Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-06-08
(. I-.T,aac"[D BY SHARKS
q whales Terrific Battle With q
School Of Thrashers.
AN AWE INSPIRING CONTEST.

This Uaequsi Ftunt Wa choec ~ the
n.,,h OF the ceursasous Mammal,
who Was Torn to shrsds BY Asr
Fsroeious Assistants
Eariy one morning while engaged frs
,,ildinr new quarters for the light
,.,,s,. keeper al Breaksea island. near
p,,,nest. Western Australia. the con.
,rar,or aud bis men noticed a bull
.vbals. With a COW and calf. passing
,,.. island some distance OF. They
,,.stcbed them with interest for awhile,
,,,Ing the Immense size OF the two
currents and the inethodicai regularity
,.,,h which columns OF water rose
from their blowholes and then resun-
II their lahors.
An hour or so iater--abOut 8 o'clock.
10 be exact-the men were startled by
an extraordinary noise. apparently
.ouing from the eastern end OF the Is
lnnd a noise unlike anything they had
over heard before. Dropping their
,ools and staring toward the east.
they beheld such a sight as II falls to
tbe lot OF few people 10 witness.
There. not 500 yards from the shore.
WIS being waged battle TO the death
"A fight between the great COW whale
previously seen and a school Of thrash
~ sharks. The calf was swimming
about dlsiractedly but the old bull
mad disappeared. having baseiy desert
ed his family az the first approach 81
danger
The sharks. as though acting in ne
eordance with some preconcertcd plan.
mad completely surrounded the two
whales aud. apparently rraliziuE thar
nothing was 10 he feared fruln the
calf. concentrated all their efforts upon
the cow Again and again they charg-
ed I'm upon her. their jaws swapping.
tearing at her mighty sides until the
sea was red with blood Meanwhile
the COW dashed her tall furiously. huri-
ing up sheets OF redeemed water and
occasionally crashing down with ter
rifle force upon one OF her voracious
opponents. Maddened with pain and
rage. she dashed this way and that.
but the sharks hung TO her side with n
perslstency and ferocity that made the
fascinated oDlookers shudder. Now
and again the wildly flashing tail would
catch one OF the assailants. driving 1t
beneath the waves-no doubt killed or
diSabled-but the remainder rushed In
undismayed. tearing viciously at the
mammals bleeding tanks or butting
her with the force OF battering rams
Presently the spellbound spectators
realized two facts-6rst. that the calf
had disappeared In tho melee and. Sec
ond. that the tortured whale was un-
doubtcdly becoming weaker. IL was
obvious that the unequal struggle
could have only one ending. Still.
however. she fought on doggedls. win
ming admiration aud sympathy by her
exhibition OF hopeless courage. Alter
linz her tactics. by n supreme effort she
hurled her whole great bulk clear OF
the water for moment. aud the fasci-
uated onlookers beheId the sharks
hanging from various parts OF her
cleaning body by their serrated teeth
Then down she went again with a
crash like thunder. and for an instant
whale and sharks were buried amid
masses of foam. heavily coIored with
The poor mammals lifeblood Rising
again. she essayed another change OF
plan. making for the rocks and desper-
aieiy striving 10 rub or the clinging
sharks against their edges Rut the
thrashers were equal TO the occasion.
While fhOca an, tho o,ssfSa .o.t.e.s.a
their grip. the others dived under their
enemy and charged her anew. tearing
az the whales side In an ecstasy OF
ferocity that was bloodcurdiing 10 wit
ness.
More and more feeble grew the
whales struggles. and at last, 10 the
heartfelt relief OF the spectators. for
her death fight had been terrible TO be-
hold. the great body turned over and
sank beneath the red tinted water.
The unequal battle was over. having
lasted from 0 o'clock until noon. as
awe Inspiring a 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
ume become distended with gas. rose
l" the surface and exploded with a
roar Ike miniature powder maya
zine. causing the startled people to
rush to the shore 10 discover what had
happened. On examination OF the re-
mains II was discovered that every
shred Of the outer flesh OF the whale
had been torn OF by the sharks. who
had doubtless gone of 10 repeat their
tactics upon some other hapless levia-
than.-Victor PittKethley IN St Louis
PoSt-DIspatch.