The sun., 1903-08-02
RATTLE WITH A BTG SHARK.
It Occurred I'm jamaica Bay and Lasted
AS Minutes.

AS Minutes.
August is considered to be the shark
month in Jamaica Bay, but this year the
sharks have already put in an appearance
John Whitaker Of Canarsie caught one
last week which was as long as his rod
and which, when speared, was found 10
contain six two-pound lobstsrs.
He was fishing with the usual eight"ounce
rod and an eighteen-threi d line, GOO feet
long His boat was anchored at the point
of a bar in the Fishkill channel
Thinking that he might strike stray
striped bass OF a channel weakfsh, he put
on q large bait Of shedder crab. As
measure Of safety he took OF his gut leader
and substituted long wire smell in case
a big bluefsh shou d come along.
A hundred feet of line had run on his
reel, when, whizz, out went another 400
feet with rush. He realized that no had
struck a monster that he could not check
with his light tackle. but he gave the fish
the spring Of the rod and reeled In until the
! shark was within 100 feet Of the boat.
The wind was blowing rather stifdy
and there were white caps on the bay, but
! through the smother of a wave he caught
glimpse Of the great fish. Then the shark.
In turn, catching glimpse Of the boat and
! Whittsker's erect figure, made bee line
| for the inlet. This time it took all but
twenty-five feet Of line OF the reel and
Whitaker was feeling for his knife TO save
his rod, when the shark slackened. By
sharp reeling he managed to return 400
! feet OF his line.
Realizing the difficulty OF capturing 10
! big fish with so slender rod, Whitaker
| almost decided to cut the line, but the
| fighting spirit got the better Of his economi-
cal Instinct, and he determined to fght the
shark to finish.
A fat-bottomed skifY is solid enough
in calm, but when the sea horses are
running it furnishes very insecure
foothold. However, by bracing his feet
against the sides of the boat, Whitaker
managed to maintain an erect position.
The second time the angler reeled in the
/ shark was led like lamb to the slaughter.
| 1t came up to within thirty feet OF the
boat, the great cleavinR back fin on the
fish being plainly visible. Then came
! another rush.
BY holding the rod straight up In the air
| until every fibre Of the wood was strained.
| the angler managed to limit the rush to
800 feet. BY this time Whitaker was
beginning to be more confident. He Is a
| big, muscular man, and the battle 80 far
had only stimulated his nerves and awak-
! ened his enthusiasm.
Seeing a chance for ultimate victory
| Whitaker decided TO shift his position
80 that in the event OF firing the shark he
could draw II up in the shallow water on
the bar and shoot it. So he directed the
boy with him in the boat to pull up the
anchor and row 100 yards further up the
bar. The tide was going out and Whitaker
realized that in a short time portion OF
the bar would be above the water line.
From that time on Whitaker fought the
shark standing in water up to his knees.
for he had jumped out OF the boat. For
nearly ffte0n minutes the fight went
on until Whittakers arms were becoming
| numb from the strain.
| Gradually the rushes Of the great flsh
became shorter and the boy at last managed
to plant a 3s-calibre bullet in tho shark s
head The shock OF the bullet seemed
to madden the shark for few minutes
but 1t weakened rapidly and Whitaker
was enabled to tow It up on the bar. whore
it was quieted by six pieces OF lead In its
ugly head