Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-06-03
ATTACKED b. SHARKS
A Whales Terrific Battle With a
School of Thrashers.
AN AWE INSPIRING CONTEST.
Tho Unequal Fight Was Ended by tho
Death Of the Courageous Mammal.
Who Was Torn to Shrsds by Her
Ferocious Assailants.

Tho Unequal Fight Was Ended by the
Death Of the Courageous Mammal.
Who Was Torn to Shrsds by Her
Ferocious ASSISTANTS.
Early one morning while engaged In
brhdinS new quarters for the light
house keeper at Isrcaksea island. near
Rottnest. Western Australia the con-
tractor and his men noticed bull
whale. with a cow and calf. passing
the Island some distance of. They
watched them with interest for awhile.
noting the immense size of the two
parents and the methodical regularity
with which columns OF waoer rose
from their blowholes and them resum-
cd their labors.
An hour or so later-about 9~o'clock.
TO be exact-the men were St:utled by
an extraordinary noise. apparently
coming from the eastern end, OF the is
land. Il noise unlike anything they had
ever heard before. Dropping their
tools and staring toward the east.
they beheld such a sight as dit falls 10
the lot of few people TO witness
There. not 900 yards from che shore.
was being waged a battle to the.death
IA fight between the great cow whale
previously seen and n school of thrush
er sharks. The calf was swimming
about distractedly. bur the old bull
had disappeared, having basely' desert
ed his family at the first approach OF
danger.
The sharks. as though acting Din nc
cordance with some preconcertedAplan.
had completely surrounded the two
whales and. apparently realizing that
nothing was to be fellred from the
calf. concentrated all their efforts upon
the COW. Again and again they Csharg-
ed in upon her. their jaws swapping.
tearing at her mighty sides until the
sea was red with blood Meanwhile
the cow dashed her tail furiously. hurl-
ing up sheets of Redeemed water and
occasionally crashing down with ter
rifle force upon one OF her vorncious
opponents. Maddened with pain and
rage. she dashed this way and that.
but the sharks hung to her side with n
persistency and ferocity that made the
fascinated oulookers shudder Now
and again the wildly flashing tail would
catch one OF the ASSISTANTS. driving IL
beneath the wnves-no doubt killed or
diSabled-but the remainder rushed In
undismayed. tearing viciously ut the
mammals bleeding TANKS or butting
her with the force OF battering rams
Presently the spellbound spectators
realized two facts-first. that the calf
had disappeared in the melee and. Sec
ond. that the tortured whale was un.
doubtedly becoming weaker. 1t was
obvious that the unequal struggle
| could have only one ending Still.
however. she fought OH doggedly. win
ming admiration and sympathy by her
exhibition OF hopeless courage. Alter
Ing her tactics. by supreme effort she
hurled her whole great bulk clear Of
the water for a moment. and the fasci-
mated onlookers beheld the sharks
hanging from various parts OF her
cleaning body by their serrated teeth.
Then down she went again with u
crash like thunder. and for an Instant
whale and sharks were buried amid
masses of foam. heavily coiored with
the poor mammals lifebIood. Rising
again. she essayed another change of
plan. making for the rocks and desper-
ately striving to rub of the clingins
sharks against their edges. But the
thrashers were equal TO the occasion
While those OH the outside main tained
their grip. the others dived under their
enemy and charged her anew. tearing
at the whales side I'm an ecstasy OF
ferocity that was bloodcurdling 10 wit.
ness.
More and more feeble grew the
whales struggles. and at last. TO the
heartfelt relief OF the spectators. for
her death fight had been terrible to be-
bold. the great body turned over and
sank beneath the red tinted water
The unequal battle was over. having
lasted from 8 o'clock until noon. as
awe Inspiring contest as man was
ever privileged TO witness. The men
went back to their work greatly i'm
pressed by the unique spectacle. and
expressions of sympathy for the whale
were heard on every side.
Forty-eight hours afterward the
whales body. which had In the mean
time become distended with gas. rose
10 the surface and exploded with a
roar like miniature powder maya
zine. causing the startled people to
rush to the shore TO discover what had
happened. On examination OF the re-
mains 1t was discovered that every
shred OF the outer flesh OF the whale
had been torn Off by the sharks. who
had doubtless gone off to repeat their
tactics upon some other hapless levia-
than.-Victor Pitt-Kethley In st. Louis
Post-Dlspatch.