Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-09-28
GHOULs OF THE SEA.

excellent information as to the water all
along the route.
GHOULs OF THE SEA.
The Arm of a Man Found in the Body
of Shark.
From the Charleston News and Courier.
The left arm of a negro man, mutilated
and mangled, was cut from the stomach
of a ten-foot shark which was captured
after desperate struggle by the crew OF
the lightship on Tuesday afternoon. The
arm was undoubtedly that Of one of the
fifteen fisherman lost in the squall off the
Eastern Patches on Friday. When brought
to the city yesterday morning by the fish
ing smack Victoria and delivered to Cor
oner Vaughan the lacerated limb was eX-
amined closely by the fisherman who es-
capped the storm. but there was no mark
or sign by which 1t could be identified.
The negro was probably dead when his
body was seized by the sharks.
With this latest discovery at the light
ship the evidence Is almost conclusive that
the crews aboard the three fishing boats
were drowned. The searching parties which
went to sea on Saturday and Sunday came
back with stories of the numerous sharks
seen skirting the waters and apparently
hunting for prey. These rapacious mon
sters seemed to have detected an odor of
death, and many Of them followed the
boats doggedly. They splashed through the
waves, darted back and forth, and followed
water trails which might have been lead
ing to where bodies were afloat.
Two of the boats which managed to es-
cape the fury Of the storm pulled toward
the lightship and remained there Friday
night. The sharks had followed at dis
lance. They returned toward the Patches,
but early on Saturday morning they We're
seen again. The men aboard the Hghtship
cast out a line. but without making cap
ture, and the sharks disappeared. They
appeared again at intervals and then rush
ed away.
On Tuesday, however, several of the ten
foot monsters swan near the lightship,
and in the afternoon several of the men
on board let down rope line on when
had been attached a strong hook. The
bait was supplied. One shark Owed play
fully about the hook, jerked at the bait,
and then disappeared. He came back
again and seemed holder.
All at once he opened his big jaws, took
in the hook, and started away with the
the monster squirmed and fought. The
men holding the line were experts at shark
fishing. however, and they let the rope
slack off, and by the peculiar twisting
known only to experts gave the shark
jerk which caused his big mouth to open
for gallons Of salt water to pour in. After
this had been repeated once or twice the
monster became groggy. although he was
still fighting viciously and slapping at the
boat, while his eyes glared with anger.
He saw the desperate situation and tried
hard to escape. But the line was drawn IN
more and more, and finally, when weak and
whipped, the shark was dragged on deck,
and lay there twitching and dying. Quick
work by the crew ended his existence.
The lightship crew had suspected that
the sharks were out prospecting for the
dead fishermen, and it was decided to rip
the stomach open to see if the monster
captured had Toasted on the unfortunates.
meat and the flesh torn apart. After Dig
ging for the stomach the crew pulled out
a strange object, which proved to he the
arm of a man. The carcass was Cd
a bag packed closely in rock salt, and
then sewed in a canvas in the same manner
that bodies are prepared for burial at sea-
When the fishing smack Victoria hove IN
sight she was signaled from the lightship
and turned her course nearer In. Captain
Abram Gray, in command Of the smack,
was deputized to bring the arm to the
city and the small bag was swung over
the railing and he took 1t in.
Fishermen talkel great deal about the
finding of the arm, and they wondered
II the shark had Toasted on 1t after the
death Of the unfortunate man. or whether
it had been snapped off while the man was
alive. There has always been more OF less
dispute about what a shark would 90
with a live man, and the general belief
of experts Is that a man can swim among
sharks without being. harmed. AS soon as
he is dead, however, the body Is quickly
dispatched by the rowing ghoul of the. sea.
II
ran upon a dead fisherman and then feast
ed.
When the Norwegian bark Drot was
wrecked off the coast of Florida a year
or more ago and the shpwrecked crew got
aboard raft and drifted aimlessly, they
were followed from day to day by school
of sharks, waiting to seize the cadaVers
as they were thrown overheard. Many OF
the sailors died, and the bodies were fed
to the sharks. After the two last survivors
were sighted and small boat from a Brit
ish steamship had been sent out to rescue
Them the crew of the small boat had to
use the oars to fight the sharks. and they
were not driven away until after the casta-
ways had been removed from the raft. Find
ing that the prey which they had SO much
desired had been lifted from their reach,
the school of sharks made mad dash for
the raft, overturned 1t, and hunted for
more blood. The sharks on that occasion
could easily have eaten the live sailors,
but they were content to follow patiently
and pick up the dead as they fell into the