Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-03-28
A Remarkable Escape from Death.

A London paper has the following: A
ship some time ago arrived at Bristol,
after successful Pacific whaling voyage.
The ship was the West Wing, commanded
by Captain Parker, who met with most
perilous adventure during his cruise, and
which came very near costing him his
life.
1t seems that Capt. Parker was out from
his ship, with boats crew, chasing a
whale, and, having fastened his harpeons
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 bottom of the ocean.
At this critical juncture 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 rapidity
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 unlucky lurch of the boat he was
canted from his position, and he natu-
rally threw up 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 over
board 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 ap-
peared to him that his arm would be torn
| from its socket so great was the resist
ance of the water. During these awful
moments he was we'll aware of his perilous
situation, and that his only chance for life
was to cut the line. But how could he
do this9 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 a 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 sit
uations, 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 conse-
quently still self-possessed.
He began to struggle with all his mus.
cular power to reach the knife which he
wore in his belt. He felt that he was
growing weaker every instant, and it wa:
now or never with him, though we should
say, parenthetically, that what takes Sc
long to describe occurred in time thai
was rcckoned by seconds rather than min
utes. Oh, if he could but command hi
right hand for one stroke upon that fata
line! Now his heart began to fail him
He did not absolutely despair, but hi
brain reeled, his nerves seemed to rela
their tension, light and darkness ap
peared to alternate before his eye-balli
and his head felt as though compressed i
an iron vice. We're these his last me
mcnts3 He thought in spite of the agoniz
ing pain he endured he would make on
more brave effort.
The line providentially slackened for
second; he reached his knife, and as quicl
as thought itself, as the rope became tau
again, the keen edge of the blade was upol
it, and by desperate effort of his arm j
became severed. He was freed, and thel
commenced his upward passage, causet
by the natural buoyancy of the human
body. After this he only remembered .
feeling of suffocation, gurgling spasm
and all was over, until he awoke to ar
agonizing pain Of reviving consciousness
in the arms of his boats crew. Truly one
of the most remarkable escapes from death
on record.