, 1897-10-13
BATTLE WITH A sHARK.
Two Fishermen Fight Three Hours Be,
fore Overcoming the Monster.

Nicholas Marsala and Vincent Mag.
gio, fishermen In the employ OF the
American Union Fish company, made
yesterday the most remarkable catch OF
cheir lives. In one Of their nets, fresh
ly drawn from the bottom OF the bay.
they found m%an-eating shark. 1t gave
them terrific battle for three full hours.
,heir weapons being the oars Of their
boat. with which they had the utmos;
difficulty in beating OF the monster
from csps.zing their boat. They put
him hors de combat at last, and brought
him and some hundreds Of tathoms o.
ruined net into Trademarks wharf.
Long before daylight yesterday Mar
sala and Maggie put out in a small boa,
20 draw in the nets that had been plac-
ed the night before. In the course Of
heir work they reached those station.
ed near Alcatrax. Bringing the boat to
A standstill. the fishermen began draw
ing in the great net. Hundreds Of fish
were brought to the surface and piled
in the boat. when suddenly the ease OF
their work was Interrupted. A heavy
weight held back the net. and the men
rejciced in the expectation OF an On
usual haul. As they pulled away the
wafer around the boat was churned in
20 foam. and the little craft rocked and
pitched in waves that had their origin
beneath the surface.
Wcnderstrudk. not knowing what was
in the net. the fishermen put all their
strength in an effort to bring the thing.
whatever 1t might be. to the surface.
Suddenly a great body shot up. and
they saw gigantic shark laahing the
water in fury. The enormous fish at
once began a battle for life. and, before
the fishermen had recovered their scat.
tered senses. had almost capsized the
bcaL.
MARSHA and Maggie, however, appre.
Glazed me greatness Of the catch and
the laureis that would be theirs II the
monster could be landed, 90, instead OF
cutting loose the net, they undertook
to kill their captive. Both men caught
up their oars. and. as the shark emerg>
ed upon the boat, the heavy wood fell
upon his shining back. The blows, in.
stead Of rendering him harmless, only
augmented his rage, and again and
again he charged the boat. o r endeavored
TO break way from the net which held
HIN within reach OF the descending oars.
Fer full three hours this struggle con-
,inued, the men at times almost ex.
hausted. the fish strong. wicked and
curious. The oars fell a hundred times
agains; the maneater. but 1t was nearly
8 o'clock before the tide Of battle chang
ed. As the fishermen were about los,
ing hope Of killing the shark a sud
den blow landed upon a Vulnerable sp,t
and tle maneater showed that he a,
iasi was weakening. The oars then fell
with increased force. and in a short
time the monster slowly turned and
died.
No time was lost in towing the huge
body to the shore. A wagon was en-.
giged and it was taken to the main
store OF the fish company, at SIG Mer.
chant street. where it was placed upon
he scales. 1t registered over 500
pounds. The experts OF the company
and others viewed the body and pro,
nounced it one OF the largest OF its kind,
The manea,ing shark Is an unusual
visitor TO the waters OF San Francisco
bay. Only three times in ~ years hava
they appeared. the last being captured
IL years ago. When it was cut up by
the knife Of the fishermen all sorts and
conditions OF things were discovered in
its stomach. When the monster of yes
terday is dissected today it is though
that there will be revealed wondrous
things ii has taken in, but was unable
to digest.-San Francisco Chronicle.