A sea captain who saw the attack believed it was a spanish shark driven from the caribbean sea decades earlier by bombings during the spanishamerican war. Many assumed that one monster shark was responsible for all the attacks, although three sharks seems more likely. Several men had pulled his maimed body from the water. In july of 1916, new jersey became the site of a series of vicious shark attacks that would span 12 days and take the lives of four people and severely injuring one with previous deadly attacks. This article appeared on wikipedia s main page as todays featured article on september 6, 2007. Published on jun 1, 2012 the 1916 shark attack spree began with an unsuspecting young man going for a leisurely swim off the jersey shore and his unexplainable violent end. The global shark attack file, which provides current and historical data on sharkhuman interactions, lists it as a shark fatality. Its the summer of 1916 and the jersey shore is being terrorized by a great white shark. What better then, if not a book chronicling the events which inspired historys first and most beloved shark attack novel. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved. I survived the shark attacks of 1916 lauren tarshis.
The first half of july 1916 brought a wave of panic throughout the east coast of the u. Jun 01, 2012 the 1916 shark attack spree began with an unsuspecting young man going for a leisurely swim off the jersey shore and his unexplainable violent end. According to the local paper, on july 1st, a shark had attacked and fatally wounded a lone swimmer off the coast of beach haven, new jersey, just seventy miles south of elm hills. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so. This is the second book that i have read about the shark attacks of 1916 on the jersey shore. Throwback thursday 1916 new jersey shark attacks the. The matawan creek shark attack, 1916 many of you know the story of the summer, 1916 shark attacks that occurred off of the coast of new jersey. Jul 01, 2016 before 1916, there had been no recorded shark attacks along the jersey shore. In july 1916 a lone great white left its usual deepocean habitat and headed in the direction of the new. Shark attack is a 2012 television film that aired on syfy on june 8, 2012 and was written by michael ciminera and richard gnolfo. Jul 01, 2016 the global shark attack file, which provides current and historical data on shark human interactions, lists it as a shark fatality.
Jersey shore shark attacks that inspired jaws boing boing. Sep 16, 2018 following the death of arthur medici 26 from a shark attack off cape cod, memories of the most vicious shark of all time who terrorized new jersey back in 1916 are recalled. I survived the shark attacks of 1916 by lauren tarshis. The 1916 shark attack spree began with an unsuspecting young man going for a leisurely swim off the jersey shore and his unexplainable violent end. No one expected a shark and lifeguards were slow to respond. The jersey shore shark attack the 1916 shark attack spree began with an unsuspecting young man going for a leisurely swim off the jersey shore. The surf rolled in and broke against the warm sands.
A century later, memories of fatal shark attacks linger in. Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 is a featured article. Since 1916, scholars have debated which shark species was responsible and the number of animals involved, with the great white. They could hardly fathom that spend a day at the beach, much less along creeks and rivers farther inland, could end in a vicious attack from a shark. Book i survived the shark attacks of 1916 by lauren tarshis. Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 identifying the. The summer of the shark, jersey shore 1916 the birth of. The story didnt even make headlines though, just a small section in the back of the newspaper. A great white shark has been attacking and killing people up and down the atlantic coast, not far from chets hometown of springfield.
Jul 12, 2016 100 years ago something horrific happened in new jersey and it will never be forgotten. May 31, 2017 the shark mania that grips the country each summer began july 1, 1916, when a young stockbroker from philadelphia headed into the surf at beach haven, n. On july 1st, 1916, charles epting vansant 25 was pulled under the water while vacationing in beach haven. Its the summer of 1916 and the jersey shore is being terrorized by a great white.
Aug 14, 2014 the most interesting topic to me in the new york times this week was about the 1916 new jersey shark attack. A few years ago, i read an amazing book called close to shore, about an. A cast of characters, strikingly similar to the cast of jersey shore, try to survive an epidemic of sharks attacking miami beach. Jun 12, 2016 while the book and blockbuster film are fiction, 100 years ago in new jersey there was the real thing, with eerie similarities to jaws a series of deadly shark attacks. This was the first everreported death or even attack by a shark. The shark mania that grips the country each summer began july 1, 1916, when a young stockbroker from philadelphia headed into the surf at beach haven, n. In twelve days in the summer of 1916 shark attacks along the new jersey shore had left four dead and one maimed with the rogue shark still on the loose. Site of the new jersey shark attacks of 1916 matawan. On the evening of july 1, 1916, charles vansant, 25, of philadelphia was on vacation with his family at the beachside resort town of beach haven on the new jersey shore. Between july 1 and 12 of that year, a series of shark attacks terrified the coast of new jersey, as chronicled in the 2002 book close to shore. Prior to the new jersey shark attacks in 1916, people generally considered sharks to be a harmless fish to humans. The peter benchley book jaws and later the movie with the same title were loosely based on this series of incidents. Bull sharks swim from the ocean into freshwater rivers and streams and have attacked people around the world.
The new jersey shark attacks of 1916 helped make the animal an icon of terror. Along with its riveting doses of sheer terror, it recreates an era. Nov 04, 2016 a documentary of the tragic 1916 jersey shore shark attacks and a theory surrounding them. Then suddenly, there were five attacks, for deaths over two weeks. Its the summer of 1916, and tenyearold chet roscow is just as captivated as. Witnesses of the beach haven attack estimated that the shark was 9 feet 3 m long. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of new jersey, in the united states, between july 1 and 12, 1916, in which four people were killed and one injured. On july, 1916, john nichols, the ichthyologist from the american museum of natural history, arrived at matawan, the site of the most recent attacks. This comprehensive lesson plan includes 30 daily lessons, 180 multiple choice questions, 20 essay questions, 20 fun activities, and more everything you need to teach close to shore.
