A LARGE SHARK CAPTURED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2493, 25 December 1901, Page 77

A LARGE SHARK CAPTURED.

A large Ehark lias be«H prowling about Uie lower harbour for some time past, and up to Tuesday night evaded all the efforts of the fishermen to take it. However, at nightfall on Tuesday, when Mr Johti Noble, a wellknown, lower harbour fisherman, was returning home, he was informed that the monster, some 18ft long, was in the vicinity of Mr W. Innes's fishery. Mr Noble, who has previously taken several sharks in the Port Chalmers waters, at once manned his boat and went in pursuit, succeeding, after a hard contest, in harpooning the creature off the George street wharf. The fish was then towed round to Tunnage's fishery to be hoisted up. Here what might have been a very serious accident occurred, for a number of young and old of both sexes desirous of seeing the shark made their way roi."ad to Mr Tunnage's fishery and took up a position on the landing-stage designed for the reception of fish. In all, the unexpected visitors must have been between 30 and 40. The landing stage (only intended to receive fish) proved unable to support .the weight, and it sank, taking its occupants into deeper water than they eared to encounter. One young lady, seeing the stage was sinking, very phickily held on to a wire rope stretched above her head, and succeeded in sustaining herself and two friends. Some few bruises were sustained by some of the young people on the stage, but eventually everyone was landed.