New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-04
Destruction of Il Whale ship by Sperm
Whalc->inkine of she Ship-Lo>> OF tive
Boats and miraculous Escape OF the Crew,
Lrn..- lie ..--l. lI.--.-l o.


We have Just received the iol oVlag
thrilling account o. The destruction q iao Wlas
: snip Ann Alexander Capt John < u, . -. ol
New. Bedford, by large sperm whale, 'ron The hps
Oi the captain himself. VINO arrived IN tnlS cry nom
Palta, ON Sunday .t,t IA me schooner Providence.
4 similar circumstance has never been known 10
occur but once IN the whole history Of Vhaieh,hng,
and that the destruction OF the sRlp Essex.
some twenty or twenty ave years ago, and winch
many OF our readers fully remember We proceed
to the narrative iurulshed Us by Capt Deblols,
and viii fully authenticated hy nine ot the crew
M protest under the seal OF the L. y Consul, Alex
Ruben, Jr al Paa
The ship Ann Alexander. Capt : Dctlois, sailed
from New Bedford, Mass June lst 1850. for cruise
IN the South Pacific FOR sperm whale. Having taken
about 500 barrels OF oil IN the Atlantic, The ship pro
ceeded on her voyage - the PAcIht. Nothing of
unusual interest occurred until when passing cape
Horn, one Of the men. named Jackson Walker, OF
Newport, y IL, was lost overheard IN a storm
Reaching the Pacific she up the coast ani
stopped AT Naldiyia. cOas. Of Chh for fresh provi'
sionS and on the 3lst OF May last, she called a.
Palta, for the purpose OF shipping man. Inc 'es-
eel proceeded on her voyage to the South Pacific
On the goth Of August last she reached nhat Is
well known to- an whaers as the oh-Shofe-
Ground" IN lat , deg 80 MN. South. lon. log deg
West In the mOmms at that day, az aoOut O'Clock,
whales were discovered IN me nelgeo1rnood, ana
about noon, TN same Gay, they succeeded IN max
ing fast 10 one Two boats had gone diier the
vhalc>-the laTbOrd and StMc0lrd, the former com
manced by the first mate, and the after ~ captain
Delhois. The whale ~hlch they had struchwas hI-
I
! Tune. the whale turned upon the boat and rushing
Al II with tremendous violence, lifted open III enor.
nous LAWS, and taking the baat In, actually crushed
u INTO fragments as small ~ common. sized char
Capt DeblOs immediately struck for the scene OF
the disaster with the staIboari boat and succeeded
against all expectation IN rescuing the Whoie oi me
crew oi the boat-nne IN number
There we're now eighteen men m lh' sIafpOaIu
boat consisting of tue Captain, the nrSt ilale, ana
the crews of both boats. The inghl'u, disaster had
been Witnessed from The ship, aud the waste boat
was called INTO readiness and sent to ihclr rehei-
The distance from tie sh.p was about SIX mics As
soon as he waste boat Grrved the crews weT. dri-
ded, and 1t WAS determined % puEsu, the same
whale and make another AK upon nm Accord
mgly they separated and proceeded At some distance
from each other as Is usual Oh such occasions afet
the whale In a short time they came up To- hun.
and prepared 20 give h.n OaItle. The wastc-DoaI,
commanded by The FIRST nat0. vas ~ advance. No
soon a. the rnlle perceived the demonstration be-
ing made upon HIM, he turned ms course. suddenly,
and making tremendous dash II TINS boat. selLeIN
with his widespread Jaws, snc crshed into atoms,
allowing the men barely time 10 escape Ms ven
geance by throwing themselves INTO The ocean
Capt Debols. again seclrg the perllous condition
OF his men. at the NIX Of meeting the same fate d.
rscted his boat 10 hasten 10 their rescue, and ~
short time .ucceeosd IN saving them all rom a
death llttle lo horrible than that from wmch lhey
lad twice 50 narrowly eacaped. He tnon ofieIed
the boat TO pat for the shp speedily ~ possible
and no sooner hal the oTder been given than theg
discovered the monster " the deep man lng toward
them with las j.s.s widely extended. Fortunately
the monster came uI and passed thom u snoH
distance. TIC lOat tncn made her way to Ihe snip
and they all GOT on board an safety.
