Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-11-07
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y:t-tEsS..sSisECS.


Thrilling Aeou:. Of Ns Destruction Of ghale Ship by a
Sperm Vhei> Si:kiag q Ii: SAP" Loss Of t'r0 Beats
Ne have us received III" following thrilling account OF
,,c destruction Q, the w,c sa .inn Alexander, Captain
o.n $ Deb!ois Me-: Bedford, - large sperm whale,
from the lips Of he CAPITA himself who arrived in this city
rom .ita uaiay last in the schoone! Providence a
s!mla circumstance HIS never been kn"wn 10 occur but
once the wo!s history .. walc-sang and that was t!ie
destruction OF the ship Essex; S0c twenty or twenty-five
wears ago wnca many II readers fully remember
Sc ooceet to the narrative furnished by Capt Deb
lois. and which is fully authenticated by nine oi the crew IN
p5o;as, under the seal 0; the I. > Consul Alex kuden
Ir. a. Paitl
evs Bedford Mass June st 1850 Cor cruise in the South
cc sperm whale Having taken about oOO barrels OF
~ a The Atlantic the snip proceeded on her voyage TO me
is,ic Noting OF unusu interest occurred, until when
"a. sing Cape Horn Of the men, named Jackson Walk
e. If Newport, n. H., was lost overheard in Storm
m no the Pacific she up The and stopped al
.,! coas, Of Chill for fresh provisions and the 3st
o May asst she called iata Tor the purpose of shipping
The vessel proceeded her voyage 10 the South
Pacific. "
On ruc 10Th of August last she reached whais well known
ali whaers, the "OnS horcGtouna, in lat. deg. 50
min. South lon. ,G2 deg West. In the morning Of that
.ny ococi whales were discovered in the neiea-
rhooa and abou, no a. tie same day, they succeeded in
making Two boats had after the whales
the arbonrd and the siatoard ~ vner commanded by
The ira, mlc and the latter b. CFi Dctois. The whale
.ci they had struck harrooncd by The a5oaTd boat.
Ate. running rne, the whale turned upon the ouat
an! ru>nin. witt :-omcE|oUg violence lifted open is
jaws and lang ' beat II, ccc;ualIy crushed it
INTO fragments rs small AZ cu;nuro:. lied chair. Capt
DvtIcis Immediately struck FOR He scce Of the disaster
with ste:board boa aud succeeded against all expecta
rescuns the whole Of tie crew Of the boat-nine in
number.
There eighteen III the s:arboard boat,
sitting Of the Captain first mate. and The of both
.lis The f.gh:tul disaster hid been witnessed from the
p and tie waste boat was called into readiness and sent
their relief The distance from e sP was about six
miles. AS the wa-t& coat arrived the crews were
G:vced and il determined 10 pursue tho same whale
ard make another attack upon him. Accordingly they separa
I'D and proceeded distance from each other, as is
usual on such OCCASIONS whale In short time they
M o
boat, commanded 5y the first mate was in advance AS
soon AS the whale perceyed the demonstration being made
upon him. he turned his suddenly and making ire
ndous dash al this boat seized with his widespread jaws
and crushed into atoms allowing the barely time
escape his vengeance by throwing themselves into the
Capt Debos again seeing the perious condition OF his
the risk of meeting the same fate, directed his boat
10 hasten 10 their rescue and in short time succeeded in
saving them all from death little less horrible than that
which they had twice narrowly escaped He then
ordered the boat put for the ship speedily possible
asa had the order been given than they discovered
lie monster Of the deep making towards them with his
widely extended. Fortunately, the monster up and
passed them at short distance The boat then made her
way TO the ship and they all got on board in safety
After reaching the ship boat dispatched for the
Of the demolished boats and it determined pursue
the oars sail was and the ship proceeded after the whale
In short time she overlook HIM, and lance was thrown
into his head The ship passed on by him. and Immediately
after they discovered that the whale was making ior the
ship AS he her. they hauled on the wind anu
suffered the pass her. After he hnd fairly passed.
ty kept oil TO oyertake and tack him again When the ship
had reached within about fifty RODS Of him. they discovered
tina, the whale had settled down deep below The surface
the wafer and, as was near suntown tey concluded 10
give up The pursuit .
