The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-24
MONSTER OF THE SOUTH SEAS.
A Naval Officers Story of a Shark
Thirty Feet Long.
New York SUM-

(New York SUM-
The biggest shark I ever saw was
fully thirty feet long" said a naval Of
ficer. I have never heard Of any
other as big as that. Nobody with
whom I have talked on the subject
could recall having seen such a big
fellow.
The way we ended the existence of
this giant Of the sea was interesting.
l was an engineer on the old VandaIia
down in the South seas a short time
before she was destroyed with the
Trenton and the Nipsic and three Ger
man warships in the great Samoan
hurricane in 1899. While we were at
anchor in Apia ha-oor this big shark
kept US close company. 1t stuck close
to the galley port and lived well on the
swirl which the cooks threw overheard.
1t was so big and so bold that the men
were afraid to go in bathing near the
ship. and finally they became uneasy
over the presence Of the shark and
threw out hints that something should
De done TO drive it away or kill it.
The ordinary method Of catching
shark was not successful with this fel-
low. We baited a big iron kook with a
piece Of pork, but the shark got away
with hook and bait, swapping the line
"a thick rope-with its powerful Jaws
and was apparently none the worse for
the experience. We baited another
hook attached to a heavy chain, but
the shark wouldn't touch this. Then
the captain gave permission to some OF
the marines TO fire at the monster, but
at the flash Of a rifle it would dive and
not come to the surface until a safe
distance away.
The presence of that shark began to
have a bad effect on the ships compa-
ny. The men became uneasy and dis
s satisfied under the influence Of a su-
perstition that the close attention
which the fellow paid us meant III
{ luck for all on board. Finally I hit
7 on plan which 1 thought would work
I the sharks destruction. I filled a
good-sized bottle with guncotton and
, ran an insulated wire through the cork.
+ The other end Of the coil of wire was
attached TO a small dynamo which we
had on board. Then we dropped the
Bottle overheard 200 feet from the
stern and awaited results.
I But the shark was cute. It wouldn't
touch the bottle We hauled it in.
. wrapped a big piece Of pork about il
and dropped it overheard again. Still
II wouldn't take the bait. We noticed
that every time a cook emptied swill
bucket the shark would come forward
and eat the contents. so we hauled the
bottle alongside and threw a lot Of table
scraps and other galley refuse over it.
( sure enough. the shark swan up and
swallowed bottle, swill and all. I was
about 10 turn on the current to detO-
nate the guncottOn. when some one
, shouted that the shark was so near
I that the ship might be injured by the
( explosion. We then tried 10 drive the
+ shark away We threw things at il
and shouted. but it wouldn't move. For
some reason the shark didn't attempt
Z 10 bite the wire which trailed out Of
I Its mouth. 1t had always shown fear
I or small boats. SO we called away a
J cutter. When the shark saw the men
I getting into the boat it swan away
I slowly until il reached the limit Of the
I wire Just then the current was turned
on and the monsters remains were
/ scattered all over the water.
Before the report Of the explosion
had died away the water in the vicinity
I Of the place where the big fellow was
/ blown up became. fairly alive with
smaller sharks. They devOured the
\ fragments Of their deceased brother in
a business-like way and seemed to en-.
JOY the meal They had evidently been
afraid TO come near the giant while II
was alive. I never could understand
now they found out 50 soon that II had
been killed"