The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-08-10
SOUND INVADED
BY NAVIGATING
SHARK SCHOOLS
Fleet of Dozen Fishermen
Armed With Rifles Are
Hunting Them.
ONE BOY Is INJURED;
ESCAPES WITH LIFE
Report That Rapacious Fish
Are Destroying All Traps
And Nets.

the same rapacious type of fish that
spread CONSERVATION among bathers
at Atlantic coast resorts last summer
and killed number of persons-have
Invaded Long Island Sound. One
boy yesterday barely escaped with his
life and was severely bitten and ma
rine men today warned bathers not
to venture too far from shore on en-
tering the water.
Enraged fishermen whose traps and
nets have been ruined and the con-
tents eaten by the sharks left Bridge
port this morning armed with rifles
determined to rid the sound of the
killers" Nearly two dozen vessels
Der of the crews has been given a RI
fle. They will comb the sound in
search of the school
Capt. John Wirth of the sloop Ann
A. Nora, brought one of the man
eaters into port with him this morn
ing and placed in on exhibition in
Hayes Fish market, Water street
Fishermen state their is no doubt that
the shark is Of the man-eating type.
1t has three rows of backward point
ed teeth, weighs 450 pounds and is
over seven feet in length.
The fish was only killed after a pro-
longed and severe fight by Capt
Wtrth and his crew, who were asked
yesterday to drive the school away
from the shores of Mattatuck, L. T.,
following the attack on the boy bath
er. The shark was finally subdued
by repeated shots from a revolver be-
ing fired into its body.
He reports that yesterday morning
number of boys were bathing on
the beach at Mattatuck, which is To-
Gated on Long Island between Peconic
Bay and Long Island Sound, approx
imately opposite Saybrook, Conn. The
water at this point Is comparatively
deep. there being but little beach
Suddenly dark object raised Itself
to the waters surface andsthe cry Of
SHARK" arose.. The boys SWAN fol
shore, but before Jonathan Briggs
aged Ia. of Mattatuck, could reach the
beach, his right leg was caught in the
sharks teeth and a large piece OF
flesh above the knee ripped off. Com
panions dragged Briggs from the
water and rushed him to a physi-
clans home mile and a half dis
tant from the scene of the encounter
known at the Stratford avenue dock,
known at the Stratford aenue dock
where he unloads potatoes and CLAIMS
consigned to Bridgeport merchants,
was called upon by the panic c-strickent
bathers to pursue the shark. After
sailing about the scene the greater
part Of the middle day, he Sighted a
school about o'clock swimming in a
northeasterly direction. About
o'clock he overlook an outlying mum
Der of the fish and casting a shark
line overheard baited with about two
pounds of meat, gotta bite. After
hauling with an improvised tackle he
landed the shark on the small deck
. Of the vessel
The hook became dislodged and the
big fish began a series Of hops which
sent the captain and his mate to cover.
In the fight the til1er was abandon
doned with the result that the vessel
slowed about In the wind and almost
eapsiSed.
The captain obtained a revolver
from the cabin and fired several times.
After being dangerously wounded the
shark still showed fight and had to be
dispatched by well directed bullet
into the head. Capt. Wirth imme-
diately sailed for Bridgeport and
spread the alarm. The shark was
taken to Hayes fish market where II
was opened, but no evidence of hu-
man bones was found in its stomach.
Sharks Of this type are dangerous
to f1shermen's nets and drive all fish
from their vicinity. Unless the
school is dispatched or driven to the
ocean, which will now be the aim Of
all men engaged in fishing in Sound
waters, the catches here will be very
ey,1 a n and J1nnrof1ta Bile.