Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-22
MONTEREYS GIANT SHARKS
Killing Them Would Doubtless Be q
Profitable Venture.
But a Party of japanese Who Tried
1t Found 1t q Very Danger.
Gus Business.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sum-
you know how initiative the japanese
are" said naturalist of Monterey well,
the Chinese for years have maintained
shark fishery here. They catch small
sharks, principally the leopard and oil
sharks, and make fairly good thing out of
it. The livers they use for oil. the skins
they sell for shagreen and sword handles,
and the fins are employed in making some
delicacy dear to the Chinese palate.
Sometime ago a japanese appeared in
Monterey. little black-eyed fellow, who in
very short time mastered all the intrica-
cieS OF the Chinese method of taking
sharks. What he was particularly interest,"
ed IN was big-bone shark that was sup
posed 10 be found off Monterey in summer.
He was referred to me as possible au-
thority. and it so happened that could give
the information desired. Monterey bay is
peculiar in this respect. that apparently il is
the homo of one of the largest sharks an
almost toothless giant that attains a length
of forty to fifty feet and a weight of forty
or more tons. Occasionally these large
sharks roam into the bay feeding upon
small fish: but in summer, for some reason
unknown they go offshore about ten miles
ana lie at the surface in schools. At such
tunes they are very sluggish and can be ap-
preached with little or difficulty and for
this reason are known as basking sharks
as they appear to bask on the surface
"All this told the Japanese. all the time
wondering what he was about and finally
he unfolded his scheme. which was to make
a business of capturing these monster
sharks. If the Chinese made money catch
ing small ones. how much more could be
realized from the large ones? he reasoned.
The liver of one, he estimated, would be
worth a large amount of money I suggest
ed that the fishing might be dangerous, but
he merely laughed at that. and, to make
my story short, he appeared in Monterey
some weeks later with party of his peo-
L hair hoo 10
around from San Francisco. but in any
event. 1T was not long before they were
ready for business.
ut took them a week to locate the
big sharks, about five or six miles off Mon
terey bay. There was school of large d.
mansions, the fish all lying awash or on the
surface, with their big dorsal fms out of the
water and their heads in one direction. The
sharks were of enormous size and this and
the extraordinary nature of the school
would have demoralized almost any one. but
not the Japanese. They stood off a while
then three boats pulled in each with a
harpooner in the bow. The sharks appear
ed to be sleeping, lying head on to the sea-
and presenting a remarkable spectacle.
Nearer the boats approached until finally
they were fairly in the school. and not a
shark had stirred. Then when directly over
the big game the little men sent the har-
poems into them. The sharks all dashed off
and in a few moments the entire school was
in full flight. rushing along at race-horse
speed. The rope was soon exhausted, and
the boats were JerkeC along bow under, in
a manner that babe fair to demoraliZe the
fishermen. One boat was taken out to sea
several miles; two others were carried UP
the coast. and the men began to think that
they would have to cut away the line, but
finally after the fish had lowed them up and
down the coast and subjected them to MANY
Dangers, their speed began to decrease, and
the fishermen could lay on to the rope and
haul themselves up on the fish,
1T was now the Iancer's turn to do his
work. The sharks appeared to be COM
pletely exhausted. and one of the heavy
boats was carefully lowed alongside one of
them. As her bow went over the giant the
lancer thrust his keen blade into The vitals
Of the fish A terrible struggle was expect
ed. but the shark merely moved ahead con-
VuIsively, and the fishermen had every rea-
son to think that it was dead or dying;
but they had much to learn about sharks
The monster did not move but lay on the
surface perfectly quiet and two boats soon
made fast, one on each side, trcng the
huge fish up with large ropes, so that It
hoated between them and about five feet
from each boat. This accomplished sail
before the wind.
They had gone perhaps a mile. and the
fishermen probably were felicia ting them
selves on the capture when. without warn
ing. the fish. which was estimated to he
forty feet in length and to weigh MANY tons
raised Itself partly out of the water and be-
gan to strike with its powerful tail. The
first blow crushed the starboard boat, beat
ing in the rail- and killing two men
and swapping her. The shark then
struck the other side, crushing the
port boat like an eggsheli. Then 1t
rolled over, beating the water into foam.
and with a terrific lunge disappeared, car
rying the boat under water. The wreck
soon came up. with one man clnging to it.
five having been killed or drowned nv the
shark. The survivor drifted around for
hours and was finally picked up. This was
me hrst and last attempt to take the big
sharks Of Monterey"