Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-05-12
BITTEN BY A SHARK,

DlllEN D1 "A OHAhh.
EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF A FISHER.
MAN IN NEW YORK WATERS.
The Moral 10 Be Drawn From His Adj
venture seems to BE. Do Not Catch
. Shark by Its Tail, It's a Highly
Dangerous Experiment..
Have you ever been bitten by a shark
OF course not, but I have, and I can as-|
sure the reader that it is an extremely.in-H
teresting and entertaining experience. I'll
happened to me ut tho beginning of last
September, when tho unbearablo heat
drove thousands of people from the city.
A friend and l sought the cooling brcezes
of the seashore-Brant's point, in Jamaica
bay, being Il place of 'refuge-and we
went out on the water as soon as we ar
rived from the city proper.
We caught q number of porgies before
sunset and laid for weaknsh i'll the even
ing, but were disappointed by strikes from
sharks, from whose ravagcs the ocean
trout fled. Angered by the depredations
of these hyenas of the sea, we determined
to rig up especially for shark fishing tho
next day, saving u porgics for bait and
~"chumming." There arc two methods of
catching sharks in tho waters about here.
One is with rod and reel, by which speci-
mems up to 6 feet in length and SO
pounds in weight can be landed. The
other one is by brute force with q drop
line or rope.
Reports have been printed from time to
time that monsters weighing 300 to 500
pounds md from 10 to IL feet long have
been taken in the waters of Great South
bay, outer New.York harbor, Shrewsbury
river and the Kills and Newark bay. To
kill such a giant fish undoubtedly requires
Judgment and nerve, but not much skill,
for if the line is strong enough the big fish
will finally exhaust itself and can then be
gradually drawn into the boat.
We started the next morning in a row.
boat from Brant's point for the grounds
generally frcquented by sharks. After
coming to anchor we chummed with our
porgies and soon had a number Of sharks
around us who gave unmistakable evil
dence of their presence by showing their
dorsal fins and making a great commo
ton. We baitcd our hooks, cast out our
lines, and in a few minutes l had n strike,
and q battlo royal ensued. AS soon rs the
| III v 4C1U C1O oAltlA = 41ooh ~
flesh it made q wild dash for liberty. Ny
companion at once reeled in his line to
keep it from becoming %entangled with my
own. With lightning speed my line play
ed off, and, though click, brake and
thumb tried to slow it's motion, the wheel
turned around with alarming rapidity,
making that peculiar plaintive noise so
well known to fishermen. Ten, go, SO,
100 yards were quickly reelcd off, and I
began to wonder if he should ever stop.
He hcsitated, and then the reeling, in be.
gan. But tho minute tho fish was brought
closer to the boat he dashed off again in
another direction.
This play continued until the fisherman
was almost exhausted, and finally the
shark himself tried, through rest, to gain
fresh strength for another attempt to break
tho line and regain his freedom. The last
!, run of tho fish was toward the boat, com.
polling np to wind up tho line SO quickly
as to make my wrist and fingers acho
He then allowed himself to be slowly pull
ed alongside. and he turned out to be &
fine fellow about AZ feet in length, grace
fully built, but ugly and vicious looking
BY a deXterous thrust with his hand my
companion caught hold of the sharks tai
and landed him in the boat with q bounce
The prey now showed how much vitalit,
he had left by beating the boat with hi
powerful tail and snatching at everything
in sight with his jaws. Our seats wcr
%untenable, and we speedily placed our
selves out of his reach, my friend pcrchinl
on the very bow and I hanging on to tn
!, extreme stern, leaving tho fish in undis
puted control Of the space between us, ov
: cry inch of which he wanted for his ma,
e antics. Flo dashed rod, reel and flshin,
; basket, seats and oars in his fury, but aft
er awhile we ged to shackle his free
dom somewhat by ramlning an oar dow
his throat, Haich he gnawed in bulldo'
fashion. The exposure to the air, to tn
extreme heat and the parching rays Of tn
sun gradually weakened his efforts unit
his stomach could be gaShed so as to max
him bleed to death.
An autopsy revealed that he had swa]
lowed four cells, q hermit crab, still aliv
with shell and all; hard shell clans,
I number of toadfish, sea robins, bass, Gun
ners and all sorts Of sea food. How h
ever expected to digest the shellfish wa
mystery to us.
Our sport continued, shark after shar
being hooked, but some were lost. Whe
my friend had his seventh strike, in wen
my line, and I watched developments
After a persistent fight he coaxed the ifs
alongside, and l grabbed hold of his tai
with both hands and slammed him int
tho boat. This specimen was four fec
long and unusually slender, and he turne
and turned around until Il good deal {
line became entangled. I had meanwhile
cast out again and held rod and reel in m
; right hand. In order to help my compaI
ion out Of his tangle I grabbed the shar
with my left hand by his tail and kept hi1
as far from me as I could, but quicke
than it can be told he turned completed
around, forming a letter 0 with his bod
and, swapping at my hand, caught it wit
his teeth, tearing out pieces of flesh an
decorating it badly. 1t is needless to So
that I made myself heard as I dropped til
shark into the boat. From many wound
tho blood poured, and I dipped my han
into the water to wash them out. It WE
soon colored red, and the sudden appear
ance Of sharks at the very side of the boa
attracted by the blood, made me withdra'
it in great fright.
K lrEE r.. -. T.