A THRILLING ADVENTURE WITH A SHARK.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6948, 23 February 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

A THRILLING ADVENTURE WITH A SHARK.

I AIFETTO, the Spanish diver, met with a remarkable adventure, and had a very narrow escape recently while engaged, in diving operations on the coast of .North. Carolina, near the little town of Jlorehead. The ! Atlanta, one of the best known coasting vessels in these parts, was eapsizsd in a sqnall on September 22, and sank just inside the bar. The owners of the craft contracted with a diving company to have her raised, and to recover as much of her cargo as was still serviceable. Alfetto and another diver were engaged to do the work. They made several successful descants, bat on the fourth trip the Spaniard met with the adventure of which we speafc. His comrade signalled hastily to be drawn up, and when he had been hauled into the boat he related how Alfetto had been seized by a monster white shark and carried off; but scarcely had he done speaking when Alfetto rose from the water about fifty yards from the boat, and was picked up insensible, with several holes punched in the metallic part of his diving suit. Means were successfully adopted to bring him round, and next day he told the following story :—" As you kuow, we had made our fourth descent, and, while my companion clambered into the vessel, I waited on the ground till he should attack the cords to draw something ont.. I was just about to signal to be drawn op for a moment's rest, when I noticed a shadowy body moving at some distance above me and toward me. In a moment every fish had disappeared, the very crustacean lay still upon the aand, and the cuttle-fish scurried away as fast as they could. I was not thinking of danger, and my first thought was that it was the shadow of a passing boat. But suddenly a feeling of terror seized me ; I felt impelled to flee from something—l knew not what; a vague horror seemed grasping after me. such a3 a child fancies when leaving a darkened room. By this time the shadow had come nearer and taken shape. It scarcely needed a glance to show me that it was a man-eater, and of the largest size. H»d I signalled to be drawn up then, it would have been certain death. All I could do was to remain still until it left It lay off twenty or twenty-five feet, just outside the rigging of the ship, its body motionless, its fins barely stirring the water abont its gills. It was a monster as it ivas, but, to add to the horror, the pressure of the water upon my head made it appear as if pouring flames from it 3 eyes and mouth, and every movement of its fins and tail seemed accompanied by a display of fireworks. I was sure the fieh was thirty feet long, and so near that I could see it 3 double row of white teeth. Involuntarily I shrank closer to the side of the vessel. But my firet movement betrayed my presence. I saw the shining eyes fixed upon me ; its tail quivered as it darted at me like a streak of light. I shrank closer to the side of the ship. I saw it turn on one side, its mouth open, and heard the teeth, snap ae it darted by me. It had missed me, but only for a moment. The sweep of its mighty tail had thrown me forward. I saw it turn, balance itself, and its tail quivered as it darted at me again. There was no escape. It turned on its back as it swooped down on me like a hawk on a sparrow. The cavernous jaws opened, and the long shining teeth grated as they closed on my metal harness. It had me. I could feel it bound forward at each stroke of its tail. Had it not been for my copper helmet my head would hare been torn off by the rush through the water. I was perfectly conscious, but somehow I felt no terror at all. There was only a feeling of numbness. I wondered how long it would be before those teeth would crunch through, and whether they would strike first into my back or my breast. Then I thought of Maggie and the baby, and wondered who would take care of them, and if she would ever know what had become of me. All these thoughts passed through my brain in an instant, but in that time the connecting air tube had been snapped, and my head seemed ready to burst with pressure while the monster's teeth kept crunching and grinding away upon my harness. Then I felt the cold water begin to pour in and heard the bubble, bubble, bubble, as the air escaped into the creature's month. I began to hear great guns, an! to Bee fireworks, and rainbows, and sunshine, and all kinds of pretty things ; then I thought I was floating away on a rosy summer cloud, dreaming to the sound of sweet music. Then all became blank. The shark might have eaten me then at his leisure, and I never wonld have been the wiser. Imagine my astonishment, then, when I opened my eyes on board this boat and saw you fellows around me. Yes, sir, I thought I was dead and ate up, sure."