The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-03-04
= -. All y . y :
A PeriIOus Adventure.

A ship some time ago arrived at Bris-
tol, after a successful Pacific whaling
voyage. Time was when thousands OF
vessels traced the great sea-monsters in
search of oil, but the discovery of the
mineral article has made the trade no
longer remunerative, or, at least, much
less an object of pursuit. The ship re-
ferred to was the West Wind, commanded
by Captain Parker, who met with most
perilous adventure during his cruise, and
life. Under the most favorable circum-
stances, 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
ordinary exigencies of the service.
1t seems that Captain Parker was out
from his ship, with boats crew, chasing
whale, and, having 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,
Captain Parker went to the forward part
of the boat to be sure that there was no
twist in the rope to prevent the work
ing 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 ceiled 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 appeared to him that his arm
would be torn from the socket, so great
was the resistance 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 this? He could not
move his right arm from his side, to
which it was so closely pressed by the
force drawn. The pressure on his brain
grew more and more terrible, and roar
ing, as of thunder, sounded in his ears.
He opened his eyes for a 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 q practical man, cool
and courageous always, and consequently
still selfposessed.
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
command his right hand for one stroke
upon that fatal 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
compressed in an iron vice. Were these
his last moments? He thought in spite
of an agonizing pain he endured he would
make one more brave effort.
The line providentially slackened for a
second; 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 a desperate effort of hi;
arm it became severed. He was freed
and then commenced his upward passage
caused by the natural buoyancy of the
body. After this he emily remembered 9
feeling of sufocation, 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.