CHASED BY A SHARK.

North Otago Times, 1 November 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHASED BY A SHARK.

ESCAPE A TERRIBLE FATE.

"One of the narrowest escapes I've heard of for years," is how Captain Blackmail, of the merchant steamer Scottish Hills, describes a thrilling shark adventure which his vessel encountered on the last voyage. The Scottish Hills left Manila on September !i, 3 905, and ran into heavy seas when two days out. Six months later she was in the centre of the (Julf Stream in a heavy gale. Toward n'iglit Hugh Lowney, a seaman, was hurled from the upper rigging into J.he water. Lowncy was carried away by the heavy current, and his cries for aid were heard above the roaring of the storm. A line was thrown out but iL was too short. Captain lilackman then called for volunteers and six of the crew answered. They jumped into a -boat, and were lost for nearly two hours. Captain Blackman had given up all hope, when in a lull lie saw the' crew pulling like mad against the current. They were then nearly half a mile away. With the aid of his glasses, the captain saw from the, deck a huge shark in the wake of the crew.

"We were pulling like-," one of the crew said afterwards, "(or we could see the shark was mad after

Captain Blackman ordered the engineer to slow down, and the men a lew minutes later were hauled aboard exhausted. The ship changed its course at once, and now and then the captain saw the fin of the shark bobbing up in the stream. Lownoy, was swept away.