The evening times., 1896-07-25
CAUGHT AFTER A CHASE

"A hlAu-cdeihf3 uuo otCh hhhCu hCai
Fort Monroe. after an exciting chase.
He made an attempt TO upset boat in
which gentlemen were fishing, and in re-
turn was run down and slain. A mans
foot was found in his NAV.
Mr.. E. Ellis OF this city was cruising in Ids
yacht. the Petrel, in the neighborhood OF
Fort Monroe, and with a Iarty Of friends
went out in small boat TO fish. While
they were riding comparatively quiet on
tue waters OF the harbor they felt sudden
movement of their boat as II struck by q
huge log.
lacy we're startled and thought it was q
tidal wave accompanying an earthquake
till one of them noticed few feet
| away black object moving through the
water, apparently some kind OF big fish,
At n second look one of them recognized
the long, triangular fin OF a shark. For a
moment they were in fear lest the monster
should turn and again attack the boat.
They were sure the jar they had felt
had come from an attempt OF the shark
to upset the boat and get at its occu
pants.
The fiDny fiend had found the weight
to much for the effort put forth, and To
their relief swan way, appa reDtly giving
up the job as too much for him.
KILLED THE MONSTER.
As he got away, however, Mr.. Ellis
made up his mind to try TO take the big
fish. They had two pistols and shot gun
on boarl. Directing the rowers to follow
the shark as rapidly a S possible, Mr.. Ellis
began firing. The first two or three bui-
lets flew wide OF the mark, but fourth
took effect and brought the big fellow to i
staBdstill A moment later lie turned over
on his back. and his great white teily
cleaned at he ION of the water
The party pulled alongside and exam
| ined their capture. They found they had
an unusually big shark for these waters.
| One OF them hit him a heavy blow across
the nose To make sure he was dead, and
| then towed him ashore. There they cut
him in pieces and found in his stomach,
amid lot OF fish, part OF a mans leg.
| 1t had been cut or at the ankle as II
with a saw and swallowed almost with
out being touched other wise than by the
fish's big teeth.
Mr. Ellis called at Fort Monroe the ne xt
day and told of his killing the shark. A
day or two later he came to Washington
and related the details Of his experience
To Mr. Charles W. Leannaria OF the Ameri-
can House. He said he had not heard OF
anyone being lost in the vicinity or Of
any fight with a shark In which Il bather
had lost his foot.
He was a good deal puzzled 10 know
where the footcame from. Theonly rational
explanation, itc thought, was that the
shark had come from florida or Cuban wa
ters. His rate of swimming, he thought,
would be sufficient to bring him up the
coast before the food in his stomach would
have been digested.
The question whether the shark is IMAM
eating one is revived by Mr.. Ellis expert
euce. II viii be remembered that Mr.. Her
man Oeirichs. jr-, of New York asserted
positively at his club few years ago
that all stories OF men being devoured by
sharks were myths He had frequently
seen sailors bathing in tropical harboTs with
numerous sharks swimming in their yicin-
ity. aud he never knew one OF them 10 be
attacked.
THE BELIEF OF SAILORS.
He wound up by an offer OF several hun.
| dred dollars for clear proof of a single in
stance where 4 shark had eaten a man. He
was willing to pay a rDund sum FOR a well
authenticated case where shark had
even attacked a man. His offer was not
taken.
Nevertheless. sailors as a rule believe that
| sharks do eat men. Detective George Boyd.
who was formerly in the navy. says that
while at Greytown, Central America, he
wentin swimming many times, with other
| sailors, and they were never attacked.
| Still, from what he saw OF sharks. he be-
! lieved they both could and would attack
a man If found alone and unprotected.
| At the Fish Commission Dr. Hugh Smith
who is high authority upon such matters,
was absent His assistant. Mr., Hall, said
| there was not sufficient evidence there
| to give n positive answer To the question
Much has heen asserted and denied
Sailors told Of men falling oyerbOa rd
| and how shark would he seen dragging
them down before they had more than
| left the surface But in this case the man
| was already helpless by his fall
There was plenty of evidence that sharks
| eat dead bodies of men when thrown into
| the sea- But there are numerous other
| fishes that do the same Mr. Hall per
| Sonal!y doubted very much whether the
sharks ever even attacks a man.