confined to certain seas.
known to ascend fresh-water rivers. and in at
numerous In a few the IN Juth Is at the end
Of the body: in the large majority it is under
ah IN eee In tT Ss feet Saslih the
shark. whose liver yields eight barrels Of oil.
ere Ssns q sfsht Sus
some are blue. others white: but by
yoans a!@ss trs% @ ss t thss
few in variety. and from three to sixteen feet
SnS Their sn9uts are blunt mouths large
ground sharks, ugly looking, monsters. ire.
tened to them. Then there are ham mer.head
sharks with remarkable transverse enlarge.
Glue sharks WITS ssres
shasi ;a and sand sharks or dogtshl,es"
q the tropics ' But this IS an
them oitener IN, the Transparent water ter" q
lower ATTITUDES than in clouded water else
,Mssn an aSTe aoek psHS chan GSs
any stretch q tropical coast elsewhere:"
thirty feet and more Of water and SEQ ali that
ss aad o as
has added to his own experience what lie has
te wor On as
SShnndreds Of seamen. whalemen. pearl divers.
South Sea Islanders. kroomen. wreckers.
water he says that alter all tRs sxpepien nee
he has never seen or heard Of well-authen-
ing on q living man or n living land animal ~ |
any Kind Whatever He says he has made It
r hs the
for sharks He has observed many Hundreds |
OF others fearlessly swimming about in tropi; |
far from relief. within few fathoms Of three |
f hap WASHED % s 81
Rsss SSyS TS% fh 'ln s
the backs Of ground sharks which have such
bad l., name me-. Many times by way Of experiment;
Sizes to sharks swimming iaziiy about. once SMa
In the midst e FIVE huge
back Of g huge shark Of most evil mien
tSs ssRssess
s6sSt ths 4siI. %S.S M! \. tai and paSd!s
msneuyTe about it. In the clear blue sy water
Mhoto tuo 5IleutebC InOSon0uC was visible
he would SEQ them carefully and cautiously
inspect this descending and not at al! danger
finally r. lay hold OF # gingerly. He notes the
Dc. as the legends expect them to, do They
dld not turn upon their backs to lay hold Of
the food. but putting the head to one side as
dog or eat does snapped 1t up.
tom % sssnf hss r Sppn
proceeds to dem1nstrats that they are cow
frirhten them rom sa Gorss e n, fon rS ntts to
Of coal SHE'D at one is enough to start It away
A skipjack will dart up and take a SCRAP Of
pork from ,I,a within foot Q, their mouths
re REAL ti,at nc once tied dead pig to line
MI day. but because the body stirred with the
! 4! not believe that sharks ever eHt any live
sharks that he examined he found only ofTal
e ,r. SSarrion. He frequently found ish newly
. What the blzzard is. to the land" Iie says.
M shark is In greater degree to the sea
y searching patiently over an extended area
!or the smallest piece of accomplishing animal