Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-10

DRAGGED BY A WHALE.

A ship some time ago arrived at Bris-
tol, England, after successful Pacific
whaling voyage Time was when thou
monsters in search of oil, but the discov-
cries of the mineral article have made the
trade no longer remunerative, or, at least,
much less an object of pursuit. The ship
referred to was the West Wind, COM
manded by Captain Parker, who met with
a perilous adventure during his cruise,
and which came very near costing him his
life. Under the most favorable circum-
stances, the occupation of the whaler is
one OF much danger and physical trial, and
very few ships ever return to port with
out losing one or more men by the ordi-
nary exigencies of the service. 1t seems
that Capt. Parker was from his ship with
boats crew, chasing whale, and, hav-
ing fastened his harpOOn to the creature.
it dived, as usual, and the line, coiled in
the bows of the boat, began to run out
with lightning speed as the monster sunk
to the extreme depth of the ocean. At this
critical juncture Capt. Parker went to the
forward part of the boat to be sure that
there was no Twist in the rope to prevent
its working clear" The line was rum
ming out with such rapidity as to cause
smoke to rise from the woodwork of the
boat and Parker threw water on it, as is
the custom, upon the spot. BY some un-
lucky lnrch he was thrown from his posi-
ton, and he naturally threw out his left
hand to prevent himself from falling; but
in doing so he unfortunately put it so that
the rope 'coiled about his wrist, and he was
overheard and out of sight in a minute.
He was perfectly conscious while he was
rushing down, head foremost and with in
credible swiftness, and it seemed to him
that his arm would be torn from the sock
ct, so great was the resistance of the wa
ter. During these awful moments he was
well aware of his perilous position, and
that his only hope for life was to cut the
line. But how could he do this? He
could not move his right arm from his
side, to which it was so closely pressed by
the force of the element through which he
was being drawn. The pressure on his
brain grew more and more terrible. and q
roaring, rs of thunder. sounded in his
ears. He opened his eyes for single in
stant. and it seemed as though stream of
fire was passing before him. And now
came that inevitable activity of the brain
which characterizes all such perilous sit
ua,ons, where ones whole life seems to
pass in review in an instant of time. But
the captain was very practical man, cool
and courageous always, and consequently
still self-pOssessed. He began to strug-
gle with all his muscular power, to reach
the knife which he wore in his belt He
felt that he was growing weaker every in
stant, and it was now or never with him,
though he should say, parenthetically, that
what requires so long to describe, oc-
CURED in time which was reckoned by
seconds. rather than minutes. Oh, if he
could but command his right hand for one
stroke upon the line. Now his heart be-
gan to fail him. He did not absolutely
despair, but his brain reeled, his nerves
seemed to relax their tension, light and
darkness appeared to alternate before his
eye balls. and his head felt as though COM
pressed in an iron vice. Were these his
last moments? He thought in spite of the
agonizing pain he had endured he would
make one brave effort. The line provi-
dentially slackened for 4 second; he
reached the knife, and was quick as
thought itself. as the rope became taunt
again, the keen edge of the blade was up
on it, and by a desperate effort of his arm
it became severed. He was freed. and
then commenced his upward passage,
caused by the natural buoyancy OF the hu-
man body. After this he only remembered
a feeling of suffocation, guarding spasm
and all was over until he awoke to an ag-
onizing pain of reviving consciousness, in
the arms of the boats crew. Truly is this
the most remarkable escape from death on