New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-22
PRICE THREE CENTS
THIS WAS A MAN-EATER.
A sHovEL-NOsED SHARK CAUGHT IN TH1
EAST RIVER.
IT RUBBED AGAINST YOUNG WOMAN WHO
WAS IN BATHING. AND GAVE HER
AN AWFUL FRIGHT-FIsHERMEN VOW
IT'S THE FIRST ONE CAPTURED
IN THESE PARTS WITHIN
THEIR MEMORY.

Help! Help. Bob take me in," screamed Miss
Catherine L. Beach. of No. Al West Twenty
eighth-st. as a man-eating. shove.nosed shark
brushed by her In the waters OF the East River
yesterday afternoon.
Bob" Russell who was In a rowboat, and 10
a submarine diver by profession. did not grasp
the situation at once. but when, moment later
he saw the white belly OF shark upturned IN
the sunlight, his professional instinct exerted
itself. and he seized Miss Beach. VINO was
frantically attempting to overturn the little boat
in her efforts to get aboard.
To explain the situation 1t will be necessary to
go back to the beginning. About o'clock yester.
day afternoon Miss Beach. who is an expert
swimmer went into the water at Woolsey's Point.
She was accompanied by Robert Russell, OF No.
53S East Eighty-third-st, who went along IN
rowboat All was we'll until Miss Beach reached
a point about 200 yards off the point. when the
author Of the commotion already mentioned ap-
peared upon the scene. Miss Beach was SWIFT
ming along easily v hen suddenly she felt iars%
slippery body glide by her.
Now Miss Beach is not nervous and Is per.
fectly familiar with the waters OF lower Hell
Gate but when she felt that uncanny fish brush
by her and then saw the white belly as he turned
on his side to bite, She in a perfectly naturai
and feminine manner, called upon Bob BOD
rose TO the occasion, and after dragging MS
frightened companion into the boat. he whacked
the shark with the oar, but, as he afterward ex-
plained to The Tribune reporter. he only suc'
ceeded in stunning him. as his oar was spoon
and not straight ash.
"If 1t had been a straight oar he saio' i
would have cut that fish in two"
Attracted by the commotio1, Alex Meffert, OF
the Mill Rock Cottage at Ninety -second-st. and
East River. who had been over to the LOBSTER
fisheries at the Sunken Meadows with Denny
the Rat'' and was on his way home, rowed
quickly to the scene Prompted by The Rat
Meffert went for the cause of the trouble at oncs'
and drawing a pistol placed two bullets win
neatness and dispatch into the carcass OF tho
half-stunned shark. -,
The man-eater was drawn aboard. and all
hands rowed TO the float OF the Mill Rock cot
tage The shark was Immediately measured ana
proved to be five feet six inches in length. re
was genuine shOvel-nose nan-eater his
shovel was fully foot across. and with his large.
savage looking eyes in each end OF the shovei' ne
presented ferocious aspect IL was iound Una.
| both OF the bullets fired by Mefert had taken
| effect. and the holes were plainly visible in the
| carcass. ..
The bringing ashore OF the sHdih o'.io@'Nss
| down at the float all the East Side fishermen ana
many from Long Island who were not 10 o.
| outdone in the fish yarns that naturally iof
| lowed ,,.. ..,
| nigh onto thirty years." said ''Old Man HUDSON
| who is known as one of the veterans OF the Hell
| Gate fishermen but have never neard teii oA
| a shovel-nosed shark being killed in these waters.
| | once caught Florida alligator. but this snars
beats me-
Russell who. together with Menert, claims the
honor OF killing the marine terror is diver. ana
| has been pursuing his profession around New.
| York for over twenty years. He is now employed
| by the Dock Department he knows nsh itvn .
suckers to whales and declares that this Is the
| first genuine man-eatng, shovel-nose shark ever
| killed in the neighborhood of New-fork. In tnis
he is backed up by all the Hell Gate hsneriien
The shark which is undoubtedly young one.
| Is now moored at Mefferts float Meffert says
| he will have the monster photographed to-day
! A. n late hour last night. when The Tribune re-
| norter left the Mill Rock Cottage the Coroners
| iurv of fishermen had not adjourned.