The incidents occurred during a deadly summer heat wave and polio epidemic in the united states that drove thousands of people to the seaside resorts of the jersey shore. The terrifying shark attacks of 1916 9780767904148. It started on long beach island july 1, 1916, in the water just off the former. Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 identifying the jersey. 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 through. May, 20 it was the trio that rushed in on the morning of july 3rd, 1916, just as chet was finishing up his shift at his uncles diner, to report the big news. This book takes the reader back to 1916 and the shark attacks in beach. In the summer of 1916, the modern fear of sharks as human predators was. The jersey shore shark attack smithsonian magazine.
Jul 10, 2015 between july 1 and 12 of that year, a series of shark attacks terrified the coast of new jersey, as chronicled in the 2002 book close to shore. The terrifying shark attacks of 1916 topics for discussion michael capuzzo this study guide consists of approximately 29 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of close to shore. Gay talese capuzzos account of the 1916 shark attacks on the jersey shore recaptures the intense drama of the real events with a lyrical intensity rare in nonfiction writing. Jul 06, 2015 the 1916 shark attacks were an anomaly, levine said. The attacks were foundational to our national shark hysteria and collective fear of sharks in general. There are only four known species of sharks that have attacked humans. Several fishermen claimed to have caught the jersey maneater in the days following the attacks. Jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 simple english wikipedia. A documentary of the tragic 1916 jersey shore shark attacks and a theory surrounding them.
A definitive investigation of the 1916 new jersey shark attacks is a nonfiction book by richard g. It was built around the popularity of the wellknown mtv program, jersey shore. He is trying to tell several different stories at once, and succeeded in telling not one of them very well. The reallife jaws new jersey shark attacks in 1916. With perfect timing for shark week, smithosnian mag has dug up a 1916 newspaper article highlighting the five shark attacks near the jersey. The attacks and panic that ensued in the seaside towns. See more ideas about shark, shark week and jersey shore shark attack. July 1, 1916, was a fine day at the new jersey resort town of beach haven. Michael schleisser and the shark caught in raritan bay in 1916 via bronx home news summers in new jersey are often associated with trips to the jersey shore, and it. With jack scalia, jeremy luke, joseph russo, daniel booko. At the time, the popular conception was that people didnt really believe that a shark would try to attack a human. The jersey shore shark attacks of 1916 were a series of shark attacks along the coast of new jersey between july 1 and july 12, 1916. Then, on july 6, 1916, charles bruder decided to go for a swim. The 1916 attacks continued to be told anecdotally, in vague.
I survived the shark attacks of 1916 by lauren tarshis scholastic. Well written account of the 1916 shark attacks along the new jersey shore which resulted in a number of deaths, no small degree of panic and a frantic bunch of inept amateur shark hunters. In the summer of 1916, ten yearold chet roscow is captivated by the local news. The most interesting topic to me in the new york times this week was about the 1916 new jersey shark attack. On the jersey shore during the summer of 1916, four people were killed and one injured by what was likely a single great white shark. Combining rich historical detail and a harrowing, pulsepounding narrative, close to shore brilliantly recreates the summer of 1916, when a rogue great white shark attacked swimmers along the new jersey shore, triggering mass hysteria and launching the most extensive shark hunt in history. A great white shark has been attacking and killing people up and down the atlantic coast, not far from chets hometown of springfield, new jersey. In july of 1916, new jersey became the site of a series of vicious shark attacks that would span 12 days and take the lives of four people and severely injuring one. Great white shark has been attacking and killing people up and down the atlantic coast. The philadelphia inquirer reported the capture of a maneating shark off the jersey shore after the attacks. The movie jaws and this story are based on the real life shark attacks near the new jersey shore in 1916. I survived the shark attacks of 1916 scholastic canada. The 1916 shark attacks were an anomaly, levine said. This book made me think about a really good documentary i watched on the great white shark attacks that happened during the summer of 1916.
It was the trio that rushed in on the morning of july 3rd, 1916, just as chet was finishing up his shift at his uncles diner, to report the big news. While the book and blockbuster film are fiction, 100 years ago in new jersey there was the real thing, with eerie similarities to jaws a series of deadly shark attacks. Unfortunately, fernicolas book has nothing to add to the data that is already in print. Aug, 2012 on the jersey shore during the summer of 1916, four people were killed and one injured by what was likely a single great white shark.
Children will love the combination of fact and fiction in this story where they can find a hero in someone their own age. A definitive investigation of the 1916 new jersey shark. Throwback thursday 1916 new jersey shark attacks the new. Jul 01, 2016 the 1916 shark attacks were an anomaly, levine said. A white shark is not going to stay around very long she said. Following the death of arthur medici 26 from a shark attack off cape cod, memories of the most vicious shark of all time who terrorized new jersey back in 1916 are recalled. One hundred years ago today, americans learned to be afraid of sharks. Shark week has always been a big thing for my family and i, and having the opportunity to read about this topic was great.