The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-02
BIG FISH ADVENTURE.
A Tacoma Newspaper Munchausen Relates
Shark Story.

A. Tacoma Newspaper Munchausen Relates
a Shark Story.
Dave Hume and Fred Wright, while CON-
ing in from the straits recently, says the
Tacoma News, had an experience that sat
isles them as to the sharks fighting
weight. They had been down to the hall
but banks, off Flattery. in their schooner
Lady George, and had just reached the en-
trance to the straits. when they observed a
commotion in the sea half a mile seward.
1t approached rapidly, and soon they
could see it was a dozen or
more sharks fighting among them
selves. They experienced nj uneasi
ness on that account, however, as both had
approached nearer and nearer, until they
were %plunging and fighting almost under
the schooner's foretop.
Seeing this. and being afraid of some
damage to the boat. Wright seized his rifle
aad fired into the wild mass. Finding that
it produced little effect, Hume joined him,
and they both began shooting into the
sharks. Hardly had half Il dozen shots
been tired before they noticed a change.
The fighting sea tigers fell apart and
seeneu to Dc lAteHt Oh uHulDp bHelT
new antagonists. All at once sew
eral of the sharks plunged directly
at the boat and hit it 2 Resembling blow,
with force sufficient to knock both men fiat
on the deck. A second rush was made and
then the entire school of fish began pound
ing on the schooner's bottom and sides
Backing off Il dozen rods or more, they
would come on with tightening swiftness,
hitting the schooner square, making her
culver from stem to stern. while the force
of the blow would often stun the shark.
Soon : there were several floating on the
waves, stunned by their own mad rushes,
but there were plenty left to keep up the
tight.
AT the next run one shark aimed too high
and he skinned over the rail and fell on
The deck with Il sounding whack narrowly
missing the two badly frightened mariners.
The big fish began ioundering around and
III IL few second he had that portion of the
deck to himself. Hume and Wright were
badly ratified by this time and hardly knew
what to do. They fired at the shark on the
deck, but as they were afraid of making a
hole in their boat they missed him. He
sounded the deck with his big tlail-like tail
and the sailors were afraid the shark would
sink them.
SEEING each an ak. they crept up close to
the fiounderlng monster, and dealt him ter
rible blows. Up vent that enormous tail,
NV Y "a A4C "so " SAobOlA
feet into the air, falling into the water at
the side of the vessel. Luckily the sheets
were trailing in the water. as the sail had
iibed while they were fighting the shark,
and he seized hold and held himself from
going down. but to his horror he could not
draw himself I'D into the boat. Scores of
ugly fins and noses. attracted by the splash.
drew around on that side of the boat. and
he begau to kick vigorously and to
cry for help. Hume had his hands
full, and it was several minutes be-
fore he could CONS to his comrades
assistance. Stunning the Still struggling
shark with one blow nicely dealt on tn
head, he ran over to his friends aid-and
not a moment too soon. AS he drew Wright
up several sharks snapped at him, an excla-
nation of pain from the half-drowned mar
showed that he was bitten, while the blood
that flowed from his wounded foot dyed the
water around for a foot or more. The
blood scent made the sharks furious, and
they began their attacks on the boat again.
tieiceiy they plunged, and the sailors
thought that their last hour had come. as
there was little wind, and they we'll knew
that if the sharks once sunk their boat il
was all over with them.
Suddenly, with an inspiration, Hume
dived down into the cabin. Emerging
therefrom he held a small can of powder il
one hand and a coil of fuse in the other
Swiftly fastening n piece of pork around
the can he fastened on the fuse, wrapping
around it a piece of rubber coat. After
making up this Internal machine he wen
to the stern, where most of the sharks were
Making n short fuse he fired it, not noting
his W danger, and then flung it into the
mass Of sharks.
Before it had la rdIy touched the water a
big fellow snatched it and swallowed it with
a gulp. In Il second came a puff. and Their
pieces of shark were flying ali through tht
air. 1t was a perfect shower. III fact. The
others were daZed. it would seem. for a sec
ond, and then all fed as if Old Nick was
after them. Mr.. Hume says that notwith'
standing his peril, he couldn't help laugh,
ing at the frantic endeavor of the shark.
TO get off. In fact, they fnirly fell over one
another in their fright. He then attended
to his comrade, whose foot had been bit.
ten, but they were so hankf that they
had escaped from instant death that thi:
seemed n tritie. Now thai Mr.. Wright
wounds have healed no laughs at his expert
ence and refers to 1t AZ iocularly as though
1t were an everyday occurrence.