Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-07-22
The Gentle Shark.

! INiuefitly the discussion as 10 Wnetn-
= CT sharks viii attack living human be-
irgs in the water. like Banquo's ghost.
will not down." but hobs up serenely
and perennially, notwithstanding all
the evidence. to the contrary that has
at times been presented through the
| columns of the Sun. including the Of
| fer, some twenty-five years ago, Of
| Herman Oelrichs, still unclaimed of
/ $500 for authentic proof of any person
| having been bitten by shark north Of
| Cape Hatteras, and I added an offer
eff smal Her sum, extending the limit
to anywhere south of Cape Hatteras.
and that offer still holds good.
| I have yet to see the man-eating
shark, to be persuaded of its existence.
or to meet a man worthy of belief who
| has seen. one, though, I've sailed the
seven seas and many others since 1855
| in whaler. rnereliantmsn and man-o'-
| war and coaster. and am still "on
deck / have seen and mingled with
sharks in all waters. drunk and sober:
have seen the waters alive with sharks
ard human beings mingling freely and
| fearessly; have known sailors at night
| in shark infested waters to swim long
! distances to and to return from shore,
| loaded Internally and externally. un-
! disturbed and without a thought OF the
: shark.
| The history of the South seas, where
! the natives Of the Sandwich Poiynesi-
an and Marauesas islands practically
, live in the waters with the shark, and,
where even the women and children
join with equal zest and abandon in
his killing affords no evidence OF the
| existence of the man. eating shark Nor,
do tho records OF any of the old Ameri-
| can whalers of earlier years in These
and other waters. In the belief that
my experience might possibly be ex-
ceptfonal, ] have cussed and discussed
the shark. his habits. tastes and so
forth, with men of even wider and more
varied experience than my own, and
| the experience and belief of each was
in accord with my own. All of which.
with the fact that the offer of Mr.. Del
fiehs and the discussion that followed
1t in the Sun failed to disclose q parti-,
i Gle OF evidence as to the existence OF
the man-eating shark. confirms me in
the belief that he does not exist, except
In the imagination of the writer's OF
i sea STORIES fresh water sailors. sea-
: shore ba theirs, yatchsmen and similar
ubbers, from whom at times l have
i heard the most blood curdling stories
i IF the sharks ferocity, all second hand
i and well authenticated by some one
who told the tale as twas told to me-
i As to the letter in the Sun signed
i Mrs. A. c. about sharks in Pensaco-
Ii bay: During the Civil War this was
the only gulf port open to Farraguts
fleet in which 1t could find shelter to
i recruit and reft; the headquarters for
the organization and preparation OF
his fleet for his memorable attack on
| August s. 1864, upon the Confederate
fleet and forts i'm Mobile bay. Here WAS
i gathered his heaviest vessels, consist
i ing of the frigates Potomac and Sus-'
quehanna: sloops of war; first class,
Hartford, Brooklyn and Richmond;
| second class Oneida, Lackawanna- Ca
:. lena, Monongahela, Seminole, Juanita,
/ Mohican and others. with monitors,
double enfiers and innumerable gum
> hoats. supply and other vessels. whose
, crews. numbering thousands. We're per-
: mitted to battle hourly. daily and
| nightly in the warm. clean, blue wat
ers of the gulf stream-than where I
have never seen sharks larger OF more
| numefous-from ships and beaches
without single accident or injury due
to sharks | have many times during
my anchor watch" and with an eye
, on the 'officer of the deck" enjoyed
a midnight swim in the shadow OF
my ship. from the gratings of the
companion ladder. while fins of sharks
cut streaks of lightning about me in
the pnosphorescent water. But perhaps
the shark of that day. like the Solomon
islanders, preferred missionary to sail
or meat. as the whisky and tobacco
absorbed by the latter rendered his
flesh less delicate and tasty.
The statement sikned Sailor" in the
Sun Of June 30 is no better authenti-
Gated or convincing than was a similar
one of recent date from the same
, source and waters. which appeared in
all the daily papers, reciting that sea-
! man Dunlap, of the United States gum
boat Elcano. while using his forefinser
as boat plug, had it bitten off by a
shark close to the cardboard strake.' At
that time | endeavored to ascertain
f / from the proper authorities the thick
, ness of that cardboard strake and the
original length of that forefinger. but
without success. The motives prompt
ing my curiosity will be apparent to
| any sailor man. In the language OF
r Tom Taylor, there aln't no SIGH thing
as a man eatin' shark" For good
! and plausible shark story. however.
a none can equal that of the "Shag Eyed
Shark" Page IS of a little volume en-
r Titled pine Tree Ballads" authors
> name not remembered.-New York Sun