The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-11-05
The Man-Eating
Shark Myth.

The Journals discussion of the man
eating shark theory hae aroused some
opposfrion on the part of several OF
our brethren of the state press. some of
whom ant least probably never saw
anything more than a loan shark or
maybe land shark.
The JOURNAL has stated that there Is
mo snch thing as 8 man eating shark in
gulf vpatera This statement was chal-
9enged and, when marss leg was dis
icoyered in the beRy Of a shark recently
caught in Pensacola bay. our critics
seized upon the incident as proof that
The Journa4 Was mistaken. We an
severed this last statement by express
ing the opinion that the man was dead
before the shank got his leg and that
ia sEraRk win of course eat dead man
ldust as quick as he win a dead fsh nr
comes the Lakeland Telegram and
says:
If the man was dead before the shark
bit off his leg, then The Journals the
DRY that the man eating shark is a
myth Is not disproved by this case,
-ibut is The Journal sure that he was
dead before his leg was taken off
The story we read offered that only as
ia conjecture and there seemed to be
mo clear evidence on the subject Evil
sdentIy the man was thrown out OF his
boat at night when he was alone, but
was he drowned or did the shark get
him f1rst2 We want to believe with
THE JournaI, for it Is much more COM
Portable to think that way, but the evil
dence doesn't seem to be conclusive IN
this case so far as we have seen it
in The Journal.
And to this altogether Illogical con
te1t;on. the ST. Petersburg Times,
Y.hsch ought to know better. adds:
Editor Mayes, of The Pensacois
Journal is a pow erfuI convincin writer
but il does seem to us he slipped a
logical cog in that latest shark edito-
rial
Some time ago he swept aside the
notion of a man eating shark as a
myth; and then the other day mis-
paper told of the capture of Pen
sacola shark IN whose belly was found
human leg presumably belonging
TO a man known to have fallen over
Hoard and disappeared. Editor Dixon
Of the Lakeland Telegram asked If
that did not prove the existence of the
man eating shark and Mayes comes
hack with the admission that the shark
as a scayenger might eat the dead body
of man, as any other dead body.
but insists that it does not tackle a
Hive man. the man in this case having
been undoubtedly dead before the
sehark got him. Dixon then invites at
tention to Mayes' failure to produce II s
evidence that the man was dead. and
for n fact we can't understand now
our most distinguished could have
been governor did allow such an over
sight to occur
Even the Panama City Pilot from i
which something better ought to have
been expected. says:
The Pensacola Journal existing vir- |
tually in the midst of sharks, and the |
Lakeland Telegram. located that far |
inland that no shark could possibly |
reach it's sanctum. are at outs as 10 |
the question of a. Florida shark so TO |
say, ever attacking a living person
Evidently neither paper ever read |
the Pilots report of a bather being |
attacked on the gulf beach at this |
point or of the fight the man had to |
make to escape with his life. He was
severely injured by ffg Teeth of the |
vicious mans eater, and was long /
time recovering therefrom. Gulf |
sharks. or some species therein, most |
assuredly will attack a person swim
ming within their habitat
Now all of this is very interesting
but none of it is convincing How
does the Pilot know that the bather
was attacked by shark? Did any
body see the shark? VIII anybody
swear that it was a shark? Wasn't
it after all a gar? And wouldn't tire
bite of large gar leave injuries and
decorations that might easily be taken
for the bite OF shark?
If these man-eating sharks do exist
here and If they do attack and bite
live, moving men, is 1t not strange
that no one can be found who can
of his own direct and personal knowI-
edge give testimony to that effect? All
of the evidence we have consists of
hear say-what somebody told some
body else. No first-hand, direct evil
dence has ever been submitted.
AS for proof that the man was dead
before he lost his leg in the belly Of
the shark recently caught in Pensa-
cola bay, that is beside the question
We don't have to prove it. Let some
body first prove that he wasn't dead
Let somebody prove that sharks do at
tack live men. The shark is the de-