The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-05-04


squirt pulled up suddenly.
"As II IL had instantly materializcd
from the sea water, l was face to face
with a gigantic shark. quickly re-
mcmbered, however, that while naked
native divers are occasionally devoured
by these demons of the deep, they
never attack the armored diver.
''Indeed! fancy now that the shark
was quite rs startled as the diver, for
after second he wheeled and glidcd
Oft to one side.
''As l started on once more was
stopped second time, net by an OBJ
stacle before, but by sharp pull on
the air pipe behind my helmet, which
jerltcd me over sprawling on my back.
MY first thought was that the shark
had attacked me in the rear, but on
scrambling to my feet and facing about
saw that the air-pipe, which, in my
first sudden stop, had probably slack
encd I'LL it lay on the bottom, was APP
parently caught against some protrud-
ing object.
II fastened back to release 1t, when,
to my surprise. found 1t held fast be-
y
II gave the stout wire-lined tubing
twitch, then strong pull, bracing my
feet against the great bivalve. Then
| clutchcd the rims of the shell and
strovc to separat them.
But the vise-lilke jaws were relcnt-
less. AS easily I might have rended
granite ledge at some seam in it's
center.
Then turned to the lifeline to sig
nal the tender ia tho boat. AS did SO
/ saw that it. too, had become slack,
and was tangled an branching coral.
/ dashed forward to discngage 1t, but
before rcacliedit Twas again twitchcd
backward by the air-pipe
"Then, for the first time, realized
the full significance of the situation.
My air supply was stopped, commune
cation with the upper world cut oft,
and |, Jack Ballantine, in I'LL the vigor
of young manhood, chained to my
death at the bottom of Torres strait.
"And now sudden sense of suffoca-
ton warned me that my struggle was
limited to seconds.
''In u flash of memory recalled the
tale of one like disaster, where the
diver cut his air-tube with dash freed
his lifeline, and was drawn up hplf
dead. But had no knife; in that sud-
den backward fall had lost hold OF it.
''Thcn. as lifted my eyes in q last
despairing search for succor, behcld,
resting in the branching coral before
mc-and to this day marvel at the
miracle of it--an iron bar, pointed at
ono end-a veritable crowbar.
''In an instant was prying at TIE
age of the bar and the strength of dcs-
peration. For suffocating moment
the struggle was unava ling, then one
rim split away and the pipe was free.
~ turned toward the lifeline, stag
gered and fell across it, insensible!
II suppose the weight of my falling
body gave the line the one jerk which
was the signal to the tender to pull
up Anyway, the tender got the sig
on the deck of the lugger, the old Nan
tucketer on his knees ut my side, and
all the scared crew standing about"
Truly a most extraordinary tale, as
well Us a terrible experience" / ex-
claimed, as Ballantine ended his story,
and the waiter brought on the dessert.
THAT crowbar, for instance, Is strain
on an everyday disbursements creduli-
ty," and looked past my friends face
to the bronze face of franklin across
the street.
"And yet it is only another instance
of truth stranger than fiction" assert
cd Ballantine. "Why, the first tinc
the old Nantucketer have mentioned
went down, on recovering from tho
daze of sudden descent, he saw in
crotch of the coral before him bottle
of pale ale, and IL a beer, why not
crowbar?'-Boston Globe.