Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1891-12-17
THE RAvENOUS SHARK.
HUNTING THE TERRIBLE MAN
EATER OF THE SEA,
why Fishermen Dread the ark---Catch-
Ing Them for Their oii--It Is n
Worry Dangerous and
Hazardous sport.

There are about sixty species OF
sharks known to scientific observers
and this muoh-dreaded creature is
found In every sea plowod by the keel
OF ship. Some OF them such IA the
dog-fisb, are not more than two feet
long, while others are from thirty TO
fifty feet. But thoy are nearly all
feroclous, and the stories that one
reads In Marryats novels about the
many men who have been devoured
by these ruvenous creatures are strictly
true. The shark known as the man
eater---a hugo b asst from twenty-five
TO forty feet long lie for days
near ship. picking up the garbage
that falls overheard. With one snap
OF his jaws he can out tho body OF a
man in two.
All the fishermen along our COASTS
dread sharks says ilarpar's Young
People and tell stories about their
forociiy but they arc not deferred from
hunting them, as tho fish Is very valu-
able Tor tho oil obtained from II,
There are many ways OF catching
sharks. Some fishermen trap thom In
strong nots held by heavy grapnels
and anchors; many export hunters fro
small bombs into them, which often
kill tho fish Instantly; others pursue
Thorn with harpoons in the same way
MS whale Is caught But tho larger
number OF sharks are captured with
hooks, They take almost any kind OF
bat, but what they prefor most is fat
pork, which the fishermen put on u
large hook. to which IL attached
stout bank-lino.
A Canadian fisherman who walked
with q halt once 80 d to mo; You
wonder, perhaps, why | walk like
| this. Vol, II comes Of shark catch
ing. Ono day last summer when We
! could get no Goldfish, either with not
| or hooks, wo thought wo had better
try for doglish or rather, small
sharks for lot OF thom had boon
hanging around us for couple OF
days All other fish were scarce, and
that is tho reason why tho sharks
kept so close to rs. Whom anything
4, WIS thrown overheard. n shark would
thrust his head out OF the water and
seize It. There Is a lot OF oil 10 bo
got from sharks and doglish, and
about August tho liver of tho dogiish
Is nearly all fat
80 we put out our lines, STOUT
banS-lines they were, batting them
with pork. and patiently awaiting tho
result. We did not expect TO catch
any big sharks, but only dog-hsh
which wo knew were around In shoals
| The rest OF the crew began TO haul In
dog-flsh as fast IA they could, because
the brutes we're hungry and snapped
at everything they could cat also
caught two or three dog-fsh and UNI
hooked them, The dog-fsh Is only u
couple OF feet long and IL isn't hard
10 pull him In but his fms will cut
you; and his skin, under the name OF
shagreen, Is used by cabinet makers
and other wood workers instead oil
sand paper, II is 80 rough and hard.
again threw oat my hook aud
line, and this time felt II tremendous
tug ut IL, | pulled pretty hard bu
couldn't draw the fish, and one OF my
mates standing by mo said 'You hav,
got hold Of ono Of tho big follows; b.
easy with him now, no will be wortl
u hundred OF these had caugh
big sharks before, and knew how I,
manage though this was an extremel,
savage one He dove nearly plumb
down into the sen. md let out lin,
as fast as was necessary; then h,
turned and shot up for tho surface
and dnrted In ono direction and nm
other for fifteen minutes, until tired
him out Then ! dragged him along
side, not pulling too hard lest | should
tear out tho hook, and when | got him
TO the wnter-line there WAS not much
| life left In him. We 'bowsed' him
aboard and lot him flop on tho deck.
He was thirteen feet long and had
mouth large enough To bite of and
swallow the half OF u man. | was fool.
ish enough to go up by the head and
begin 10 take Off the rope; but had
no sooner done 80 than he turned on
his side aud seized my leg in his jaws
One OF my mates grabbed an axe, and.
running over, struck the shark five or
six times on the head with all his
might That stunned him. and his
Jaws opened. But he had broken the
bone OF my leg ut the knee. and bit.
ten out nearly q pound OF flesh. be.
sides cutting one OF the tendons This
Is tho reason why ! am lame The
best way to make sure about u shark
is either TO break its skull when you
a Al.