West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1891-07-09
BATTLE WITH A SHARK.
Two Bold Seamon Have q Llvoiy
limo with a HIan-Dator
lie snsshes Their Boat and Hurts nis
Pursurrs Into the Air--kfter a Hard
Battle tho Monster Is
Overcome.

The shallow water around Key West,
Fla, Is the home OF millions. more or
less, of big man-entlng sharks. and
scarcely n day passes, SAYS the ST.
Louis Globe Democrat, but that ono or
moro are killed from the wharves and
In the shallow waters around the island.
Two officers of the naval station re-
Gently had big experience with fine
specimen of the man-eating variety that
VIII last them for several years, so they
say.
The other afternoon while near the
barracks they saw several huge speci-
mems swimming in the shallow waters,
their huge dorsal Fms going In every
direction. Arming themselves with a
couple OF heavy-bore rifles thcy started
out. After chasing ;ho daddy" OF the
gang around for some time thcy rot
close 10 him and planlScd two bullets
from - Winchcstcrs Into his ugly body.
Tho big shark leaped clear out OF tho
water on feeling the bullets and came
down with swash. nearly upsctting
their boat To their surprise he then
became perfectly quiet, and US they
thought they had secured n prize with
out much trouble, they hastily pulled
mp TO him, and, putting ropo around
his body, started to tow him to shore.
All ~ once the seemingly dead sharl,
hwohe 10 the ignomirious fact that he
was being towcd hind-cnd nrst into
land, and his objection was shown very
strongly. With dash of his big tail
the end of the boat YVES knocked 20
pieces, and the two shark hohcrmcn
were hurled head over heels about ten
fect into six iect Of water. with scores
OF other sharks IN close proximity The
big shark started IN q circlo round tho
Two wet fishermen, the rope trailing
/ beneath him still Gust TO some portions
( OF the boat. The shark hunters, how
( ever were not thoroughly c0wcd by
their surroundings. but scising bold OF
the rope attempted 10 stop the shark.
/ "a c%plaincd aftorwurd, Il was Ike
stopping locomotive with two hun
dred pour6s Of Stcam on. On feeling
I tho additional woleht on the rope. as
they graspcd IT, the shark dartcd for
ward with lightning vclocity. towing
tho two astorished hunters through the
water nt a pace they did not relish.
/ Drcvely they held on for n hundred
yards. and thcr, finding the pace too
/ much for them, they let GO especially
! quick rs the shark was heading out FOR
/ deeper wator.
The big shark, ending himself par.
tally free, again turned and came
straight for them with "a tremendous
plunge. As hc calao up he turned over
on bis beck, opened widc Lis capnciOus
mouth ard faadc dive FOR one Of the
rlcn. Tho l2it2r was apry enough to
clude hi'a. epriaginH high into tho air
az tie shark ncared lin. }y some mis-
chance us he dropped bnclt, he fell
+ astraddlc Cf the shark lnstinctirely
/ his hands caught the knot In the ropa
/ that was tied around tho sharks body.
and the big water tiger greatly aston.
ishcd at this state Of Affairs. started of
with al his might.
! Fortunately he was so blinded by his
/ terror aud surpriEc that he did not
/ know which way he was going. and,
\ being headed toward the shore. he ran
M the slopiug, grayelly beach, and in n
I second or two lay glsping almost out
OF the water AS he struck the saad
and glidcd up the Incline he gave q
vicious twist of his tail that sent bis
rider head over heels on to dry land
/
The other man then hastened out OF tho
water 20 his companions assistance.
and, securing BIG pieces OF coral, tlioy
both began pclting the object of their
wrath For ten or ffteeu minutes the
hght was "a right lively one, inter-
spcrscd with many narrow escapes on
their part from the monsters big tail.
but at the end of that period the coral
rock proved too much for him, and nc
I gave up the ghost.
On being measured the monster
1 proved 20 be twelve and onc-haIf feet
long and would haze weighed probably
not less than one thousond two hundred
pounds. When he was opened they
found ono big shoe, n cigar-case, mouth
organ, and large number Of bones
that plainly showed that his fame as a
man-eating variety was not q misnoTnor.