The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-05-29
.EATEN BY D0GF|SH.
Fate of Maine Fisherman Who
Fell Overheard From Dory.
Physician Had Narrow Escape While
Taking PIunge-Risht to Exter
inmate Enemy Of Man and
Fishes Of the Atlantic.

Rockland, Me.-"And he said: MY
God. Frank, shoot me quick, shoot me
quick, the dogs are eatin' me alive
Il hauled up my gun an pulled back
tn hammers, but couldn't do 1t
though I warn't more n ten feet from
him, and could have blown his whole
head of. l don't blve the Lord would
hev called tibet murder either.
Il gasped for air, n dropped my gun
on tn seat, n then looked at Charlie
again n it was all over. Jest dark
red in tn water n a hundred ugly
shouts, n shinin' rows of teeth jest
gleamin' n snappin' thar in tn gray
Of that October afternoon"
It was Frank Oleson, fisherman
Of Rockland. Me-, who spoke. He
was telling a little group Of oilskin
clad fishermen about tragedy Of 1885
when he and Charlie Freeman sailed
out Of Tenants Harbor, Me-. one o.
tober morning. Oleson brought the lit
tie sloop Alpine back the next morn.
ing alone. Freeman had fallen over.
board in the midst Of q school Of dog
fish, which had eaten him alive b.
fore the eyes Of bis helpless compan'
panion.
They were bound for the fishing
grounds Of Martinicus island. Freeman
had taken along a shotgun. When
five miles from Criehaven q bunch
Of coots, flying low, came skimming
along Freeman fired into them, and
three or four dropped. The Alpine was
brought up into the wind, and with her
mainsail and lib tapping the gunner
jumped into the dory and started to
pick up his game.
There was shout, a splash, and
Freeman was struggling in the water.
In reaching over the side Of the dory
he had lost his balance and fallen into
the choppy sea. In moment the hun
cry, sharkish dogs were after him.
The opening paragraph tells all there
Is to tell
Many stories are related to show
the ferocity of the dogfish. It was not
more than dozen years ago that two
New York yachtsmen were lolling
along In a sloop yacht in Penobscot
bay one July afternoon. One of the
yachtsman, a physician named Bow
ker, decided to take plunge. He
stripped and dived off the bow Of the
sloop, intending to pull himself into
the tender trailing behind as it passed
him. He had scarcely hit the water
before he let out yell. He just
managed to catch the gunwale Of the
rowboat when his companion reach
ed him and hauled him in: Three ugly
wounds showed in his legs where the
voracious dogfish had bitten out
chunks. He was taken into Rockland
where physician treated him for
sxkral weeks before he was out Of
danger.
That the determination or at least
the thinning out Of the dogfish is prac.
ticable has been demonstrated. Thirty.
five years ago the old Gloucester
schooner Water Lily, according to
Fred Lewis Of Portland, who was .
member Of the crew, sailed from the
Massachusetts port in command Of
Capt. George E. Robinson on an ex-
perimental trip.
The Water Lily proceeded to Kettle
Bottom, about Is miles off Orr's Island.
On the first day the high line dory
from a. m. to 8 p. m. had caught
1900 dogtish. From the total dogfish
catch on the first day 2S5 buckets Of
livers were cut. Livers then brought
81 bucket, as they were converted
into oil. Cheaper and better CONNER.
cial oils today have practically ended
their usefulness for this purpose.