The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-01
a s,eriious Adventure.
ONE OF rnE MOST REMARKABLE ESCAPES FROM
DEATH ON RECORD.


DEATH ON RECORD.
A ship some time ago arrived at Bristol,
after a successful Pacific whaling voyage:
Time was when thousands OF Vesseis tracheo
the great monsters 10 search OF oil. out the
discovery Of the mineral article mas tnaue
the trade no longer remuneratire, or, at least,
much less an object Of pursuit. The snip re.
ferred To waa the West Wind, commanded
by Captain Parker, who met with most
perious adventure during his cruise, ana
which came very near costing him MS I've.
Under the most favorable circumstances, the
occunatiop of whaler Is one Of great danger
and phy steal trial, and very few ships ever re-
turn to port without losing one or more
hands BY the ordinary exigencies of the ser.
vice. ..
It seems that Captain Parker was out from
his ship, With BOATS crew. chasing whale,
and, having fastened his harpoon to the
creature, it divcd, 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 juucture Captain 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 running out with such Tapldity
as to cause smoke to arise from the WOOD.
work Of the boat, and the captain threw
| water, as is the custom, upon the spot. by
some uulucky lurch of the boat he was
canted from bis position, aDd be naturally
threw out bis left hand to prevent nlmsci
from falling; but in doing so he untortu.
| naIely placed It so that the rope coled about
bis wrist, and he was overheard and out OIL
sight in an instant.
He was perfectly conscious while he was
rushing down, head foremost, and with an
Incredible swiltness, and it appeared to him
that bis arm would be torn from the socket,
40 great was the resistance OF the water.
During these awful moments he was well
aware of his perious situation, ana that bis
only chance for life was to cut the line.
But how could be do this? He could not
move bis right arm from bis side, TO which
/ it was 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 a roaring as OF thun-
der sounded in bis ears. be opened his
ewes for single instant, and 1t seemed as
though stream of Gre was passing before
them. And now came that inevitable &c,
tiyity of the brain which characterizes all!
| SUCQ pCTIOuS sitliaLiob9, "hNhS wy 49,
life seems to pass in review IN an instant OF
time. But the Captain was very practlcai
man, cool and courageous always, and con-
I sequently still selt-possesscd.
He began to struggle with all bis muscular
mower to reach the knife which he wore in
his belt. He felt that he was growing
weaker every instant, and 1t was now or
never with him, though we should say.
parenthctically, that what requires so long
! TO describe occurred in time which was
reckoned by seconds rather than minutes.
| Oh, if he could but command his right
hand for one stroke upon that fatal line !!
Now his heart began TO fail him. lie
did not absolutely despair, but his brain
reeled. bis nerves seemed 10 relax their ten
| sion, light and darkness seemed to alternate
before his eye-b,ll>, and his head felt as
| though compressed in an iron wise. Were
these his last moments? He thought, in
spite Of the agonizing pain he endured, he
would make one more brave effort.
| The line proyidentially slackened for Sc.
cond he reached his knife, and, as quick as
thought itself, as the rope became taut again
the keen edge of the blade was upon it, and
/ by desperate effort of his arm it became
severed. He was free, and then commenced
his upward passage, caused by the natural
! buoyaucy of the human body. After this.
| he ONLY remembered feeling OF suflocatlon,
gurgling spasw, and all was over until he
awoke to an agonizng pain OF reviVing con.
/ seriousness, in the arms of his boats crew.
| Truly, one of the most remarkable escapes
| from death on record.