AUSTRALIAN NEWS. SHARK ADVENTURE IN HOBSON'S BAY.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 280, 11 July 1888, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN NEWS. SHARK ADVENTURE IN HOBSON'S BAY.

An extraordinary shark adventure took place on Sunday night, Juno 24th, in Hobson's Bay, Melbourne, when a large shark stove in the bottom of a boat and .sank it, and the two men in the boat were rescued ; when the boat was just on the point of sinking. For a few days past the presence of a large shavk in the harbour was known to those who live on the water, such as the Cerberus men and the fishermen who live by hauling the Bay. This shark has been causing much destruction among the fishermen's nets ; but the appearance of the shark in the spot where this incident occurred was new to the two men who Buffered by the encounter. Thefco men are mates, who fi&h in company. They were out in their boat, quietly working their nets, when their craft was strunk by the shark. Their names are Robert Johnston and Richard Jenkins. The former is about 30 years of ao^e, and has been a fisherman at Sandridge all his life. Jenkins is 57 years old, and has been fishing for 20 years ; but neither of them had ever heaid of such an event as this before. About 9 o'clock the shark came into their water, and they then saw him for the first time. His> length is estimated at abcut 20 feet. It was a ! clear, calm, moonlit night, and the men saw the shark darting among the pilchards "rallying" them from place to place, but never expected any attack on themselves. This boat is a strongly-built flat bottom centieboard boat, 24 feet long by about 7 feet beam. Soon after midnight the nets had just been put down again ; everything was quiet : the men were alone on the water, and they sat in the after part of the boat, waiting for lhe nets to fill. Then came a tremendous blow on the bottom of the boac and a ciash of breaking timber, and the stern of the boat was heaved up about three feet out of the water. The shock was like the blow of a cannon ball, and it startled the men ior a moment ; but on recovering themselves it Hashed on them that they had been struck by the shark, and Jenkins began shouting to keep the brute away. But by this time the water was pouiing in through the bottom, fot the shark had driven a hole nearly as big as a man's head through green timber an inch and an ieghth thick. Johnston cried out, "My Cod, she's gone," and Jenkins said, "le&, the boat lias opened." The water had now risen round their ankles. Jenkinsthenhailed the Nelson, and called out to send a boat as quickly as possible, as they were s-inking. They got rid of their heavier clothing, and only thought now of saving their lives. The boat sank lower and lower, and j the water rose to the men's waists. Johnston began stripping to swim, but Jenkins advised him to stick to the boat as long as they could, though he had little hope of her keeping afloat many moments. They shouted out to hasten the boatmen from the Nelson. Their boao had now settled down almost level with the water, and a roll of a wave or a movement m the boat would place the unfortunate men at the mercy of the shark. All this took place in a few minutes, so rapidly indeed that the men have no clear recollection of the details of their temble situation. But at this moment the Nelson boat came up to them and they were taken in just as they had made leady to face a struggle foi life. The boat's crew from the Nelson deserve all praise and credit for their smartness. They turned out of bed and manned the boat without waiting to put their clothes on. Fortunately the boat was swinging astern, and this, together with the activity of the crew and their hard rowing, enabled them to get to the spot ju&t in time to effect the ls&cue.