The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-01-28
AS RIDE A SHARK.
Daring Feat of Swimming Teacher in q
California Port.

/ That man shonid take q ride on a
/ live sharks back, apparently with all
! tue delight of slid cowboy breaking
in an unrnly mustang. would be diff
cult to believe unless circumstances
wore presented TO verify it. says the
san Francisco Chronicle. Such an oc-
currencc has really taken place, how
ever and at 80 short distance from
San Francisco that any doubling
Thomas can easily satisfy himself by
making a personal Investigation.
For he last few years lie fishermen
in the northern part OF Monterey bay,
near Santa Cruz. have been greatly
annoyed by blsking sharks These
sharks, while ~ search of food. Otter.
run into the nets of fishermen, and. in
tIrashIng about and trying TO escape
from the mesheS which cnfold them,
tear the nets and injure them so that
the fishermen at times suffer the loss
Of hundreds of dollars. Sometimes a
shark struggles about so much in the
water rs TO wrap The nets around it in
such manner that escape is impossi-
hle. and the huge fish dies from the
exhaustion produced by its wild efforts
10 get free. To eXtricate the dead fish
from the nets it is sometimes neces-
sary to tow it ashore. and to recover
part of the loss sustained in the de-
structiOn of the nets the fishermen fry
out the liver of the shark aud obtain
a quantity of cheap but profitable oil.
a Euge basking shark about thirty
or forty feet long, became cntangled
in the nets of some fishermen off
Sequel point, about. four miles from
Santa Cruz. The shark, still alive and
folded in the nets, was towed by the
fishermen in boats to the wharf ut
Capitola. lis arrival created great ex
element among the visitors at that re-
sort. The fact that sharks. any sharks.
were near tire beach drove hundreds
of bathers from the water, and people
began TO make up their minds TO leave
the place. No amount of assurance
on the part of the proprictors OF the
hotel or fishermen that basking sharks
were not man-Catcrs, and that many
had been caught with no accident hap
peniug, could entirely quiet the fears
of the visitors, and bathing was almost
given up.
fact that baskng shark was harm
less therefore became necessary. Swim
ming Teacher Swanson of the Capitola
baths then determined to give an exhi-
bition with the shark which should
convince the most timid. A perform
ance followed the like of which no
man ever participated in before. Swan
son put on bathing suit and swan to
the wharf where the partially exhaust
ed monster lay, still partially wrapped
in the torn and tangled fishing nets.
Slowly approaching the gasping yet
enraged monster. whale in size if not
IN species, Swanson swan close to its
side. and then clambe slowly on
top-a moderately easy task to accom-
plish, rs the shark lay almost entirely
under water. Sitting astride the huge
fish like Il baby on an elephant, the
bold swimmer shouted III triumphant
derision at the several hundred people
on the wharf who had gathered to
witness the strange performance
His song of success was quickly cut
short, for rs soon as the lazy shark
realized it had gathered something
more on its back it began to thrash
about and threw Swanson of. Women
in the crowd shrieked in fear and men
held their breath in excitement. 1t
was hardly Il minute, however, before
Swanson appeared uniniured and
laughing outside of the line Of foam
caused by the sharks struggles. Tne
crowd ON the wharf breathed more
freely when they saw the man emerge
from the. seething waters and realized
that he had not been devoured, us they
expected him to be. The undauuted
swimmer again went to the side Of the
shark, and once more mounted his
marine Stccd. The shark again showed
its fear and anger by shaking him off,
but not SO violently rs before. With
great persistence Swanson again
climbed on the monster.
What seemed before to the many
spectators most foolhardy act and
but the courtship'of certain death, now
became a strangely comicll sight.
Swanson mounted the fish, and The
shark, becoming accustomed to its
queer burden. merely rolled tie man
off each time he got on his back, sim
ply turning lazly III the water and
shaking himself. This was repeated
several times and the large crowd of
people who came expecting to see the
man killed and eaten departed laugh
ing at the ludicr0us ending of the per-
fOrmance. Swanson became the hero
Of tie camp. Bathing was resumed
and even more freely INDUCED in rs a
consequence Of the exhibition, and no
one can now be found in Cape Capitola
who will admit that they fear shark,
or basking shark at least.