Capt Debois was at this time standing in the nghiheads
the aIboard bow with craft in hand ready 10 strike the
monster deadly blow should lie appear the ship moving
about five knots when working the side of the Ship he
discovered the whale rushing towards her at the rate OF f
knots In instant The monster struck The ship to
tremendous rioiencc shaking her from stem TO scrn She
qu, cred the violence o the shock if she had struck
upon rock Capt. Debos Immediately descended into the
orecase and there to his horror discovered that the
Ind
the foremost knocking great hole entirely ro her bottom
through which the roared and rushed in mpetuously
Srnsng the deck he ordered The mate 10 cut away the
cors and get the cables overboad keep the ship from
sinking she had large quantity Of pig iron board
In doing this the succeeded i'll relieving only
Choir and cable cca the other having been tasted around the
foremost The ship then sinking rapidly The Captain
the cabin where he found three feet OF water he
however succeede in procuring chrononeer seXan and
chart Reaching Cecks he ordered The boats 10 be cleared
und get water and provisions as the ship was Keel
ng over. He again descended tie cabin, but the
rushing in rapidly hc could procure nothing
He then upon dec ordered all hands into the boats
and was the las Himself TO leave The ship which he did by
throwing hmsai Into !c and swimming the
boat. The ship was on her acan"n her gallant yards
under water. Thcv then puSMy Oft distance from the
sh, expecting her 10 sink in very ssot iEe. pom
Nomination OF the sor2s III tad been able save, he dis
covered that they had Only Twelve quarts %! water and
onth:u o. provisions 0 any kind The boats contained
eleven eaci were lraay ai ,st c"ifg on, they
obliged to bail cn al nigGt 70 e-2 them :Iom snkina
NIX, Cay, AT dayi -, ih>y returned 10 The ship,
daring 10 vea1ae on b3af h"t ;c captain, their Intention
htns 10 cat Tie masiS aa :arul thar the moment
the awag tine hip Sla!a 20 DOWN. With
s.ng!e hgtcIc the yar;c;u :clt board the
mast whan the ship r,e. Tie .Uu;s then up and
The men, by the sCi0 az! sp'dc, he chain cable
from around The iulemasl which the ship nearly her
keel The then lir, ropes aroGEi their bodies go; into
ire aai hui2 tLsuulh The decks 10 get prosi
ems. They could procure nothing bu. about five gallons
al ncgtr, aud twenty pouncs O. wet bread. The ship
threaten ii ~ sink. anI obey Gae:ne impfuiea 10 remain
Nv b,r lop,-. they set sail ei. boats and left her
On he - q; August al about O'Clock T. III, they had
the ndescrbane 10, vi d.tsJn0g si? IN the distance
yny aadc signal and zee answered, and in short
ev reached by Ia gu! snip Haninrnet OF NAN
tu,Nci, Mass, Capt. G,h*. vn "lN henI ii on board
clothed and ie them, ana e; III every ''ay lie
greatest pcs ale hus .;u!:t:
90 the succeeding day, Capt G.o5s 10 the wreck OF
the II :Iti Ann Alex ,tder s"r r u:pose Tying 10 pro-
cure c;hns her but was roue. and the
attempt considered dangerous. lie Guai.one The prolet-
Tie Nantucket then sail for Pai1u where she arrived on
the 18th o. September and where she landed Capt Dcb!is
and his Cap: Dcrlo was kindly and Hospitality re-
and entertained Pua by Cap. Bathurst Eng
iS gentleman residing there and subsequently, took passage
o;aj the schooner Providence, Captain Sarbuck,
this pDtt arriving he'e Sunday las. the 18th inst
~ p"!ta Cast. Dch'oS C.rsi is protest at the T. S.
Cnu>ul.e which WIS authenticated by the following officers
board ~ TIE '@c 81 ;:r disaster, the Of
at TIE v.rg shipped buurd other
vos>ay Jose pin Grrrn fist r-,e; James Saith third
john M"5&au, cafplsie:; :4ev, cooper; Ja,;eS
Mc.,otsr:s. John Smit. h!n. sH.i,. Htay Reid and
Charles +. Eoot", stanea
ANOTHER FFGlflyE SLAVE CASE.
New NcRE NuvEMgER 3-l2 n.-int United States !
Cor iss"nel as .is ,ening issued for the ar.
Il fugitive slave named Eanyer The claimant is
resilient OF Maryland ana prepared to point out his slave