Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-19

mangling ana killing OF several pco-
pie by sharks at popular New Jersey
watering places a few days ago has in
tcrcsted scientific men, almost as much
as II has scared bathers. a, the Blu
rcau of Fisheries here a special study
OF sharks has been carried OH for
years with view TO finding some
economic use for them. During all OF
these years heretofore. the scientists
have failed TO fmd a single authentic
instance Of . shark attacking a man
tors while there have been very few
instances OF attacks by sharks even in
the tropical seas where these fish OF
prey reach much greater size, and
are much moro fcrocious
There is one variety Of shark popu-
larry known as the inan-cater. or White
shark, which, attainS Il length of forty.
feet. ana is probably the most fearless
and voracivus OF the predatory fishes.
Nearly all OF the attacks upon men in
tropical waters have been blamed
upon this fish. Ii is very rare north
Of the Caribbean. however. and. al
though occasional str1cglcrs have been
taken as far north A. Cape Cod, these
have almost invariably been too small
10 be dangerous to man.
sharks occur almost everywhere in
salt water. and there are more than :.
dozen species native to the Jersey
Coast. but they are all small. \ shark
clSht or ten feet in length would he
unusual anNwhcr" in the coastal VA :
ters Of the United states north OF the
gulf. and shark Of that size would
not be apt TO attack man
= ma har
r"r, despite his comparatively clear
record, and in order to allay the fcars
OF their guests. summer resort con :
Germs have repeatedly offered stand :
ing rewards for any authentic instance
OF shark killing a man Thus in
Florida there was long standing Of
Ter or $1,000 for proof OF guilt on the
part or "a shark. and n New York
newspaper for long tim" carried
daily q statement that $500 would bc
paid 10 anyone who could prove that a
shark had attacked man along tn.
Atlantic Coast OF tho United States.
There was never any applicant for
one or th"s" offers. and tho resort
proprieiors were able 10 get scientific
backing for their assertions that
sharks arc not real menace at any
American watering place
Three Deaths Ia Few Dn,.
=
popular resorts Within few DAYS
bringing q v.ritable panic upou Inc
watering places. DcSpitr steel n,ts
'hat were laId in thc surf and patrols
IN inotorboaiS armed with rifles bath
ers have become few and decn-w,tcr
swimmers have diSappcarcd cntjrcIy
Far moro fatal accidents have attract,
ca IcSS attention and caused less ter
f"r. The mystery and Sut;dcuuces nr
the sharks attack. the horrible ouolity.
OF his mctho dds. the realization ina, :,
dcadiE sea monster was rangin.. these
waters. which had 80 long been con
H'"e'f" dS Satc as a bath tub. inflamca
the popular imagination with alarm.
INC SciehHitc men, however are not
50 easily scared. These deaths, they
say. arc the first recorded instances Of
man-klllinc sharks in temperate wa
terS, ana II - quite possible that ,h.v
VIII be the last. The incident may be
explained in various ways An un-
usually large man eating shark may
nave straNeu from his native tropical
waters, ana a scarcity OF food fish
may have forced him to 20 ipshorc
ana attack the bathcrs. or il is pos
SIDE taht some native shark may have
reached an unusual size, and NAV have
beeh forced by the same circumstances
to seek human food II is also said
that Il shark might conccfvably acquire
Il taste FOR human flesh. perhaps by
feeding uron tho bodies Of the drown
ed and have become an actual man
hunter, as tigers sometimes do in In
dia.
p All OF these cxplana lions are admit :
icdly improbable. but the occurrence in
itself was most Improbable one
Spreading steel nets and patrolinc
with motorboats is not effective war
fare against sharks. either in the sci :
entifc opinion. With whole coast
line open to him. tho shark can easily
cvadc both tho patrols and the nets
Iiut his attack upon human beings is
almost certain 10 have bccu caused by
proceed against him is with a hook
and line tcmptinsly baitcd. One of
the best bats is the ugly toadfsh, dc :
spised by anglers. 1t is 81 favoritc
morscl with the shark. and will live
for days upon the hook. The butter
neither Of these fish is procurablc. =,
piece OF raw meat will get any shark
that is really hungry. Tho line should
bc made fast to buoy and anchored
near where tho sharl; has been seen
Habits Bear out Theory
That the accidental presence Of an
unusually big shark together with ::
scarcity OF natural food cxpIainA tho
two catastropheS on the Jersey coast
is q theory borne ont by tho little that
is known of tho sharks feeding habity.
There arc certain rivers in Australia,
for example. where the danger from,
sharks is serious at certain imcs of
the year. They run mp these rivers
in pursuit OF large schools OF muilct
Later in the year, III" mullct return
TO the sea, and the sharks arc sud :
denly deprived OF an abundant food
supply. Under these circumstances. the
larger sharks will attack almost any