The Dickinson press., 1897-01-30
IN A SHARKS MOUTH
T WAS while cruis.
ing about OF ths
east coast of N0rtl
Carolina that l frs
made the acquaint.
ance Of Mark Dare
one Of the best
known divers o
miles around.
He was q man o.
some 72 years wher
= AL H. As~t

first met him, bu
one would have set him down at no
more than IS to look at him. Tall
straight as a stick, of powerful build
and with face denoting in every lin
eament the daring fearlessness of hi!
nature, he was man calculated to In
spire admiration wherever he went.
He was as full of stories as one o.
the tallest buildings in New York City
ana nothing pleased him better thar
10 relate his experiences to an attentive
listener. Among other yarns, he spur
to me the following adventure, which
ne stated, was the narrowest escape hi
had ever had from death:
1t seems the Atlanta, one of the finest
coasting vessels on the coast Of North
Carolina and Georgia, was capsized in
squall on the ED of September, 1858
and sank just inside the bar, near the
little town of Morehead.
The owners of the craft contracted
with a diving company to have hel
raised and to recover as much of he,
cargo as was still serviceable.
Mark Dare and another diver were
engaged to DO the work. They made
several successful descents. but on the
fourth trip Mark met with the adven.
ture OF which I spoke.
His comrade signaled hastily to be
drawn up, AMI when he had been
hauled into the boat he related how
Dare had been seized by huge white
shark and carried of. But scarcely had
he done speaking when Mark rose from
the water fifty yards from the boat and
was picked up insensible, with several
ragged holes punched in the metallic
part OF his diving suit. Means were
successfully adopted to bring him
round, and, when he had sufficiently
recovered, he told of his thrilling ex-
perience.
"As you know" said he, 1--WE had
made our fourth descent, and while my
companions clambered into the SUBJ
merged vessel, l waited on the ground
TILL he should attach the cords to draw
something out. was about to sigma!
to be drawn up for 6 moments rest,
when noticed a shadowy body mov-
ing at some distance above my head
and toward me.
In moment every fish had disap-
peared as If by magic; the very crusta-
ceans themselves lay still upon the
sand, and the scuttle-f1sh scurried away
as fast as they could.
Il was not thinking OF danger, and
my first thought was that it was the
shadow of a passing boat. But sud-
denly feeling of terror seized me. 1
felt impelled to flee from something
l knew not what. A vague horror
seemed graspiag me, such as a child
fancies when leaving darkened room.
by this time the shadow had come
nearer and taken shape. 1t had scarce
ly needed glance to show me that it
was a man-eater, and of the largest
size.
Had signaled to be drawn I'D then
1t would have been certain death. All
l could do was to remain still until It
left. 1t lay off twenty or twenty-five
feet, just outside the rigging Of the
ship, its body motionless, its fins
barely stirring the water about it's gills,
II was sure that the fish was thirty
feet long, and so near that could see
its double row of white teeth. Inyol-
UNFAIRLY shrank closer to the side of
The wreck. But my first movement
betrayed my presence.
II saw the shining eyes fixed upon
me. Its tail quivered, and then it dart