Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1875-03-04
PERILOUS ADVENTURE.
One Of the Most Remarkable Escapes from
Death on Record.


A ship some time ago arrived a. Bristol,
after successful Pacific whaling voyage.
Time was when thousands of vessels
tracked the great sea monsters In search
of oil, but the discoveries of the mineral
article has made the trade no longer re-
munerative, or, at least, much less an OBJ
ject of pursuit The ship referred to was
the West Wind, commanded by Capt.
Parker, who met with most perilous
adventure during the cruise, and which
came very near costing him his life.
Under the most favorable circumstances
the occupation of the whaler is one of
great danger and physical trial, and very
few ships ever return to port without
losing one or more hands by the ordi-
nary exigences of the service.
1t seems that Capt Parker was out
from his ship, with boats crew, chasing
whale, and, having fastened his harpoon
to the creature, it Owed, as usual, and
the line, cooled In the bow 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 running out with
such rapidity as to cause smoke to arise
from the woodwork of the boat, and the
Captain threw water, as is the custom,
upon the spot. By some unlucky lurch
of the boat, he was canted from his posi-
ton, and he naturally threw out his left
hand to prevent himself from falling
but, in doing SO, he unfortunately placed
it so that the rope coiled about his wrist,
and he was overheard and out of sight
In an instant.
He was perfectly conscious while he
was rushing down, head foremost, and
with an incredible swiftness, and it APP
peared to him that his arm would be torn
from the socket, so great was the resist
ance of the water. During these awful
moments he was well aware of his peril
Gus situation, and that his only chance
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
clement through which he was being
drawn. The pressure on his brain grew
more and more terrible, and the roaring
as of thunder, sounded in his ears. He
opened his eyes for single instant, and
it seemed as though stream of fire was
passing before them. And now came
that inevitable activity of the brain which
characterizes all such perilous situations,
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 consequent
ly still self possessed.
He began to struggle with all his
muscular power to reach the knife which
he wore in his belt. He felt that he was
growing weaker every instant, and it was
now or never with him, though we should
say, parenthetically, that what requires
so long to describe occurred in time
which was reckoned by seconds rather
than minutes. Oh, if he could but COM
mand his right hand for one stroke upon
that fatal line3 Now his heart began to
fail him. He did not absolutely despair,
but his BRAN reeled, his nerves seemed
to relax their tension, light and darkness
appeared to alternate before his eye-balls,
and his head felt as though compressed
In an iron vice. Were these his last mo-
mentss He thought, in spite of the
agonizing pain he endured, he would
make one more brave effort.
The line providentially slackened for
second; he reached his knife, and, as
quick as thought itself, as the rope be-
came taut again, the keen edge of the
blade was upon it, and by desperate
effort of his arm it became severed. He
was freed, and then commenced his up
ward passage, caused by the natural
buoyancy of the human body. After
this, he only remembered a feeling Of
suffocation, gurgling spasm, and al
was over until he awoke to an agonizing
pain of reviving consciousness, in the
arms of his boats crew. Truly, one of
the most remarkable escapes from death
on record.
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