The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-27
TALE OF A MARINE DIVER.
Nearly Crippled by Oyster Shells
Seven Feet High.
From the Lewiston (Me.) Journal.


From the Lewiston (Me.) Journal.
Thomas Goodenow, an Englishman near
ly 70 years old, but with the strength and
constitution of a man of IS years, was in
Lewiston Sunday and Monday on his way
from New York to Nova Scotia. He claims
to be an old marine diver, who has work
ed for years on the bottom of the ocean
for an English concern called the Colonial
Wrecking Company. From England he
went to India and helped work up a sunk
en- steamer, in which was a half million
in gold, for the government. Then the
company sent him to Mexico, and for ten
years he worked in and around Mexican
waters.
THE narrowest escape I ever had" said
he, was in the Indian ocean. We had
gone down to rip off the copper work of
barge, and az the ground around the
sunken ship was particularly smooth and
white-sandy, we took walk. One hun
dred feet from the side of the vessel we
found an immense oyster, the shells of
which were over seven feet high. 1t was
open, and in the flabby folds of the fiesh
! saw a great pearl, or rather what looked
like a pearl. 1t was less than two feet
from the edge of the shell, and determin-
ed to seize it. My companion saw what
! was thinking of and took hold of my
shoulder But had already reached out
my arm. He pulled me back so that my
lead-covered arm struck the edge of the
great shell. Like fash quicker than
ever saw shark jump, the shell closed
The arm escaped, but the end of a heavy
iron bar which could not lift out of wa
ter was caught in the shell and hattened
We jumped back so quick that fell over
and lay at full length on the ground. If
l had reached my hand into that horrid
trap 1 doubt not that 1t would have been
taken off.
"A lot of Indian pearl divers
were at work about me one
day when L suddenly saw four
of them fall fiat and lie upon their backs
on the sand. They wore nothing in the
way of clothes and each had only a bilt
with great knife in it. They held their
breaths over two minutes sometimes
thought it strange that they fell down and
remained quiet, and on looking UP 1 saw a
shadow between me and the sun. it grew
more distinct, and l saw, to my horror q
great shark lying ten feet above nv head
slowly tanning the water with its great
fins. Its belly was streak of white of n
creamy hue, and it's mouth was marked
by the under roll of the LID / ike the
others 1 fell down fiat, though more from
fear than policy. IL was the first one 7
had SEEN and it made me sick of NV task
The creature left me and SWAN with
great ease ana grace to where two IN
dams lay upon their backs. It fell down
in swoop and tried to scoop one nm
from the bottom, and failed ana as II
came back l saw one of them. a stout
swarthy fellow, whom L had greatly adj,
mired on shore, curl over and draw his
knife. AS the fish passed over him the
Indian rose with the knife on his sboui-
der and lunged Ii into the breast nf tba
fish, and then fell fiat again. The monster
acted like hen with its head Ont off
1t jumped and plunged about. and in a
very little while went off. The Tndian~
had all risen to the top of the water when
they saw the stab, and In nervous excite
ment l rose. too. AS they took off NV
helmet l saw few yards from the boat
the great shark lying on it's die and spurt-
ing blood
Did YOU ever find any rich treasurer,
we asked.
eyes, much Of 1t. but IL Belonged tn the
company. Once did make a find-tbat 7
believed would prove to be something Of
interest could it be located again In ts5a
a small coasting vessel went ashore ~, I,
small rock 1856 miles west Of Kew Vast
and / went down to locate ii. The nraft
lay on its side in a round hole in sirt,e
eight feet of water, and had fallen bBclr
from an overhahging rock on which II
had struck. We could only work three
hours in the middle of the day becsuse
1t was so dark in the hole that we had 20
have the sun right overhead. 1 hadn't
been down there half an hour before INV
companion came climbing over the wreoI,
and tugged me over the rail. He pulled