The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-04-22
MAGDALENAl BAY SHARKS
More Numerous There Than in
Any Other Part of the World.
BATHING IS DANGEROUS
Difficulty of Taking Soundings Ac-
cording to the Old Tar-Expcri-
cncc of an Officer Who Indulged
in Swim I'm the Protected Bath
ing Pcn--Stcam Whistle Tackle.

In Swim I'm the Protected Bath
ing Pcn---Stcam Whistle Tackle.
Havana is wont to boast proudly
that her Nez de Tiburones--the big
| pool in the rocks under MORO Cas-
| tie where they used to drop the bod
les OF the executed prisoners through
a chute-is the sharkiest spot in the
world, and there are numerous 9TH
er points in the tropics which lay
claim to the same distinctions: but
Magdalena Bay is the only true and
original fount of sharkdom.
| heard an old tar on one of the
! armored cruisers, says a correspond
ent of the Los Angeles Times, tell
ing some visitors that the man eat
ers were so thick around the bow OF
his ship when she steamed into the
bay that they couldn't heave the lead
through them to take soundings.
The morning plunge oversize
regularly enjoyed by the officers and
men in many of the tropical ports is
quite out of the question in the pay.
any one in the bay having been at
tackled by shark in these waters, a
fact not so remarkable when ii Is
also learned that there is no record
of anyone having exposed himself
The closest call perhaps was that of
a well known Lieutenant Command
er who took a dive into the bathing
of H.. a.. .l... n
enclosure was occupied by IA foot
man eater.
The bathing pen Is 30 by 80
rallied In space on the shore of the
bay that was built with the oeten-
sible purpose not OF keeping sharks
in but of keeping them out. An un-
usually high spring tide, however.
flooded the top rail to a depth of
couple of feet or more, and during
the period of submergence the
big shark In some manner nosed his
way in and was left captive when the
water subsidized.
The commander in question sprang
from the rocks and disappeared un-
der the cool water in long, deep,
comfortable looking dive. An in
slant later the pen was vortex of
white foam, in the midst of which
whirled the white shoulders Of the
commander, and through which cut
with lightning slashes the black DOR
sal and tail fins of the big shark.
The frightened swimmer reached the
outer palings at the end of a half
dozen overland strokes, clambered
over the barrier, tumbled into the
water beyond. and wide eyed with
terror, started lunging right off to-
ward the open sea.
When he was finally recalled to
the bank It was to declare that the
pen was literally lined with sharks.
and not even after the ubiquitous
man eater was hauled out on the
beach could he be made to believe
| that the score or more of it's fellows
among which he imagined he had
| plunged had not escaped.
The sharks of the bay take almost
| any kind of bait, and it is rarely
| that warship is at anchor without
| from one to half dozen lines dang
| ling over its stern. Watching a shark
| line is tedious business, but IS
| strictly necessary in order for the
| fisherman to know when the non
ster is hooked, as his frantic rushes
| If allowed to go unchecked are pret-
| ty sure to cause some part of the
| line leader or even some of his own
/ anatomy, to give way and result in
| his escape.
To this end The officers and sail
ors have hit on an ingenious plan.
instead of taking in their lines when
the dinner gong sounds or when for
any other reason they are on duty
| elsewhere they run stout pece of
marlin twine from the shark line
up to the steam whistle leaving it
for the man eater himself to an
nounce the event of his being hooked
by sounding a toot.
1t is regrettable to state that the
inventor of the clever expedient a
surgeon on torpedo boat, came
near to losing his position as a re-
suit of his first experimental trial
of this time saving contrivance.
This came about as a result of his
lack of judgment IN running the
main line, instead of the compare
lively light twine now employed for
that connection, up to the whistle.
The latter gave forth brave toot
in response to the jerk of the husky
man eater at the other end of the
line, but the blast was in the ma
: ture of a swan song. An instant
! later, with parting shrek of agony
the whole Of the whistle mechanism
was wrenched fror, the after funnel
and. carrying a string of hammocks
, and the pinnacle stand along with II
vanished overheard, spinning like q
taffrail log in the wake of the fly
I ing shark.
G DOughnuts are Different.
. In the genuine old-fashionet