Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1894-06-08
A BLASTED SHARK.
The Operation Performed By o
Meal OF Gun Cotton.
How = Torpedo Expert RSealIAS0d Upoo .
RAV0nous 90A-lAwy01 mat Tried 10
BAs HIM -PSAeafGtl Ind 0R
Gas, sr .. ne BIg K1eh. g..

.,.. -s ar : Hrr.-. ne Bug HheAs - 81.
= Though they failed to achieve glory
since the revolution collapsed before
they struck a,blow at it, the men who
went to Brazil last fall in President
Peixoto's 8 improvised warships were in
many instances repaid by the new ex-
perienceS the adventure afforded them.
Among them were . number of Brook:
lynites, the most prominent OF whom
was Baron Nils do Foch, . Swedish
nobleman who moved in Q large and
influential circle.
Baron de Foch is torpedo expert.
He was trained in the best torpedo
schools OF his native country and
France, and having, moreover, made
. good record in the service of the
United States government, the agents
OF the Brazilian government in New
York were particularly anxious to Sc
cure him as ordnance officer Of Eries-
sons submarine gunboat, the De-
stroyer, which was renamed by it's
new owners the PiratinR. The baron,
who is tall and distinguished looking,
though democratic in his tastes and
manners, was glad, to accept their
offer, for he had hitherto longed for
nothing 80 much as an opportunity. to
go into actual combat, and he was,
!.moreover,' enthusiastic over the De-
stroyer, his admiration for which was
heightened by the fact that her in
ventor, Of undying Monitor fame, was
countryman of his birth.
Baron de Foch's disappointment,
therefore, over the fact that the De-
stroyer did not get into action must
have been particularly acute, but that
he has abundant relison oth"rwi,a: to
, look back on,the expedition with satis-
faction. to say the least, is indicated by
;drcccnt number Of the Smalands: Alle-
han.lt., a prominent paper published in
the Swedish city of Jonkopia! where
tho baron was born. It contains Il let
ter from the baron giving an account
.nfs an experience of his in Martin
: iIu", tho DeStroyer's first port of call
i,,: her way from New York to Pernam-
buco. He narrowly escaped from be-
ing eaten by sharks:
Eurly one morning, the letter says,
being good swimmer and fond Of sea-
water bathing; he jumped overheard
for bath Presently he was startled
by Il cry of: "Shark, sharkr 1t was
yelled at him1from the deck of the De-
.rstroyer, as well as from the decks of
several neighboring vessels, and when
he looked around he saw dorsal fin
slSimming along the top of the water,
and not far off. 1t was only a matter
of few strokes, however, and he was
on board the Destroyer. At the shark
tin cans and other things were thrown,
and it was even fired at, but still it
lowered about and was joined by two
others. Then the baron took about a
pouhdrof gun cotton, the identical ter
rible explosive with which the De-
strover's submarine gun was to blow
up the insurgent .warships in Rio har-
Dor, and filed quart bottle with it.
He put fuse in it and effected con-
nection with friction electric bat
terry, such as is used for blasting pur-
poses. A large piece of meat was
tied around the bottle, which was then
thrown overheard.
The three sharks rushed for it imme-
diately. One of them swallowed it as
leisnrely as ravenous shark can swal-
low. There was scant opportunity for
digestion, the big fish moment later
being blown to pieces.
When the water subsided section
of shark came to the surface, but II
was not large enough even for purposes
of Identification.