Michael Capuzzo is an award-winning journalist and author of the New York Times bestsellers Close to Shore and The Murder Room. [13], As the national media descended on Beach Haven, Spring Lake, and Matawan, the Jersey Shore attacks started a shark panic. Cookie Policy Jersey Shore Shark Attacks of 1916 July 1 through 12, 1916, five people were attacked by a shark along the coast of New Jersey. 1916 New Jersey Shore shark attacks inspired Jaws and changed the way Suddenly the real-life monster made the front page of The New York Times. Brody adds, "And there's no limit to what he's gonna do! . In Scientific American, Murphy wrote that the "white shark is perhaps the rarest of all noteworthy sharks their habits are little known, but they are said to feed to some extent on big sea turtles Judging from its physical make-up, it would not hesitate to attack a man in open water." The shark knowledge in 1916 was quite inadequate for assessing the situation. It may also be of interest to note that sharks live in Lake Nicaragua, a fresh-water body, and in 1944 there was a bounty offered for dead freshwater sharks, as they had "killed and severely injured lake bathers recently. Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 - Wikipedia Something grabbed his leg and tore away a huge chunk of flesh. Lice infest; they are parasites. "[24][25], Local New Jersey governments made efforts to protect bathers and the economy from man-eating sharks. The New Jersey shark attacks of 1916 helped make the animal an icon of terror. Bites Off Both Legs of a Youth Swimming Beyond Spring Lake Life Lines. [27], Resort communities along the Jersey Shore petitioned the federal government to aid local efforts to protect beaches and hunt sharks. Fidel Castro said Tiburon, the title in Spanish, was a metaphor for predatory capitalism. [56][57], Academics were skeptical that a shark could produce fatal wounds on human victims. "[25] Nichols later documented the occurrence of the great white shark in his biological survey Fishes of the Vicinity of New York City (1918), "Carcharodon carcharias (Linn.) Characters. "[48] However, the likelihood that one shark was involved is contested. Five days later, bellhop Charles Bruder, 27, was killed during an afternoon swim along the Jersey Shore. In 1974 the late Peter Benchley wrote a quick-read novel . Lucas and Nichols proposed that a northward-swimming rogue shark was responsible. The New York Times noted that Hoffman "had the presence of mind to remember that she had read in the Times that a bather can scare away a shark by splashing, and she beat up the water furiously." Microplastics are hidden in your home. One rogue shark. New York Shark Attacks Being on the Rise Is Really Strange - Insider | I see a common pattern around the world. The shark itself was put on display in somebodys shop in New York and yielded a nice dividend of money for the owner, who charged so much per head to see it. Summary: In the summer of 1916, ten year-old Chet Roscow is captivated by the local news: a Great White shark has been attacking and killing people up and down the Atlantic Coast, not far from Chet's hometown of Springfield, New Jersey. This page was last edited on 24 July 2023, at 03:53. [49] On the other hand, Richard Fernicola notes that 1916 was a "shark year", as fishermen and captains were reporting hundreds of sharks swimming in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Scientific knowledge about sharks before 1916 was based on conjecture and speculation. Although shark attacks are rare and it is extremely unlikely for sharks to prey on humans, beachgoers are still constantly on the lookout. Crazed men lead a shark hunt. But of the 176 attacks since 2000 . In July 1916, five Americans out for a swim were attacked and four were killed by the juvenile great white shark on the Jersey shore. There was this collective testosterone rush that occurred on the East Coast of the United States following those events because every guy wanted to go out and catch a shark, have his picture taken with his foot on the head of a shark and have a shark jaw hanging up in his house. Surprisingly, the next attacks took place in an inland creek, more than a mile from the closest bay. According to the newspapers of the time, it yielded body parts of two of the victims from Matawan Creek. One of the boys had brought along his pet dog, which was swimming with them as well. Hard Times and True Crimes on Apple Podcasts I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 - Goodreads Site of the New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916 - Atlas Obscura Dig into the history of these household items and you'll find some surprisesfrom moon metals to the extract of Tibetan lakes. Science Admits Its Error. In newspaper accounts of the 1916 attacks, the shark is referred to as a sea monster and a sea wolf.. The first attack happened when a man named Charles Vansant was taking a swim at dusk when he was . At first, after the Beach Haven incident, scientists and the press only reluctantly blamed the death of Charles Vansant on a shark. The first victim was 25-year-old Charles Vansant, who went out for an evening swim in Beach Haven, New Jersey. Two people were injured in apparent shark attacks off Long Island on Wednesday, neither of which was life-threatening, authorities said. Shark attacks remain extremely rare, making the spate of bites in New York all the more strange. When Americans embraced it, they took their first step into the world of sharks. Also, there was no coroners report to prove the human remains part. When shark attacks occur, there is obviously shock. "[6] A dorsal fin appeared in the water and the boys realized it was a shark. On July 8, armed guards were patrolling the beaches, and on July 12, three people were attacked in one day. He concluded that "because it is evident that even a relatively small white shark, weighing two or three hundred pounds, might readily snap the largest human bones by a jerk of its body, after it has bitten through the flesh."