Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-04

And the Mysterious Saving Agency
Was In the Bottom of the Sea.


From the Detroit Free Press
We were fishing in Appalachee bay on the
south coast of Florida, just of the town OF
ST. Marks. There We're five of us in the
boat-four men and a boy fourteen years
Of age. named Harry Rogers. His mother
was widow, and they were stopping with
friends In the town. They were, If re-
member right, from Nashville
We had caught a number Of small fish
when school Of sharks suddenly appeared
to spoil all further sport Every one of our
hooks was bitten off inside of a minute
and the. sharks showed themselves all
aroune the boat Big and little. there were
a dozen of them skimming about, and the
boss Of the school was a monster about
fifteen feet long. He was of the man-eat-
ing species, and not a bit afraid of US. In
deed. We had cause to be afraid of him. He
seemed to be desperately hungry, and for
awhile he acted as IL he meant to jump into
the boat. He finally ouieted down, and
took up his station broadside on to US, and
only ten feet away. There he lay, cycling
every movement Of ours. but never so much
as waving a fin himself until We decided
that We might as well up anchor and pull
in.
We were anchored in thirty feet of water,
having a regular boat anchor and chain
One Of the men had just seized the chain,
when We felt a vigorous tug at 1t, and the
next moment the boat was rushing through
the water as II urged by two pairs of oars
A fish or submarine creature of some sort
had become entangled in the anchor. can
not tell you what it was, as it did not rise
to the surface but it was very strong and
swift. We were about half a mile off the
beach when the anchor was picked up. The
creature headed out into the bay, and when
1t got fairly started the chain was as taut
as If we were towing behind a tug. All Of
us realized just what had happened, and
for the first few minutes we rather enjoyed
It, Then we found we were likely to be
towed out to sea, and with the sky threat
eninS squall, this was not very pleasant
prospect Had the cable been a rope we
should have cut 1t, but 1T was a chain, and
there was no way to either sever II or
loosen 1t from the staple in the bow. The
four men of US creDt to the forward end
OF the boat, and getting hold of the chain
pulled with all our strength, but we could
neither check the speed Of the creature nor
lift il to the surface
had noticed before going forward that
the big shark was following US, his dorsal
fin showing six or eight inches above the
surface. While We were engaged with the
chain the boys hat blew off, and in grab
bling for 1t he lost his balance and went
T.,
when we looked around he was thirty feet
astern in the wake of the boat You can
perhaps imagine our feelings! We hadn't
a thing to throw him as a float, and no one
doubted that the big shark would seize
him before three minutes had passed. For
tunately for Harry, he was a good SWIM
mer. and was also lightly clad. We could
do nothing to aid him, but we all shouted
to him to splash the water with hands and
feet to keep the shark off. He heard and
understood. He cid even better than we
hoped for. He had on light canvas shoes;
these he managed to pull of while treading
water. He also got his coat and vest of,
and the shark no doubt swallowed shoes
and clothing. Harry told us afterward that
the monster kept circling about him, evil
IDENTIFY bent on dashing in and Selling him,
but deferred by the vigorous splashing.
While we were fully realizing our help
lessness the unknown creature whose ac-
ton had caused our misfortune suddenly
turned to the east. 1t towed us few rods
in that direction. and then turned to the
north or shoreward. 1t no doubt wanted
to get rid of the anchor as badly as we
wanted 1t to, and was making every EFFORT
to do so. To our amazement 1t had towed
us only a cables length shoreward when 1t
bore off to the left, seeming to be following
some channel, and headed straight for the
boy. We cheered and called out to him.
and while one got the boot hook ready the
others prepared their fish lines for a throw.
Our tug kept a pretty straight course for
him. towing us at about the rate of six
miles an hour and as he saw us coming
he struck out to intercept the boat. We
all stood up and shouted, hoping to keep
the shark off, and 1t is a fact that we ran
SO close to the boy that one Of our party,
a Major Davis of Cincinnati, seized him by
the shoulder and drew him in. The shark
was not ten feet away at the time.
The boy had been scarcely pulled in when
our tug changed its course to the west
and ran US two miles on the shoal called
Turtle bank. The water here was not over
six feet deep, but so thick and muddy that
could not make out the creature at the
other end OF the chain. However, il some
manner unknown to US. 1t managed to get
free of the anchor and went off. making
a great commotion, and that ended our ad-
venture. The boy had tainted away as soon
as he realized that the danger had passed,
and we had pulled almost to the wharf be-
fore he came to. Few men would have dis
played the GOODNESS he did under the cir
cumstances. We could not throw him one
of the oars, as they were chained to prevent
the beachcombers from stealing them, and
he had to support himself entirely by hie
own exertions. He kept turning to face
the shark. and had he ceased splashing FOR
fifteen seconds 1t would have been all day
with him. He said he had no hope Of res
cue, but was determined to hold out as lopp
as possible. But for the strange actions
of the creature which had picked up our
anchor, the big shark would have had
Tennessee boy for dinrer that day He
followed us almost to the wharf seeming
loath to give up. and when he turned to
leave US he gave his tail an angry fan
which II rev water clear over our boat.