Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-04-07
A SUBMARINE ADVENTURE
HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE OF EX-
PERT SWIMMER FROM
A SHARK.
GEL Lobo Marino," Man Eating Terror
of the Coast = Warning Disre-
garded-In Water with Mon
ster lowering Above.
By Hon. wauhope Lynn.

oeSA AA~N~hANAto >~H~'~'
BY Hon. Wauhope Lynn.
(Ex-Judge of First District Court OF New
York;
This story does not deal with any ex-
perience of mine as judge or states
man, hut of period Of mylifewhenI was
a young-a very young-and very IN
experienced lawyer.
Had | been less young and less ex-
perienced / would not have risked my
newly acquired foothold at the New
York bar by accepting invitation
from friend of my fathers to spend
three months at his Cuban plantation.
But was bit run down by overwork,
and i fancied i could awrestle more
doughtily with the problem OF snatch
ing fame, and fortune from profession
already overcrowded if could first get
a change of air and complete rest.
So early in November of certain
year farther back than / care to re-
member, / found myself welcome and
decidedly happy guest at one of the
finest plantations on the Cuban coast.
The whole place was like a fairyland
to my New York eyes-a dreamy, lazy
tropical, multicolored fairyland. Fol
weeks amused myself loafing about
studying native customs, exploring the
hills and sailing on the broad waters
of the bay, that flashed and sparkled
at the very foot of the cliff on which
the plantation house was built.
The one drawback to my perfect en-
joyment was the fact that, despite the
nearness and delicious warmth of the
clear wafer, was implored most ur-
gently by my host never to go swim
ming. g1sU
"But, why not?' I asked him, wher
The first preached the subject This
is an ideal sheet of water for bathing
and Just think Of what fun it will bt
TO write my friends at home, who are
Ibeginning to .shiver under the advance
of winter, and tell them | swim in thu
ocean every day in November"
''I'm sorry" he replied courteously
"to deprive you of any pleasure, ant
more especially to rob you of the de
light of growing over your Gotham
friends. But I'm afraid you might no
live to record that swim"
Now, | prided myself on my skill
and power as a swimmer. At the sea
side l usually found little trouble il
SURPRISING the average bather when
came to sprinting, to distance swim
ming" or to swimming under water
Also | had won one or two prizes TO
the same sport while in college,
ut isn't through any fear OF you
drowning that | ask you not to g
swimming here" said my host when
had explained this "But-well, tn
waters of the bay aren't safe for swim
Iners."
Being, as | have said, very young
Aand being. moreover, strongly possess
ed OF the legal spirit OF investigation
/ pressed him TO explain.
I'VE don't like to speak of it aroun
here" he said at length, because it
a tragic subject to more than one {
us. Have you heard the native negroe
or the Spaniards about here mentio
ell lobo marino?"
s'4"Yes," / said, after moment
thought; passing by the quarters las
night | heard negro mother tell he
baby that unless it stopped crying I
'lobo marino' would catch him. M
Spanish is still a bit rusty, but lob
marine should mean sea Wolf SUI
nosea it was some local bugaboo whe
she said it.
1T is not. answered my host, gravel,
-It is. q shark"
st Il thought tiburon was the SPANS
word for shark" said.
1T is" replied he ITS the eener
name for shark But the shark whic
has made this bay terror to swimmer
has the local nickname Of ell lobo m'
rino. Sometimes he is spoken of as
scalamiGad del mar 1.-THE scourse OF II
seal. He it is that keeps our beautl1'
bay free of bathers.'
"You speak of him as II there wei
but one shark there, | laughed. DO
.ntbis particular monster monopolize Il
shark business in these parts?
No. there are many sharks in Il
bay: Just as there are all along the
islands, but for the most part no oil
minds them much. They are usual
TOO small to 90 any great damage, eve
were they not more afraid Of man tn;
man IS Of them. A six-foot shark cou
not make much Roadway in eating ST
foot man. But" he added, more sci
oLsly. eel lobo marino is very diife
ent proposition"
"How large is he?" | asked, curiousl
"All soits of rumors are abroad rs
his size" responded the narrator "Pe
sonsily I've seen him but once. Fro
that ore quick glance | should say
must have been close to 2Ofeet long"
But" | protested, 1--WE always hea
sharks don't modest men They say I
theory that sharks are man-eaters
irst an old superstition invented by sa
ors. and that sharks only feed Oh de