New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-18
Death Struggles
of Titan Sharks

4. 4
with a steady hand. while sharks from
ten TO twenty feet in length waged
horrible battle before your eyes with
pygmy man, armed only with a har-
poOn? The daily swoop of the sharks
70 secure the raw meat was thrilling
enough. In their eagerness the mon
sters paid no attention TO the waiting
divers. This gave the men an oppor-
tunity TO attack the sharks by means Of
a harpOon thrust in the side. A
wounded shark becomes a terrible an
tagOnist. ! watched one titan, sixteen
feet long. dash away. startled. after
such q wound. as many OF them do
when they are hurt. Presently the
cNature swirled and rushed back 70
avenge himself upon his enemy. So
swift was his charge that | held my
breath, and almost stopped turning my
machine, with the horror Of II. saw
the hapless diver standing a little
apart from the rest. He could not be
warned in time 10 defend himself.
The monster was upon him efore he
knew. With marvellous quickness the
man flung himself upon the ground,
despite his heavy divers suit, and thus
saved himself from being horribly
mangled before our very eyes.
Again and again the infatuated shark
turned and charged his antagonist,
staining the water with trails OF blood
as he darted, raging, at his foe. Eac1
time the diver met him in fierce en-
counter. finally killing him when the
strength of man and monster seemed
to be at breaking point IN this fearful
duel.
The great body dashed about, filing
the water with its yellow blood, az
times perilously near 10 my little
chamber, till at last 1t grew stlli ana
foated upward 20 the surface. | pre-
served its jawbone. Il has SIX rows OF
terrible teeth graduating from one and
a quarter inches TO one-half an inch in
length. can pass this jaw over my
entire body, shoulders and all, and l
am q big man: Fancy what II means
for a man, hampered by the tremen-
dous pressure Of water and by I'M
peding heavy divers armor, driven, too,
bv surging ocean currents, 70 hght a
mortal combat with a sea monster, at
home in the deep and several times
his size! Such duels mean death to
man or brute, and picturing sucn
scene tries the nerve TO its utmost.
On the other hand, the mind Of man
cannot conceive the wonderful beauty
that is 70 be found in the bed OF the
sea. The loneliness Of sa gardens
varies with the depth at which they
are seen, and they increased in beauty
and attractiveness as the depth, and
NV consequent sufferings from ar
pressure grew.
At twenty-five or thirty feet below
the surface, in the Bahamas, the sea
bottom is generally OF smooth sand,:
white and glistening with crystals OF
rock and salt. like fields or diamonds
almost dazzling TO the eye where tne
suns rays strike full upon them' Az
thirty-fve 10 forty feet, the sea gardens
really begin. Here may be found veg
citation Of the richest possioIe Hlhui
tinv fern-like growths, long waVihg
Gagged. with mysterious shadows,
filmed with fairy-like lace, broken, mere
and there, by darting fishes Of brilliant
and varied hues. Below nifty feet the
scenes are beyond all description IN
their beauty. One beholds coral
growths as large as boulders. over,
grown with countless varieties ct Welrd
plants and growth large ana small
Some Of these seemed alive, ana maze
one almost start back. fearing some
cleaning monster. There are brllllah
streaks Of quartz. and deposits OF glls-
tening salt, with notified and inter
mingled colors Of the most eiusory
Thade and hue. With their bold out
line and exquisitely delicate finish, Ike
a Gothic cathedral. these boulders seen,
the handiwork Of a world beyond ana
superior 20 our own in art and handi-
craft. The mystery, the lustre, the fan,
tastic beauty Of outline. general ana
particular, the harmonious blending OF
great rocks and plants with coral ar