Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-11-22

1.-THE strangest sea fight l ever saw or
heard Of, said staff officer of the navy
now stationed in Washington, "was a
battle that ragged off the Pacific coast of
Mexico between sharks and aligaturs.
Our ship was at anchor becalmed not
far from Manzanilla, and some of the
officers had gone ashore on one of the
little voyages of discovery that seem to
delight navy men in foreign lands. We
learned from some of the natives of the
fight which was then in progress and
reached the battle field when the combat
was at its tiercest.
"To make clear the natural causes
which brought about this IIOmeric con-
test, it will be necessary to describe the
country. Between Manzanilla and
Colima, q distance of so miles, there is
u large lake of brackish water, the bed
of which is several feet above the sea.
This lake is about 40 miles long, and
was once most important as a means of
communication between the two places,
particularly as in Mexico formerly the
roads were beset by Origands, and land
transportation was of the most primitive
character. The lake was filled with
fresh water fish and reptiles of all kinds
and the alligators that summed them.
selves on its banks often attained
length II from 20 to 80 feet. They were
very fierce when aroused from their ac-
customed lethargy, much more yoracious
than even the South American species,
and often seized and devoured men and
large animals. The barrier separating
the ocean from the lake is high sand
bank which, though nothing more than
a mere spit of land, had been, prior to
this time, sufficient to contine the waters
of the lake. But heavy wind storm
from the northeast blew the water Of
the lake down to the south and west,
and piled it up so high as to drive it
over the levee or dam. After a short
time Crevasse or sluice was formed,
allowing the lake to drain directly into
the ocean. The rush OF water from the
lake increased, the sluice became
broader, and the 300 square miles OF lake
surface fell four feet. Millions of fish
came pouring through the creyasse with
the water, and with these, the enor-
nous alligators for which the lake had
become noted.
The sluice was 10 feet wide when we
reached it. We stood on one of the
banks watching the enormous outrush
Of water and fish. The latter had at
tracted the numerous big sharks of
Manzanilla Bay, and they had collected
by hundreds to gorge themselves with
tine dainty morsels supplied in such an
unlooked-for manner The alligators,
less intent, perhaps, upon the fish than
upon the rush Of waters, which was
carrying them on, were met by the
sharks the moment they came out into
deeper water. There the sharks rushed
furiously at the more slothful alligators,
and at once the battle began. The alli-
gators, of course, labored under many
Disadvantage. Although crocodiles are
often known to swim out to sea and
spend whole weeks in salt water, the
alligator is not found in the ocean. Not
alone were the alligators handicapped
by being ont Of their element. They
were also beset by shoal of
carnivorous fish Of prey, many Of
them twice their size and weight, and
endowed with activity far greater. Five
| or six sharks would attack each saurlan
as he came out, not giving the alligators
an opportunity to form themselves into
a mass for concentrated attack or de.
| fence.
The war was wagcd with the utmost
| determination on both sides, and che
alligators, Notwithstanding many diff
cultles, and being far Outnumbered, put
up a very good fight, They Kept the
sharks at bay until finally scattered by
furious onslaughts. Each fish and rep
tile seemed to understand clearly the
character of his antagonist, and the
powerful tails were brought into requi.
sltlon us often as the immense laws.
While tile alligators were more slow TO
move than the sharks, the latter were
| Obliged TO turn over on their backs
before being able To bite with any effect.
This gave the alligutors chance to get
away and bring their wirv, horny tails
INTO action. Although the hard, bony
armor OF the alligators prevented them
from turning anu swlsning their tails
around as rapidly as the fish, often they
could dash forward and snap shark
before the fish could turn on his back to
bite or get away, But when one con.
siders that the shark has speed and
actlvity'so great as TO allow him to swim
and play easily around the fastest
steamers, il will be very readily seen
that the issue of the battle was only a
| question of time. OF course the nrmor of
the alligator, though impeding his
movements, was eiflcacious for Il time
against the blows ana bites of his adyer.
sary. But after awhile the constant
sharp swapping Of the shark tore il away
bit by bit, and finally with furious
rush the huge shark would fix its sharn
teeth in good grip and crush through
u vulnerable part Of the alligator as if
the armor were an eggshell. The won
derful strength of the alligatur's law
came into play, and time and again
sharks were thrown almost out Of the
water.
"The fight was carried on upon the
surface of the water over an area of d
quarter OF u mile, ia plain view of the
people on the bank and beach, and from
our position we could see many of the
movements OF the huge animals. Sew.
eral ailigaturs were thrown up ON the
beach during the struggle, torn and
horribly manned, So thar they died in a
very few minutes. The whole surface
of the ocean in the immediate vicinity
was churned to foam by the lashing oil
the long tails, while here ana there q
reddish tinge in the water showed
where the combat waxed tierccst. Nc
sooner was an alligator killed than the
sharks turned upon his carcass, tore il
to pieces, and deyOured it voraciously
This done, the increasing ebulliton il
another place indicated that the Wal
was beginning with renewed ylgor tc
decide this local supremacy OF the sea
Only u few sharks were killed, although
many must have been badly torn BY The
huge jaws OF the alligators. One Of the
alligators thrown on the beach still had
n piece of sharks fin clenched in hi.