Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-08-18
BATTLE WITH A BIG SHARK.
It Occurred In Jamaica Bay and Last
ed EortY.five Minutes.

ed forty.nVe mlhuteS.
August Is considered to be the shark
month in Jamaica Bay, but this year
the sharks have already put in their
appearance John Whitaker Of Ca
narsie, caught one last week which
was as long as his fishing rod, and
which when speared, was found to con-
tain six two-pound Holsters.
He was fishing with the usual eight
ounce rod and an eighteen thread line,
600 feet long. His boat was anchored.
at the point Of bar in the Fishkill
channel.
Thinking that he might strike stray
striped bass or q channel weak-f1sh, he
put on a large bait of shedder crab.
AS measure Of safety he took off his
gut leader and substituted long wire
smell in case big bluefish should come
along.
A hundred feet of the line had run
Off his reel, when, whizz, out went an
other 400 feet with rush. He real
lied that he had struck monster that
he could not check with his light tack
lie, 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 stiff1y
and there were white caps on the bay,
but through the smother Of the wave
he caught glimpse Of the great fish.
Then the shark, in turn, catching
glimpse Of the boat and Whitaker's
erect figure, made a bee line for the
inlet. This time it took all but twen-
ty-flve feet Of the line off 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
so large a fish with so slender rod,
Whitaker almost decided to cut the
line, but Re fighting spirit got the bet
ter Of his economical instinct, and he
determined to fight the shark to fin
ish.
A fiat-bottomed skiff is solid enough
in a calm, but when the sea-horses are
running it furnishes a 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 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 visi-
BILE. 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 300 feet. BY this time
Whitaker was beginning to be more
confident. He is big, muscular man,
and the battle so far had only stimu-
lated his nerves and awakened his en-
thusiasm.
Seeing a chance for ultimate victory
Whitaker decided to shift his position
so that in the event Of firing the shark
he could draw il up in the shallow va
ter on the bar and shoot it. So he di-
rected the boy with him to pull up the
anchor and row hundred yards fur
ther up the bar. The tide was going
out and Whitaker realized that In a
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 Whittakers arms
were becoming numb from the strain.
Gradually the rushes Of the great
fish became shorter and the boy at
last managed to plant .3S-calibre
bullet in the sharks head. The shock
Of the bullet seemed to madden the
shark for a few minutes, but 1t weak
ened rapidly and Whitaker was ena-
bled to tow it up on the bar, where it
was quieted by six pieces Of lead In It's
ugly head.-New York Sun.