Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1893-03-24
FOIBLES OF SHARKS.
A Divers Experience With the
Marine Monsters
They Are Rather Curious, But
Rarely Give Trouble.

the coast of Australia. They become
more numerous, larger and more vo-
racious the nearer we GO to the
equator. Passengers who make ocean
voyages may often see them from the
deck of the ship, but l see them in
their native element, says diver in
Chambers Journal. A day seldom
passes when am at work that l do
not see some of these creatures. They
do not seem to recognize diver when
clad in his diving dress as something
which is good to eat. Probably he is
mistaken for some other great sea
monster with which the shark would
just as soon as not measure his
strength.
AT all events sharks rarely give us
any active annoyance. At first when
we go into new country they exhih-
it some curiosity. They sometimes
come and inspect us and our work,
m owing slowly around us with per-
ccptible motion and smelling us like
great dogs. 1t gives one very hor-
rible feeling of insecurity, l assure
you, when one of those monsters
twelve or fourteen feet long runs his
nose around your body, and without
even solitary s'wag' of his tail to
indicate good fellowship. The shark
will swim away right enough when
he has finished his inspection-at
least he has always done so with me-
and although annoying can stand it
now.
Sometimes when you go down of
morning you will find half dozen big
and little sharks who have evidently
selected the site of your operations as
camping ground. This is awkward.
Perhaps they have observed the dis
turbance at the bottom of the sea,
and, like marine constables, they "are
waiting for the fellow who made it to
run him in" This is an awkward
experience, for these sharks do not
clear off and admit your claim. They
say all animals have fear of man,
but sharks cannot recognize man in
a divers costume. They neither op
pose nor assist us in our operations
they simply ignore us. We have to
be very careful then, walking around
about these pigs without disturbing
them.
have occasionally used small
crowbar as a weapon and struck a
small shark on the nose when he was
annoying me with his persistency.
The shark will then turn and go of
with rush. would not, however,
like to try my crowbar on shark ten
feet long. After his rush away he
might return for further investiga-
tion.
have had many nasty adventures
with sharks when pursuing my occu-
patton. recollect one that gave me
considerable shock. l had been en-
gagged blowing up reef of rocks so
as to enlarge little harbor on the
Coast. 1t was my duty to make the
hole and put in the charge of dyna-
mite. The charge was exploded in
the evening after we left off work.
On going down every morning l was
accustomed to go over to certain
ledge which was always good rest
ing place for Holsters. Morning after
morning l had invariably found a
pair or more of these crustaccans,
which sent to the surface in bas-
ket.
On the morning to which l now
refer | walked straight to the ledge
and ran my hand carefully along its
lower side. was surprised to find
my hand scraping what took to be
the rock, but was surprised still more
when | observed my hand cropping
within foot of the mouth of a great
shark which had retired to rest in this
cavity.
The shark must have been as much
alarmed as | was, for it made one
sprinting from its resting place and
disappeared in the dark wall of the
ocean. The shock to me was greater
than l could have believed. and even
yet do not care to think about it. 1t
is hardly necessary to say that did
not return to that ledge for Holsters
for some time.