The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-12-26
A HARPOONER'S SAD END.
The shark That Took Man and Car
ried Him OF.

If the fatalities of the sea that could
| be traced directly and indirectly to marine
animals could be collected every year they
would make not only interesting but start
| ling reading. In the really Pacific waters
| Of the western ocean we have but little
idea Of the dangers of the sea. but a stroll
! through the New England towns of Glou-
| cester, Marblehead, Swampscott and others
will show them to have an extraordinary
number Of widows in proportion 10 the
| population.
This Is particularly true of Gloucester,
! where the widows and orphans Of fisher
men make a small army. The fishermen
| were all lost on the Grand Banks or the
| Georges Banks Of the cod fisheries. They
were either run down by ocean steamers
that go over the banks at full speed, often
| hitting the vessels in the fog, or the frafl
schooners were destroyed in the terrific
| gales that sweep over the country.
II may be of interest to glance at the
| yearly loss OF men who lose their lives in
| the effort to provide the country with salt
cod. From 1880 to 1881, 2,249 were drowned
from cod MISUNDERSTANDING 1,S00 widows
and between 1000 and 5000 orphans, not to
speak OF other persons dependent upon
them. The loss in insurance during this
time was about 81, 100000, and the number
OF vessels lost, 419-l remarkable showing
for single line of business. The loss of
these 1000 or more men means a recital
the annals of heroism.
The writer knows of one vessel that was
lying al anchor with all hands below eX-
cept the watch, that was struck down by
a steamer. All were drowned except the
man at the wheel. VINO drifted twenty-four
hours before he was picked up. Another
schooner was sailing in the fog when she
was suddenly capsized by a steamer that
rolled her completely over the men drop
ping out of their hammOcks TO the ceiling
t0 he f10O Dg he " ri
The man at the wheel was lashed and was
found half-drowned
Many men have been lost in the fog in
their dories and nearly starved to death
before they were found, while others are
picked up by outgoing steamers. The
scene when the fishing fleet returns after
great losses is described as heartrending.
Then there is always the uncertainty, many
men having been picked up and carried to
foreign countries.
The losses from the whaling fleets are
not so great as formerly, but thirty years
ago they were very noticeable, often
amounting to several hundred men in
year. The vessels are sometimes crushed
in the ice or a whale kills the men by de-
molishing the boat. remarkable acct
dent occurred some years ago, which, While
in a fully equipped whale boat was 90
served only by one man. The whale had
been struck. and sounding at a terrific
rate of speed when in some way coil Of
rope caught about the foot of the har-
pooner and in a second he was gone. The
accident took place before the entire crew,
but was so suddenly accomplished that but
one man saw the disappearance.
Many fatalities of the sea are laid to the
sharks but accidents from this source are
comparatively rare. In a dihgent search
for authentic instances of large sharks de-
vouring men, | found but two that could
be attested TO. One was Il man whose fam
lily l knew, and the instance is well known
and remarkable for the ferocity displayed
by the fish. In 1874 1 was fishing off the
Isles of Shoals with a cod fisherman, who
told me that when his father was a young
man there was a large shark that infested
the coast which had on sevral occasions
attempted TO til ever boats and dine on
the occupants, and once or twice the young
man had been driven ashore by it. The
date correspOnded within q month with
that of a tragedy which occurred about
thirty miles south, or at Lynn, and which
was undoubtedly caused by the same fish.
A well-known citizen of Lynn went out
with fishing party, and after a short time
left the schooner. taking a small dOry,
which he anchored not thousand feet from
the vessel. Suddenly he was heard to
shout, and those on the vessel distinctly
saw a huge shark throw itself over the
dory and sink it, making off with the I'M
fortunate man, whose cries for aid were
of no avail.
The other case was that of a sailor on
the Mediterranean, who left the vessel 10
take a swim in the sea. A shark was seen
swimming toward him by some of the
crew, who started to row out to meet the
swimmer: but before they reached the spot
the shark had seized him and cut him in
two.
The little shark or dog-fish of the New
England coast has not n very SaVOTy repu-
tation in these waters. l have seen them
in such schools that it was impossible 10
throw a line over without their biting it.
They appeared to be starving, and on one
| occasion bit a sail into Shreds that was
hanging overheard.
The ravenous fish appear so suddenly
that | recall one day one could not be
seen in thai portion Of the coast, and the
next day the fishermen all gave up their
regular fisling and devoted themselves II
dog-fshng, bringing the fish in by the
boat load.
At such times it is extremely dangerous
% fall overheard, and numerous fatalities
point 10 the conclusion that these little
sharks are as dangerous as min-eater.
On one occasion some children were play
ing about the deck of a schooner, when
one fell overheard and bv the time the
crew reached the side the body was sur
rounded by a living ball of dog-flshes and
torn in pieces. a fisherman, having left
his dory anchored in a cove during a run
Of these fish swan out TO it and was
caught by them and killed in sight of his
friends on the beach, VINO could not aid
him.
80 lnSlGnlncdnt a Illfl2 as a shell would
not be believed TO be q menace TO human
life, yet several shells have earned reputa-
tons as mantraps Among these Is the
great clam thai is often seen about resi-
dences in tne suburbs of San Francisco.
This mOllusk lies deeply buried in the
coral rock and partly open the protruding
nlrjJjE raSNa L. ~ - amer: - IN;
when touched by the hand, feet or any object,
tuget; er comes the shells, ea"l valve open
weighing 200 pounds, and the yictim is
| held and not relea sed until the shell Is cut
OUT. In this way natives have been i'm
| prisOned at low tide and drowned as the
waters rose.
coast. has often trapped Cinnamon by
| catching their fingers. and several in
stances of death from this cause has been
reported.
On the New England coast. near Plym-
! is sometimes exposed; and, while ii does
not catch human beings, ii has been
known 10 entrap small animals, especially
| ducks and various water birds. that are
! held either by foot or bill until the tide
arises and they are drowned.
In South American waters there is a little
| fish known as piclna that has a very
| unenviable reputation. 1t is dreaded by
man and beast, as what ii lacks in size ii
| makes up in numbers. Many of the rivers
I in the country whore it is found have to
| be forded, ana when al horse enters a
stream it is frequently attacked by these
! little creatures that seem 10 scent game
| from afar. and literally swarm about the
animal, biting small bits of flesh from it.