[61]. "[55] The reward went unclaimed and scientists remained convinced that the upper eastern coast of the United States was inhabited by harmless sharks. This is the same for other animals, like lions, where if something else is causing them pain, they are more likely to attack. Then, there was the director of the New York Aquarium, Charles Haskins Townsend, who was a good ichthyologist as well. Very poor. To calm the growing panic, the three men stressed that a third run-in with a shark was unlikely, although they were admittedly surprised that sharks bit anyone at all. They were doing that same kind of thing. Several men had pulled his maimed body from the water. The Original Locations of the Shark Attacks of 1916, Over 100 Years Lester Stillwell, 11, and Watson Stanley Fisher, 24 both died, and Joseph Dunn, a 12-year-old boy from New York City was the only one to survive the serial attacks that summer. He eventually bled out from the injury. A 65-year-old woman suffered . They believed it would eventually arrive along New York's coast: "Unless the shark came through the Harbor and went through the north through Hell Gate and Long Island Sound, it was presumed it would swim along the South Shore of Long Island and the first deep water inlet it reaches will be the Jamaica Bay. Lifeguards Chris Anderson and George White rowed to Bruder in a lifeboat and realized he had been bitten by a shark. Now known as Bocksten Man, his body was stashed at the bottom of the bog by his killer attempting to hide the crime. What is Gullah Geechee food and how do you make it? In July 1916, ichthyologist and editor for the National Geographic Society Hugh McCormick Smith published an article in the Newark Star-Eagle describing some shark species as "harmless as doves and others the incarnation of ferocity." June to July 14, 1916."[63]. The shocking incident happened on the east coast of Spain (Picture: Google / Getty Images) A man has described the terrifying moment he was attacked by a shark while cooling off in the sea in . Robert Murphy and John Nichols wrote in October 1916: There is something peculiarly sinister in the shark's make-up. Site of the New Jersey Shark Attacks of 1916 31 Days of Halloween: On Atlas Obscura this month, we're celebrating Halloween each day with woeful, wondrous, and wickedly macabre tales all. Thirty minutes later, a shark bit 14-year-old Joseph Dunns leg. The shark's bite took a 17 inch-wide chunk out of the surfboard. When Thomas Cottrell, a sea captain and Matawan resident, spotted an 8-foot-long (2.4m) shark in the creek, the town dismissed him. At . Fernicola offers an in-depth investigation of the shark attacks of 1916 plus modern-day attacks. Capuzzo offers an in-depth dramatization of the incident, and Fernicola examines the scientific, medical, and social aspects of the attacks. Vansant's left thigh was stripped of its flesh; he bled to death on the manager's desk of the Engleside Hotel at 6:45PM. Westend61/Getty Images. Tiger shark: Attack happened just before 8 a.m. in Honolua Bay, North Maui while the victim was on his surfboard. I mean we've already had three incidents, two people killed inside of a week. Antifreeze in ice cream? [50] Ellis remarks that "to try to make the facts as we know them conform to the 'rogue shark' theory is stretching sensationalism and credibility beyond reasonable limits." They tossed sticks of dynamite into the creek. All rights reserved. The bull shark, however, is infamous for its freshwater meanderings, as well as for its pugnacious and aggressive nature." A same kind of thing can occur in a white shark. As in, the famous Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916, in which two swimmers were killed along the beaches in Beach Haven and Spring Lake and then two more in the brackish creek that runs. The thinking was it couldnt be a shark, because we dont have sharks here. The little-known shipwreck that inspired Bram Stokers Dracula, Reconstructing the face of a 700-year-old murder victim, Dissecting the Dome of the Rocks centuries of history, An unprecedented look inside Jerusalems Dome of the Rock, Volcanoes dont erupt on schedulebut they have been in Iceland, Heres what happens to your eyes if you look directly at the sun. [34], On July 14, Harlem taxidermist and Barnum and Bailey lion tamer Michael Schleisser caught a 7.5-foot (2.3m), 325-pound (147kg) shark while fishing in Raritan Bay, only a few miles from the mouth of Matawan Creek. [17] In 2016 58% of attacks were on surfers. Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916; List of fatal shark-incidents in Australia (Australia has the second largest number of reported shark attacks) Ichthyologist Henry Weed Fowler and curator Henry Skinner of the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia asserted that a shark's jaws did not have the power to sever a human leg in a single bite. The first dead was Charles Vansant, a 25-year-old Philadelphia man who went out for an evening swim on July 1, only to be mangled by a shark in the water, and later bleed to death in the Engleside Hotel. The summer of 1916 along the New Jersey shoreline turned out to be a bloody one. Other communities put up money or rewards to people who could bring in sharksso much a head per shark, which prompted a bunch of fishermen to go out and fish. What is the theme of I survived the shark attack? Bruce Wolov - In waters off Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, when he was savaged by a great white shark. "[60], By the end of July 1916, John Nichols and Robert Murphy were taking the great white more seriously. Back in those days, sharks were basically unknown. Some had been dismissive of the newspaper reports that said sharks had killed swimmers on the coast, because Americans at this time were fairly certain sharks didn't bite people. These creatures are of a vicious disposition, and when annoyed are extremely dangerous to approach, and it is a common theory that Bruder may have disturbed one while it was asleep on or close to the surface. a. California. Privacy Statement We could have used photographs to confirm the species. Shark Attacks Of 1916: Four Gruesome Deaths That Began Shark Mania Between July 1 and 12, 1916, five people were attacked along the coast of New Jersey by sharks; only one of the victims survived. If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on BBC Culture, head over to ourFacebookpage or message us onTwitter. The sight of his dark, lean [dorsal] fin lazily cutting zig-zags in the surface of some quiet, sparkling summer sea, and then slipping out of sight not to appear again, suggests an evil spirit. People on the beach who heard his screams thought he was joking. Deadliest shark disasters ever - from 600 mauled to death when US [47], The increased presence of humans in the water proved a factor in the attacks: "As the worldwide human population continues to rise year after year, so does interest in aquatic recreation. [33] Several fishermen claimed to have caught the "Jersey man-eater" in the days following the attacks. [46], The casualties of the 1916 attacks are listed in the International Shark Attack Fileof which Burgess is directoras victims of a great white. [9] Stilwell's body was recovered 150 feet (46m) upstream from the Wyckoff dock on July 14. Vansant was in the surf playing with a dog and it may be that a small shark had drifted in at high water, and was marooned by the tide. It roams through all temperate and tropical seas, and everywhere is an object of dread. According to The New York Times, "women [were] panic-stricken [and fainted] as [Bruder's] mutilated body [was] brought ashore." There were all kinds of misconceptions, Burgess says. What did Chet leave dribbled on the dock when he pranked the boys? These days, even the mention of sharks can strike fear into the hearts of manybut it wasnt always this way. What Happened on the Trains That Brought Wounded World War II Soldiers Home? Heres how to avoid them. Beachgoers gathered around his legless remains. 2. A handpicked selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital, Travel and Autos, delivered to your inbox every Friday. [19], The media's response to the second attack was more sensational. "Bathers Need Have No Fear of Sharks: Lousy Fish Expert Declares One That Killed Swimmer May Have Sought To Attack Dog,", "Motor Boats Hunt Man-Eating Sharks Off Jersey Coast,", "Shark Guards Out At Beach Resorts; Wire Nets Set Against Supposed Man-Eater That Killed Spring Lake Bather,". Scientists believe it is most unlikely that a shark was responsible, and lots of people though believe it much more likely that the attack was made by a sea turtle. Ketchup. All kinds of strange things. The first dead was Charles Vansant, a 25-year-old Philadelphia man who went out for an evening swim on July 1, only to be mangled by a shark in the water, and later bleed to death in the Engleside Hotel. After the attacks on Stilwell, Fisher, and Dunn, residents of Matawan lined Matawan Creek with nets and detonated dynamite in an attempt to catch and kill the shark. Seattle hardcore band Akimbo's 2008 concept album Jersey Shores was based on the 1916 attacks. When Sharks Attack (TV Series 2013-2022) - IMDb As curator of the International Shark Attack File, kept at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Burgess is an expert on shark attacks. But people were skeptical. Although the attacks that summer ended, the sense of fear and foreboding it engendered lingers. The Shark Attack No One Was Expecting and Inspired 'Jaws' Reports of American shark attacks were often dismissed as fishermans tales. No Longer Doubted That Big Fish Attack Men. The true story of Jaws - BBC Culture Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the great white shark and the bull shark most frequently cited. Nora Gonzalez was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopedia Britannica. Decades before Steven Spielbergs Jaws (1975) convinced beachgoers not to go into the water, there was one fateful summer when a series of shark attacks led to widespread panic and earned these giant fish a bad reputation for good. The toothy maw of a great white shark has populated the nightmares of many a beachgoer. 1916! Another cartoon depicted "an exasperated individual at the end of a dock that displays a 'Danger: No Swimming' sign and mentions the three most emphasized 'danger' topics of the day: 'Infantile Paralysis (polio), Epidemic Heat Wave, and Sharks in the Ocean'." As far as most people knew, sharks in those waters were generally harmless. [1], Despite the Vansant attack, beaches along the Jersey Shore remained open.

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