The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1873-07-17
oyer the gunwhale, and dragging

the boat along like race horse. A
pause, then once more the monster rose
! to breathe, only to receive another NOR
tai blow, and again to dive, leaving the
waters crimson as he vanished out OF
sight. Now came all the excitement o.
the chase. Five harpoons had done their
work, and their lines held fast. The last
dive had hidden him for while, and
now he lay helpless upon the surface.
More venturesome, a. shalers are apt TO
be. from the excitement of the moment,
all four boats approached near enough to
hurl lanees at the creature, and even to
strike at it with a boat-hook. But that
piece of temerity was followed by what
is always, or nearly so, looked for-the
furry of the whale With sound
that resembled huge below. and yet
not that, nor yet the blowing off steam OF
boiler, but something between the two,
the whale suddenly rolled furiously,
| beating the waves with its broad tail
until they were lashed into a sea of foam.
Back, back - shouted the steersmen,
and every man bent to the oar in an in
slant. Too late. Too late, for one boat,
| al least For. with a single blow, the
whale dashed into atoms, leaving every
one of its crew struggling In the water.
Two men sank like lead-neyer to rise
again until land and sea shall give up
then dead. One hoated, stunned, for a
moment, and then he too went down.
Amidst wild scene of wild shots and
throwing floats and rowing to and fro the
rest were lifted opt and saved just as the
whale slowly turned Oh its side until its
white and slippery belly glittered in the
sun.
Hark ewhat is that? A gun from
the ship 20 shouted Jacob. as he sud-
denly turned to look at her. The dull
boom had reverberated heavily along the
water, and in the excitement few noticed
it. We were at least five miles away
from her.
" Something's wrong, said l.
Must be-" said he. W9'd best
pull back at once
After hasty word or two with the
| crews of the other two boats, ours, that
| is, the one in which were Jacob and my
self, began to row back as quickly as We
could. leaving the others with the whale.
Three men were lost, but why abondon
miles away. We rowed with will, be
sure, turning to look at the Polly as she
| lay motionless in the distance And what
did we presently see? A heavy cloud of
smoke rise from her deck, rise thicker
and thicker with every moment, suntil it
| hid masts and rigging from our sight.
and lay all around her like curtain,
black as night
Fhe other crews had seen it too, and
with yell were making the water foam
as>they piled the stout ashen oars until
they bent like willow wands. For our
lives we strained-for ours? Nay, for
those on board the Pollp. God that
with all our efforts it must be SO long be-
fore we could reach her
Not word spoke any of us. The
horror upon US was too great. The ship,
saturated as she was with oil, must, we
knew well, burn like gunpowder almost.
| at the helm watched her. All, how
| watched her Ere mile was passed
| saw the red flames mingle with the
smoke, darting up now and then like
Gery pillars Speeches., with my heart
standing still, [ saw the fiery tongues
running along spar, shroud and stay. |
saw the flames grow fercer and fercer,
until, with rattle like .musketry, they
wrapped hull and aloft in one embrace
of fire from. stem to stern. And then,
God help US all a dull roar told that
the magazine was reached. Flying
through smoke and fame, far and wide,
and high into the air went burning frag-
ments and in an instant after she reeled
once or twice and went down. Nothing
was left but cloud of steam and smoke
where but short time before the Polly
rode secure. And of those aboard of
her not one was left. Like men distraught
we rowed round and round where she
had been, gazing for any poor soul that
might rise in one last despairiDg struggle.
In vain in vain
We were all silent for a long time,
some with clasped hands. and some with
heads bowed in speeches. horror Only
by slow degrees did we realize all that
had happened, with its consequences.
1t was only as one and another found
voice did we remember our own desola-
ton. Desolation, did l say? There is
no word strong enough to meet the case.
Three boats with thirty men in them
drifting in the actic seas without provis-
ions, scarcely any water, almost without
hope. Not sail in sight, nor perhaps
ever to greet our anxious eyes. we must
consult what had best be done, certainly
that but to what end? The nearest land
was two hundred miles away. We had
no compass nor chart. Surely some of
us thought that the fate of our mates in
the burned ship was scarcely less awful
than our own.
Well, Jacob was the most practical |
mamie spoke first. Few words were |
needed as to the lost ship. Reyerently |
and with many tears he offered up |
prayer for the lost ones, in which all |
joined, though some were strangers to
such utterances until now. Then he called |
for opinions on the first question-were
the boats to keep together? Somejudg- |
ed one way, some another " Well, you
have had your say here's NINE" he |
continued. 6 am for separating. We |
may fall in with some vessel if together;
but the chance are greater if each crew
takes its own course; and if a sail does
heave IN sight, and it is saved, the other
|