After reaching the ship boat was dispatched for
the oars Of the demolished boats, and II vas deter
mined to pursue the whale with the snip A. soon
the boat returned with the oars, SAL 49, SET and
the ship proc esed after the whale. Ia short time
she overlook HIM AID "a Lance "dS thrown mo ms
head. The ship pa-~c ou by HIM, and i,DmedafJ
after they discovered that The " male "As making iof
the ship A. he came up near her they hauled 20
the wind and suffered the monster 20 pass her
Aher he had fairly pas ed they kept oil 10 oVeftaAc
and attack hun again. When the ship had reached
WITHIN about hily rods Of him they discovered that
the whale had settled down deep beO" me surface
OF the water and as mas near shutdown, tney con
GUIDED 20 eIge up tie pursuit
Capt DebiOls was q. this time standing mine Dighl-
head, Oh the larbOard bow, with cram IN hand ready
10 strike the monster deadly blow should ne APP
pear the ship MOVING about I'VE KNOTS, "heh noIAms
a. side Of he shi0, he discovered the ~hae rush
ing towards hcr 80 tic rate Of hiteen knOs IN an ~
sfaf the VOnsfr sfroc. he snip Uth tr'n,HdOas' ~
iece, shai'ng her Jro'n stein 10 sera she qulYeiea
uncer the violence Ot the shock As n she hd sifucs
upon rock Capt. Dcblois immediately descended
INTO the fOrccastlc and here 10 ms horror, dscoFefed
that the monster had struck tAe snip about 10 ieeI
from the keel abreast the ioremast. knocking gfess
hole entirely through her bottom through which tue
water foared ard rushed impetu0uelyt >pungingW
the deck, he ordered the mate 20 cuta~y TIE ahchois
aid get The cables oYofbOari ~ keep ihe mp ron
sinking. As be- lad 4 !ATge quantity OF l.5 IRON on
board III CONG thls, the mate succeeded 10 re-
heyiBg only ore anchor aud cable clear, we "lhel
having been tasted around ne foremost me SUP
CABIN where he found three feet " water me- now.
ever, succeeded IH procuring a chronometef se1l@a.
and chart. Reaching L.e 0ecAr az ofueIe'' 'n' Dos'
20 be cleared away and 10 get Ntter ana provisions,
rs he ship was keeling OgeI. lie again 1csccFied
10 re cabin. Du tLe sateT was rushing n 30 fApdf
thA, he could procure IOtglng he came upon deck,
ordered al hands INTO no OOai,, eid tas ne tat
himself b. leave ne mp when be did o. throwing
himself into The aAl swimming % nc nearest
boat The ship Wa Oh her OeaIn-end nef topsailAht
yards under water They then pushed Oh some
distance from the shp. expecting ner 20 ,nh 10
very short time. Upon al examination Of me stores
they had been able 10 save, he discovered that thtI
had only twelve QUAR-, 81 wafer, and got inoutniu.
Of provisions 81 any rlno He BOAT lOntained
eleven men each we're icsky, and nigh, coming Oh,
they "eTe obliged 10 bal them AL night 10 Keep WEI"
from SINKING
Next day At day hight they returned 10 the snip, no
daring 70 venture % board but the an, IasH
Intention beng 10 cut away the masts, ana Ie@iIo'
tnat the moment taat Tie Iaasts were cut as&y the
ship would 20 GoaT With a single natcle,, the cap
tain Vcn, board CIT away the mast, ~heh me slp
ngh,ed The bo@ts them came Up ard the men ~
the sole ad u spadts, cc away the cham abe 'I
around the ioremast which got the snip neafy On
ner keel The men then tied ropes round thSh
bones. got INTO The md cut hole through INC
decks 10 get out PROVISIONS Ine} colid pfVc'lsn ,
tnlAg BAT about NE gai1.: ~ vinegar an. '"eny
mounds Of Wet bread. The snip thle 4iened 20 hDh,
I'D they deemed - mpfudent 70 remain ~ "''
longer 20 tlev set eal Ih tneiT toats and i'H hsf
o. the I'D Of August. tt ABOUT ave o'clock, r. a1
LEY had 100 Il.d0ic joy Ot discerning sap
~ the distance yhey made signal, and "efs SOL
ansW cred. ana ~ a sl0fi llme lhey we're Ie@h,.
the good shIp Nantuca e., % NANTUCKET Nass.'tar
Cribs VITO iOOk thcn ~ o. board, clothed ana "
them and extended 10 tAeRl IN every Nay me gfe@
est possible hospitality. -
On the succeeding Cay. Capt. GIBBS went 70 nc
wreck Of tie Il4-ia;eC Am Alexander Tor toe p'dP.
Of tryIDg 10 procure something from her Dit' - %,
rough, and the atenIpt CON ldefed "a SeV,
lie abandoned the project. The NanI1cktt lben -,
SAL for Paiia, where he arrived on the loth oi ~,
rfmocr. ard who're sic ldmced Capt Deoi"s anu an, ~
men. capt DeblOs was kindly ard hosptapV -,
re4Y.d srd enieripit.d .tPafs nv Capt y thni,l1..
bnylsb gvbts suas &c sr.sae gEefs, and s'DsrS's"'