The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-05-29
BATTLE WITH A SHARK.
Two Bold Soamon Have a Lively
limo with q Man-Eater.
Ne smashes Their Boat and uurls Uts
Tursuers Into the Air-Aftcr . Hard
Hattie the Monster Il

An~ SHALLOW water around Key West
Fla. Is the homo Of millions. more or
less. Of big ~man-cating sharks, and
scarcely q day passes, says the 81.
Louis Globe Democrat. but that one or
more arc killed from the wharves and
In the shallow waters around the island.
Two officers Of the naval station re-
Gently had a big experience with a finc
specimen o. the man-cating variety that
will last them for several years. SO thcy
say.
The other afternoon while near tho
barracks they saw several huge speci.
mems swimming in the shallow waters,
their huge dorsal fins going In every
direction. Aiming themselves with q
couple Of 9 ayy-borc rifles they started
out. After chasing the daddy" Of the
gang around for some time they got
close 70 hin and piankcd two bullets
from - Winchcstcrs into his ugly body.
The big shark lcaped clear out OF tho
water on feeling the bullets and came
down with a swash. nearly upsctting
their boat. To their surprise he then
became perfectly quiet, and rs they
thought they had secured a prize with
out much trouble. they hastily pulled
upto him, and. putting a rope around
his body, started 70 tow him T. shore.
All at once the seemingly dead shark
nwokc to the ig~nominious fact that he
was being towcd hind-end FIRST into
land. and his objection was shown very
strongly. With a dash Of his big tail
4t.A 49, --r
pieces. and the two shark fishermen
were hurled head over heels about ten
feet into six feet Of water. with scores
Of other sharks in close proximity. Tho
big shark started in a circle round tho
two wet fishermen, the rope trailing
beneath him still fast 70 some portions
OF the boat The shark hunters, how
ever. were mt thoroughly cowed by
their surroundings. but seizing hold Of
the rope attempted 70 stop the shark.
As explained aftcryvard. il was like
stopping a locomotive with two hun
dred pounds of steam on. On feeling
the additional weight ON the rope. as
they grasped il, the shark dartcd for
ward with lightning velocity. towing
tho two astoaishcd hunters through the
water at q pace they did not relish.
Bravely they held on for q hundred
yards. end then. finding the pace too
much for them, they let go especially
quick. as the shark was heading out for
deeper water.
The big shark. finding himself par
tally free, again turned and came
straight for them with q tremendous
plunge. As he came up he turned over
on his back. opened wide his capacious
mouth and made . dive for one Of the
men, The latter was spry enough TO
eludc him. springing high into the air
q the shark ncared him. BY some mis-
chance, As he dropped back. he fell
astraddle Of the shark. Instinctively
his hands caught the knot in the rope
that was tied around the sharks body,
ind the big water tiger. greatly aston
ishcd at this state Of affairs. started of
with all his might.
Fortunately he was 80 blinded by his
terror and surprise that 'e did not
know which way he .ra~ going. and.
being headed toward the shore. he ran
up the sloping. ~gravclly beach. and in q
second or two lay gasping almost out
Of the water. As he struck the sand
and glided up the Incline he gave a
vicious twist Of his tail that sent his
rider head over heels on TO dry land.
The other man then fastened out Of the
water to his companions assistance,
and. securing big pieces Of coral. they
both began pclting the object Of their
wrath. For ten or fifteen minutes the
fight was a right lively ne. inter
spcrscd with many narrow escapes on
their part from the monsters big tail,
but at the end u that period the coral
rock proved too much for him. and he
gave uo the ghost
On being measured the monster
proved 20 be twelve and one-half feet
long and would rave weighed probably
not less than one thousand two hundred
pounds When he was opened they
found one big shoe. a cicar-casc, mouth
organ. and a large number Of bones
that plainly showed that his fame as =
man-eating variety was not q misnomer.