Year: 1875

the De,p-An Extraordinary


strnggIe Ending In "a Draw.


New York Mercury,l


Thursday afternoon, when the Coney
Island beach was fullest of strollers and
bathers, one of the most remarkable
fights on record took place between
man and large porpoise. The FISH had
been disporting himself close in to the
shore, and when the tide reached its low
est ebb he found himself penned up in
lake OF perhaps a hundred yards long
formed by the sand-bars of the inlet in
front of the railroad depot. Seaward
the fish would have had to plow over ten
feet Of sand to reach deep water, and up
the inlet another bar stretched across so
scantily covered with water that the fish,
after many fruitless efforts, ceased to at.
tempt to escape in that way. The idlers
on the beach we're first made aware Of
his presence by the appearance Of what
they all believed TO be shark fin cpt-
ting the water in his swift darts from one
bar to another. Although the impris
oned fish occasionally took long leaps
above water, succeeded by dives in the
true porpoise fashion, "A shark,
shark was passed from one mouth to
another and the bathers betook them
selves to the beach with haste that saw
ored of panic. Among these was one
man, Michael o Brien, OF Dean
ard Smith streets, Brooklyn, who
had been entertaining spectators
with his marvellous feats in swim
ming As so n as he saw the cause
of the panic he determined to make aH
effort to catch fish weighing more than
himself, despite the fact that he, too, be-
lieved it to be a shark. The fish made a
dart iushore, and 0 Brien leaped into
the water, and at the first attempt Crap
Piled it around the body with both arms
The hnny monster seemed little dazed
at first, and O Brien had assumed an
upright position, with it in his arms, and
was staggering toward the beach, before
it made a struggle; when it did wriggle
its tail, however, O 0'Brien's grasp loos.
ened, and the fish darted mid-lake, where
the water was eight feet deep in places.
y Brlen swan out after him, and with
great courage grappled him again in the
deep water The porpoise dived, and
the man disappeared with him, and re-
appeared twenty feet distant, but to-
gether, 0 0'Brien apparently having found
fin that was not too Shiny to hold on to-
The fish seemed thoroughly frightened,
and made swift break toward the bar,
towing the man along, both disappear
ing and reappeaiiUg as the fish chose TO
dive or rise. In the shallower water
OBrien again recovered foot hold on
the bottom, and released the fin to take
better working grasp around the body
Of the porpoise. The fish made grand
effort for liberty, and almost lifted his
tormentor out Of the water by hirt Of
its tail. 1t succeeded in freeing itself
and darted off for the other bar, o Brien
following, not so speedily, of course,
but fast enough to establish his claim
to the highest rank in the natatorial art
The fish was penned in again, and
o 'Brien got another hold around his
body. The slime was too yielding for
his grasp, and the tapering body of the
fish slid through his arms, Both we're
WCiA-ulEu GAuhuolCQ uOMt luC uou lOO
much so to swim out of the reach of his
pursuer, and the man too tired to exert
strength enough to lift his prey olt upon
the beach. 0Brien, however, renewed
his grip upon the pectoral fin of the
porpoise, aud both we're quiescent for a
few seconds to regain breath. The fish
recovered soonest, and made another
dart for liberty toward the outlet bar.
This time he was successful, the tide
having arisen high enough during the
fight to leave foot of water over the
sand. An incoming wave helped him
half over by the undertow, and second
lifted him clean across. O'Brien was
close to him when he reached deeper
water, and watched his porpoiseship
swimming from wave to wave until he
got clear beyond the breakers. 1t was a
gallant fight. The fish was all of six
feet, weighing perhaps, 200 pounds, and
in his supposed character of a shark
was an antagonist to be avoided rather
than willingly encountered. OBrien,
the all but successful contestant, is a
modest looking individual, about FIVE
feet seven inches high, of muscular
build, and trained to athletic feats.
Still, he would not be taken for a man
who would take the chances he did
just for the fun of il" as he afterward