The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-11-08

Thrilling AeeeNnt ef the Destruetiea u q
Wha&e tAlp ~ Sperm whale.
We have Just received the following thrilling
account Of The destruction Of the whale ship Ann
Alexander, Capt. John s. Deblois, of New Bed
ford. by large sperm whale, from the lips OF
The captain himself, who arrived in this city
from Paita on Sunday last, 10 the schooner
Providence II is one of the most remarkable
events on record. and will be read with deep
interest throughout the commercial and civilized
world, where il may be made known. A simi-
lar circumstance has never been known to oc-
cur, but once in the whole history of whale fish
ing, and that was the destruction VI the ship
Essex, some twenty or twenty fle years ago,
aud which many of our readers fully remember.
We proceed to the narrative NJ furnished US by
Capt Deblois, and which is fully authenticated
by nine Of the crev in protest under the seal
of the u. States Consul, Alex. Runen, Jr., at
Paita.
The ship Ann Alexander, Capt John 8. De-
blois, sailed from New Bedford, Mass, June lst,
1850 for a cruise in tho South Pacific for sperm
whale . ii wing taken about 500 barrels Of oil
in the Atlantic, the ship proceeded on her voy-
age to the Pacific. Nothing of unusual interest
occurred until when passing Cape Horn, one Of
the men named Jackson Walker Of Newport, N
H., aged about "a, was lost overheard in 4
storm. Reaching the Pacific, she came up the
coast, and stopped at Valdiyia, coast of Chill for
fresh provisions, and on the 3lst of May last she
called at Paita for the purpose of shipping q
mar. The vessel proceeded on her voyage to
the South Pacific
| On the Goth Of August last she reached what
is well known as the OF Shore Ground" in
lat. 5 deg. so min. South lon. 100 deg. West
In the morning of that day, at about 8 o'clock,
whales were discovered in the neighborhood
and about noon the same day they succeeded in
making fast to one Two boats had gone after
the whales--the larbord and the starboard--the
former commanded by tie first mate, and the
latter by Capt. Debos. The whale which
they had struck was harpooned by the larboard
boat After running some time, the whale
turned upon the boat, and rushing at it with
tremendous violence, lifted open its enormous
jars, and taking The boat in actually crushed Il
into fragments as small as a common sized chair!
Capt. Deblois Immediately struck for the scene
of the disaster with the starboard boat, and sue.
ceeded, against all expectation, in rescuing the
whole of the crew Of the demolished boat-nine
in number! How they escaped from instant
death, when the whale rushed upon them with
such violence and seized their boat in its pom
d,rous jaws, is mystery known only to " Him
who holds the waves as in the hollow of His
| hand" f
| There were now eighteen men in the etar-
board boat, consisting of the captain, the first
nate, and the crews of both boats The fright
ful disaster had been Witnessed from the ship,
and the waste-b boat was called into readiness and
sent to their relief. The distance from the ship
was about six miles. As soon as tho waste
boat arrived, the crews were divided, and it was
determined to pursue the same whale, and make
another attack upon him. Accordingly they
separated, and proceeded at some distance from
each other, as is usual on such occasions, after
the whale. In short time they came up to
him, and prepared to give him battle The
waste-boat, commanded by the first mate, was in
advance. As soon as the whale perceived the
demonstration being made upon him, he turned
his course suddenly, and making tremendous
dash at the boat, seized it with his wide spread
jaws, and crushed it into atoms, allowing the men
barely time to escape his vengeance by throw
ing themselves into the ocean.
Capt. Deblois again seeing the periious condi
ton Of his men, at the risk of meeting the same
fate, directed his boat to hasten to the rescue,
and in short time succeeded in saving them all
from death little less horrible than that from
which they had twice so mraculously escaped
He then ordered the boat to put for the ship as
speedily as possible, and no sooner had the order
been given, than they discovered the monster of
the deep making towards them with bis Jaws
widely extended Escape from death now
seemed totally out of the question. They were
six or seven miles from the ship-no aid even
there to afford them necessary relief, and the
whale, maddened by the wounds of the harpoon
and lances which had been thrown into him
and seemingly goating with the prospect of
speedy revenge, within few cables length
Fortunately, the monster came up and passed
he, Of obor 1iuso, H. Loa a. l.
her way to the ship, and they all got on board
10 safety
After reaching the ship, boat was dispatched
for the oars of the demolished boats, and it was
determined 10 pursue the whale with the ship
As soon as the boat returned with the oars, sail
was set, and the ship proceeded after the whale
In a short time they overlook him, and a lance
was thrown into his head The ship passed on
by bin, and immediately after they discovered
that the whale was making for the ship A.
he came up near her, they hauled on the wind,
and suffered the monster to pass her. After he
had fairly passed, they kept off to overtake and
attack him again. When the ship had reached
within about flty rods Of him, they discovered
that the whale had settled down deep below the
surface OF the water, and rs il was near shutdown,
they concluded TO give mp the pursuit.
Capt.. Deblois was at this time standing in the
hhlg1incau5 Oh the InfDOard DOW, with craft IN
hand ready to strike the monster deadly
blow should he appear, the ship moved about
FIVE knots, when working on the side Of the
ship, he discovered the whale rushing towards
her at the rate Of fifteen knots IN an instant
The monster struck the ship uoifh tremendous rio
ienoe, shaking her from stem 10 stern She quv-
cred under the violence of the shock, as if she
had struck upon rocks Capt. Deblois descend
ed into the forecas,le and there to his horror
discovered that the monster had struck the ship
about two feet from the keel, abreast the fore
mast, knocking great hole entirely through her
bottom, through which the water reared and
rushed impetuouslyl Springing to the deck, be
ordered the mate to cut away the anchors and
get the cables overheard to keep the ship from
sinking, as she had large quantity of pig iron
on board.
In doing this, the mate succeeded in relieving
only one anchor and cable clear the other hsv.
ing been fastened abound the foremost The
ship was then sinking very rapidly The cap
tain went into the cabin, where he found three