The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-03-03
"A SEA DEMON.
BY CHARLES D. LEWIS,

.,sy.
One morning in the year 1893 as tn
English brig Fair Hope was to the cas-
Of the island Of Ceylon, bound for til
strait Of Malacoa, a man who had bee
sent aloft hailed the deck with the in
formation that monster shark was ly
ing alongside. The craft had high bul
warks, and the fish might not have beef
goen but for the man going aloft as b
did. This was the first authentic meet
ing with shark which afterward tool
the name of the "Demon of the Sea. >
About eight feet back of the head wa
lump the size Of water pail, and thi
excresoenoe was milk white in color
1t was no doubt the result of an injur,
and was mark by which the shark wa
known for several years after.
It is the custom aboard of merchan
vessel when shark appears alongside
and the work aboard is not pressing tt
give the men chance to destroy theil
enemy. In this instance, owing to the
unusual size Of the fish, the captain wa.
anxious to make capture and carry
the specimen into Singapore. Hooks
were got out and baited, and for two
hours they tried all sorts of tricks to in
duce the monster to take hold. He wat
very wary, however and refused to bite.
There was an old harpoon aboard, and
when 1t was seen that the fish could not
be captured alive the carpenter got out
the irons and tried to harpoon him. In
the effort he fell overheard. and the
shark seized him and disappeared SO
quickly that the dozen men who wit
messed the affair could scarcely believe
they saw Alright. The incident was re-
corded in the log and reference was
made to 1t in Lloyd's Register for the
first week in September of the year
named. So far as is known this sailor
from the Fair Hope was the first white
man who fell victim to the demon,
but others were to follow in quick sue
cession.
Three days later and 100 miles to the
south of Ceylon the American ship
James T. Bradwell, tea laden, was
caught in calm which lasted for six
hours. Of a sudden men who were
working in the rigging discovered the
big shark alongside. He was at first
taken for small whale, and great was
the amazement when it was known that
be belonged to the man eating species.
As in the other case, it was determined
to capture him alive, and the men put
in three hours work seeking to tempt
him with pork and beef. The big fellow
simply refused to take the hook, and
his actions were so sluggish that it was
at last believed he was almost dead. A
boat was lowered in hopes that moose
might be slipped over his tail. and it
was while the man with the rope was
trying to perform this feat that trag-
edy occurred. He was bending over the
bows Of the boat when he lost bis hold
and plunged into the water. With light
ninglike swiftness the shark turned and
seized him, dived under the keel of the
ship and was seen no more. Five men
were close at hand when the shark grab
bed the man, and they were unanimous
in declaring that the victim was bolted
down ne il be had been a five pound
piecs Of pork. That incident was also
recorded in the log, and thus made
authentic. but &fBaot think it was
ever published Got it personally is
years later HhoEe captain Of the
80 far as the record goes, was about two
weeks later, and in tkhubay of Bengal,
many hundreds Of rs distant. An
English whaling sbt $named the Two
Sisters was lying 6M&he Andaman is
lands at anchor while making some re-
pairs aloft. At 10 o'cl&K in the fore
noon, without the fiNfe shark having
,een seen, the Slddcnly rose
alongside and lay waiting for his prey.
Everybody was astonished at his size,
out as the repairs were urgent the men
we're not allowed to knock off to effect
lis capture. They did call to three fish
rmen, however, who were in q boat
lear at hand, and the natives responded.
The shark played his old game and
ppeared to be scarcely able to move,
nd the idea Of the men was to moose
i'm and tow him ashore. No sooner had
hey rounded the stern of the whaler
nd taken a rope from one Of the sailors
han the demon turned and made for
be boat. The native craft was fraiI
fair, used only for fishing on the reefs,
nd the shark struck it head Oh and
tove great hole in the side. Ropes
7ere thrown to the men foundering in
he water, but only one Of them was
afely hauled aboard the whaler. One
las seized and bolted down, and SEQ
nd, who hung to the ships rudder,
'as picked off moment later. What
YER came handy was hurled overheard I
, frighten the shark away from his sec
nd victim, but he could not be turned
side. This incident was not logged, as
did not concern the ship, but was I
uuAleuCu uU ACuStA III tuc DOluDhy ph- Y
srs later on. {
For the next three months there is no b
scord Of the shark doings, though he p
light have secured many victims from Il
alive craft and the incidents escape A
ublic notice. Early in the year 1864 b
le bark Speedwell, bound from China II
} her home port Of Philadelphia, had ri
Ist cleared Aoheen head, ct the en- A
ance to the strait Of Malacoa, when a Il
ldden squall carried away her main X
I'd fore topmasts and several of her
ills. This was early in the morning,
I'd while the crew were repairing
images and the ship proceeding on her d
'yage tho big shark came up astern
I'd took up position on the port side Il
I'd only about 20 feet away. His length r
as carefully measured by the officers
I'd recorded at So feet 8 inches. He
ID been heard Of through the papers,
d the crew were warned to be careful "1
their work aloft. In hopes to drive w
Q monster away Captain Taylor eli
ought out heavy shotgun and fired la
argos of buokshot into him at short
nge. The leaden missiles must have
netrAted to soms extent. as the demon
ma a e,,dan,, Jo~k ,od 1;,nus..u.l o..