The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-05-05
Perils OF the Sea.

Bristol, f. gland, after sucoessful
Pacific whaling voyage. Time was
when thousands Of vessels tracked the
great sea monsters, in search of oil,
but tho discoveries of the mineral
article has made tho trade no longer
remuneratiye, or at least, much loss
an object of pursuit. The ship "a
ferred to was the Wsst Wind, oom-
manded by Captain Parker, who met
| with most poriloas adventure dur.
ing the cruise, and which came very
near costing him his life. Under
the most favorable circumstance, the
occupation of the whalers is one OF
great danger and physical trial, and
very few ships ever return to port
without losing one or moro hands by
tho ordinary exigenoies Of the SER.
vice.
1t seems that Captain Parker was
out from his ship with boats crew,
chasing a whale, and having fastened
his harpoon to the creature, it dove
as usual, an d the line coiled in the
bow of the boat, began to run out
with light ming speed as the monster
sunk TO the extreme depth of the
ocean. AT this critical junoture,
Captain Parker went to the forward
part OF tho boat TO be sure that there
was no "twist" In the rope to pre-
vent its working clear. The lima was
running out with! such rapidity as
to cause smoke toFise from the wood
work Of the boat, and the captain
threw water, as is the custom, upon
the spot. BY scmo unlucky i.rc6 Of
the boat he was oanted from bis posi-.
ton, and he naturally threw out his
lett hand to prevent himself from
falling. But in doing 80, he unfor.
tunately placed it SO that the rope
coiled about his wrist, and he was
overheard and out of sight 10 an in
stant! g. ....
He was perfectly conscious while
he was rushing down, head eformost,
and with 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 bis perilous situation, and
that his only chance for life was to
out the line. But how could he do
this2 He could not move his right
arm from his side to which it was 80
sS:ssS Hs force of the
drawn. The pressure on his brain
grew more and terrible, and a roar.
ing as 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
them. And now came that inevita-
BILE activity OF brain which charac-
terizes all such perilous situations
where one's 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-possoss-
ed.
| lie 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, aud it was now or never with
him, though We should say, paren-
thetically, that what requires 81 long
to describe, occurred in time which
measured by seconds, rather than
minutes. Oh if he cvu' d but oom.
, manA his right hand for one stroke
up. that fatal line. Now his heart
began to fail him. He did not abso.
lutely despair, but his brain reeIed,
his nerves seemed to relax their ten
sion, light and darkness appeared to
alternate before his eye-baIis, and his
head felt as though compressed in an
lion wise. Was this his last mo-
ments , lie thought, in spite of tho
agonizing pain he endured, he would
nake one more brave effort.
The line provldentially Stacked for
second, no reached his knife, and
~ quick as thought itself as the
ropo became taut again, the keen
edge of the blade was upon it, and
by a desperate effort of his arm it
. became severed. He was freed, and
commenced his upward pass &c, oaus-
ed by tho natural buoyanoy of the
human body. After this lie only re-
mem berod feeling of suffocation, q
gurgling spasm and all was over un.
til he awoke to an agonizing pain OF
: reviving consciousness, in tho arms
Of his boats orow. Truly one of the
, most remarkable escapes from death
on record.
Don Piutt has this Capital notice
Of Spencer, the littlo fat sutlor whom
t tho negroes of Alabama thrust in the
= Senate to represent that State : 'It
. required war that emsncipatcd the
o slaves ard sunk us deep in debt, t
o say nothing of the frightful carnage
to produce such Senator as Spencer
We can comprehend the presence o
on ignorant negro in tho Senate, TO
o his color is is EN- blematio of the Re
" publican party-his very odor i
characteristic Of its corrupt condition
~ but Spencer is one Of those evil