The sun., 1897-11-14
TALES OF 4 MARINE DIVER.
Nearly Crippled by Oyster shells Seven Feet
High-PearI Hunter's Fight with = shark.

From the Letcfston (Me) Journal
Thomas Goodenow, an Englishman nearly
70 years old, but with tho strength and consti-
tuition Of a man of 55 years, was il Lewiston
Sunday and Monday on his way from New
York to Nova Scotia. He claims to be an old
marine diver. who has worked 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 sunken steamer. in which was half million
IN gold, for the Government. Then the COM
pany sent him to Mexico. and for ten years he
worked In and around Mexican waters.
''The narrowest escape ever had" said he,
was In the Indian Ocean. We had gone down
to rip off the copper work of a barge. and as the
ground around the sunken ship was particular
ly smooth and white sandy, we took a walk.
One hundred feet from the side of the vessel we
found an immense oyster, the shells OF which
wore over seven feet high. 1t was open. and
in the abby folds of the fiesh saw great pearl.
or rather what looked like pearl. i was less
tssa 10 Seze Ny
what was thinking Of and took hold OF my
shOud BHt had sEesd rssghsd oS
cred arm struck the edge OF the great shell.
Like fash, quicker than ever saw shark
the end OF heavy iron bar which | could not
lift out of water was caught In the shell and
hattencd. We jumped Dack SO quick tnat L
fell over and lay at full length on ne ground.
l doubt not that 1t would have been taken of.
"a lot Of Indian pearl divers were at work
about me one day when suddenly saw four
of them fall fiat and lie upon their backs on the
sand. They wore nothing in the way or cio' hes
and each had only belt with great knife in
It, They held their brealhs over two minutes
sometimes. l thought IL strange that they fell
down and remained quiet, and on .cORlng up
saw a shadow between me and the sun. 1t
grew more distinct, and saw, TO my horror
great shark lying ten feet above my head, slowly
tanning the water with its great fins Its
belly was u streak of white OF creamy hue,
and its mouth was marked bv the under roll Of
the lip. Like the others fell downfall, hough
moro from fear than policy IL Was the nrst
one had seen, and It made me sick OF my task.
'"The creature left me and swan with great
ease and grace 10 where Two Indians lay upon
their backs. IL fell down in swoop and tried
to scoop one up from the bottom and failed,
and as II came back / saw one OF them. stout,
swarthy fellow. whom ! had greatly admired
on shore, curl over and draw ms knife. AZ tho
FISH passed over him the Indian rose win the
kn fe on HIS shoulder and lunged 1t into Tho
breast of the fish. and then fell nat again. mo
monster acted like II hen with its head cut oil.
1t jumped and plunged about and in a very
little while went OF. The Indians had all
risen to the top of tho water when they raw the
stab, and in nervous cXciteae ent rose TOO.
froIn the boat the great shark H!hg on ITS side
."Did-you ever lind any rich treasurer we
asked.
"Yes, much of 1t, but 1t belonged TO the com;
pany Once i did make a find that bel!eVed
would prove 10 DO something OF interest could
1t bo located again In 1859 small coastins