The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1903-06-19

thrilling experience aboard a
"cabler" with one Of the monster man
eaters who infest the waters Of tie
Mediterranean. And this Is how lie
told IL 10 a brother seaman as they
were comparing notes on the ability Of
the man-eaters 10 live out Of the water
for great length Of time:
THE long Grapnel," said he, was a
cable ship and we were at 81. Helena,
anchored close In, and the second en-
gineer got hook, baited IL with fist.
ful Of oily waste from the engine room
and began 10 fish FOR a huge shark that
was hanging about our stern.
"As IL happened. the Governor Of ST.
Helena, or some biz pot, was coming
10 dinner that day. and the table IN the
saloon was set out with the best glass
and pineapples and bananas and what
not all In the way OF dessert. Well.
the shark was bit coy, but Just as
four bells were striking he gobbled the
bait.
"The old man was ashore and we
clean forgot about the Governor com.
ing 10 dinner, forgot everything but
the shark plunging and tugging at the
line.
well. we had holsted the brute ten
feet or so clear from the water when
the first roller struck US. pointing our
bow balks at the sky and swinging the
shark out till his tail nearly touched
the water. then. swash, we went into
the trough, pitching our propeller up
to the sky and swinging the shar. in
board.
The blight OF rope slipped, and
smash. came the shark on to the after
gratlngs; twenty-five foot he was. and
as thick as a PickfOrd's van almost.
Swish, came the next roller, and as
we went into the trough the shark shot
on 10 the deck, skiddcd along as If he
were on skates, cannOned against the
starbOard bulwarks. and as the next
roller took us on the starboard bow
II shot him head first down the saloon
cOmpaniOnWay clean out Of sight, and
you wouldn't have known there was n
shark on board only for the screams Of
the second saloon steward. who was
'billlls W. Win II llbg VI hlNlltS just
as old blow-hard was going down.
THE shark lay head to the open sa-
loon door. lie gave his tail a flap and
seemed undecided whether he would
go on into the saloon or come tail first
into the cable tank; the next roller
decided the question, for il shot him
right into the saloon and banged the
door on him, for all the world as If he
had pulled IL behind him.
II heard various sounds from the 81.
loon where all our best glass was put
out and covers laid for fifteen people
but ! did not go in. Well, you may
fancy the state we were in, the ship
pitching and all.
Just then our old man came aboard,
and there was gay time. tell you.
We got rifles and tried to shoot the
brute through the skylight. You could
see him rolling about in pineapples and
hothouse flowers ana broken glass; but
he had jammed his head between the
legs of the table. which had split in
two, and the after part OF the table
fitted him just like n sunbonnet and
the bullets glanced off it; so we gave
over.
"At in the morning the skipper
called the second engineer. and told
him as he had brought the brute
aboard he must get rid of him. or he'd
stop his gros and shove him down the
saloon skylight to keep his friend COM
lany.
well, the second engineer thought,
and thought and thought. Then he got
leg OF mutton and dangled IL down
the skylight on string till 1t was un-
der the t2ble-hap of old Chase Me-
Charley's sunbonnet. He couldn't re-
sist il; he turned on his back, open his
mouth, and the photographer, who was
ready with his gun, shot him clean
through the heart"