The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-10
FISHERMAN HAS BATTLE
WITH MONSTER SHARK
1t Occurred In Jamaica Bay and Lasted
Forty-Five Minutes.

NEW YORK, Aug. 9.-August is con-
sidered to be the shark month in ia
maica bay, but this year the sharks put
in an appearance early. John Whitaker,
OF Canarsie, caught one last week which
was as long as his rod, and which, when
speared, was found to contain six two
pound Holsters.
He was fishing with the usual eight
ounce rod and an eighteen-thread line,
500 feet long. His boat was anchored at
the point of a bar in the FishkilI chan
mel.
Thinking that he might strike stray
striped bass or channel weakfish, he put
on large bait of shedder crab. AS a
measure of safety he took off his gut lead
er and substituted long wire smell in
case big bluefiSh should come along
hundred feet of line had run off his
reel, when, whizz, out went another 400
feet with rush. He realized that he had
struck a monster that he could not check
with his light tackle, but he gave the
fsh the spring of the rod and reeled in
until the shark was within 100 feet of
the boat
The wind was blowing rather stiffiy
and there was white caps on the bay, but
through the smother of wave he caught
glimpse of the great fish. Then the
shark, in turn, catching q glimpse of the
boat end Whittakeris erect figure. made
bee line for the inlet. This time it took
all but twenty-five feet of line off the
reel and Whitaker was feeling for his
knife to save his rod. when the shark
slackened' BY sharp Keeling he managed
to return 400 feet of his line.
Realizing the difficulty of capturing so
big fish with SO slender rod. Whit
taker almost decided to cut the line. but
the fighting spirit got the better of his
economical he determined
to fight the shark to a finish.
fat-bottomed skiff is solid enough
In a calm, but when the sea horses are
running it furnishes a very insecure foot
hold. 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 a lamb to the
slaughter. 1t came up to within thirty
feet of the boat, the great cleaving back
fin on the fish being plainly visible. Then
came another rush.
BY holding the rod straight up in the
air until ever fiber of the wood was
strained, the angler managed to limit the
rush to 300 feet. By this time Whitaker
is a big, muscular man, and the battle
so far had only stimulated his nerves
and awakened his enthusiasm.
Seeing a chance for ultimate victory,
Whitaker decided to shift his position
so that in the event of firing the shark
he could draw it up in the shallow water
On the bar and shoot 1t. 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 short time
a 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 fifteen minutes the fight went
on until Whittaker's arms were becom-
ing numb from the strain
Gradually the rushes of the great fish
became shorter and the boy at last man
aged to plant 3S-caliber bullet in the
sharks head. The shock of the bullet
seemed to madden the shark for few
minutes, but it weakened rapidly and
Whitaker was enabled to tow it up on
the bar, where it was quoted by six
pieces of lead in its ugly head.