The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-13
BARELY SAVED FROM THE SHARK
Aud the Mysterious Saving Agency Was
In the Bottom of the Sea.

IN the Bottom of the Sea.
We were fishing in Appalachee
Bay, on the south coast of Florida
Just off the town of st. Marks
There were five of us in the boat
four men and boy fourteen years
of age, named Harry Rogers. His
mother was a widow, and they were
stopping with friends in the town.
They were, if | remember right,
from Nashville.
We had caught a number of small
fish, when a school of sharks sud
denly appeared to spoil all further
sport Every one of our hooks
was bitten off inside of a minute,
and the sharks showed themselves
all around the boat. Big and little,
there were a dozen of them skim
ming about and the boss of the
school was a monster about fifteen
feet long. He was of the man
eating species and not bit afraid
of us. Indeed, we had cause to
he afraid of him. He seemed to
be desperately hungry, and for
awhile he acted as if he meant to
Jump into the boat He finally
quoted down and took up his sta
ton broadside on to us and only ten
feet away. There he lay, eying
every movement of ours, but never
50 much as moving 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 it, and the
next moment the boat was rushing
through the water as if urged by
two pairs of oars A fish or sub
marine creature of some sort had
become entangled in the anchor. l
cannot tell you what it was, as il
did not rise to the surface, but il
was very strong and swift We
were about half mile off the beacf
when the anchor was picked up
The creature was headed out into
the bay, and when it got fairly
started the chain was taut as if we
were towing behind tug. All O.
us realized just what had happened
and for the first few minutes we
rather enjoyed it. Then we fount
we were likely to be towed out tC
sea, and, with the sky threatening
a squall, this was not very pleas
ant prospect. Had the cable beet
rope we should have cut it, but i
was chain, and there was no way
to either sever it or loosen it from
the staple i'll the bow. The foul
men Of us crept to the forward enc
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 it to the
surface.
l had noticed before going for
ward that the big shark was follow
us, his dorsal fin showing six o,
eight inches above the surface
While we were engaged with the
chain the boys hat blew off, and il
grabbing for it he lost his balanc,
and went overheard. We hearC
him cry out, and when we looked
around he was thirty feet astern il
the wake of the boat. You car
perhaps imagine our feelings We
hadn't a thing to throw him as {
float, and no one doubted that the
big shark would seize him before
three minutes had passed. Fortu
nately for Harry he was goot
swimmer 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 ant
understood. He did even better
than we hoped for. He had OF
light canvass shoes; these he man
aged to pull off while treadins
water He also got his coat anc
vest off, and the shark no doub
swallowed shoes and clothing
Harry told us afterward that tn,
monster kept circling about him
evidently bent on dashing in ant
Selling him, but deferred by tn,
vigorous splashing
While we were fully realizing ou
helplessness, the unknown creatur,
whose action had caused our mis-
fortune suddenly turned to the east
1t towed us a few rods i'll tina
direction, and then turned to tn,
north, or shoreward. 1t no doub
wanted to get rid of the anchor a
badly as we wanted it to, and wa
making every effort to do so. Tt
our amazement it had towed u
only a cables length shorewarc
when it bore off to the left, seeming
to be following some channel, anc
headed straight for the boy. W.
cheered and called out to him, ant
while one got the boat hook ready
the others prepared their fish line
lines for throw. Our tug" KEEP
cArrca for hin,