Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-06-10
ATTACKED BY SHARKS
A Whales Terrific Battle With a
School of Thrashers.
AN AWE INSPIRING CONTEST.

The Unequal Fight Was Ended by the
Death Of the Courageous Mammal,
Who Was Torn to Shreds by Her
Ferocious Assailants.
Early one morning while engaged In
building new quarters for the light
house keeper at Breaksea island, near
Rottnest, Western Australia. the con-
tractor and his men noticed a bull
whale. with COW and calf, passing
the island some distance off. They
watched them with interest for awhile,
noting the immense size of the two
parents and the methodical regularity
with which columns of water rose
from their blowholes and then resum-
ed their labors.
An hour or so later-about O'Clock,
to be exact-the men were startled by
an extraordinary noise. apparently
coming from the eastern end Of the is
land, a noise unlike anything they had
ever heard before. Dropping their
tools and staring toward the east,
they beheld such a sight as 1t falls to
the lot of few people to witness
There, not 800 yards from the shore,
was being waged a battle to the death
"A fight between the great COW whale
previously seen and school Of thrash
er sharks. The calf was swimming
about distractedly, but the old bull
had disappeared, having basely desert
ed his family at the first approach of
danger.
The sharks. as though acting In ac-
cordance with some preconcertcd plan,
had completely surrounded the two
whales and. apparently realizing that
nothing was to be feared from the
calf, concentrated all their efforts upon
the COW. Again and again they churg-
ed In upon her. their jaws swapping
tearing at her mighty sides until the
the COW lashed her tail furiously. hurl.
ing up sheets of Redeemed water and
occasionally crashing down with ter.
rife force upon one of her voracious
opponents. Muddened with pain and
rage, she dashed this way and that
but the sharks hung to her side with a
persistency and ferocity that made the
fascinated onlookers shudder Now
and again the wildly lashing tail would
catch one of the assailants. driving II
beneath the waves--no doubt killed OF
disa abled-but the remainder rushed IL
undismayed. tearing viciously at the
mammals bleeding flanks or buttine
her with the force of battering rams.
Presently the spellbound spectators
realized two facts-trst. that the cali
had disappeared In the melee and, sec
ond. that the tortured whale was un
doubtedly becoming weaker. 1t was
could have only one ending. Still
however. she fought on doggedly, win
ming admiration and sympathy by hel
exhibition Of hopeless courage. Alter
ing her tactics. by supreme effort She
hurled her whole great bulk clear Of
the water for moment, and the fasci
mated onlookers beheld the shark!
hanging from various parts of be-
cleaning body by their serrated teeth
Then down she went again with {
crash like thunder. and for an instan
whale and sharks were buried ami(
masses of foam. heavily colored will
the poor mammals lifebloOd. Risin.
again, she essayed another change O.
| plan. making for the rocks and desper
ately striving to rub off the clingini
sharks against their edges. But th,
thrashers were equal to the occasion
| While those Oh the outside maintained
their grip. the others dived under thei
enemy and charged her anew, tearing
at the whales side In an ecstasy o
terocity that was bloodcurdling to wit
ness.
| More and more feeble grew the
whales struggles. and at last. to the
heartfelt relief of the spectators. fol
her death fight had been terrible to be
hold. the great body turned over anC
sank beneath the red tinted water
The unequal battle was over, having
lasted frnm 8 o'clock until noon, ~
awe inspiring contest as man wa'
ever privileged to witness. The mel
went back to their work greatly i'm
pressed by the unique spectacle, ant
expressions of sympathy for the whale
were heard on every side.
Forty-eight hours afterward th'
whales body, which had in the mean
time become distended with gas, ros'
to the surface and exploded with
roar like a miniature powder maga
zine. causing the startled people tt
rush to the shore to discover what hat
happened. On examination of the re
mains 1t was discovered that ever.
shred of the outer flesh of the whal
had been torn off by the sharks. VIII
had doubtless gone off to repeat thei
tactics upon some other hapless levia
than.-Victor Pitt ethley In st. Loui
Post Dispatch.
What He Sold.