, 1875-02-21
A PERILOuS ADVENTURE:

ono OF the Host Remarkable Escapes
from Death on Record
4 ship some time ago arrived at Bristol, after
successful Pacific Whaling voyage. Time waa
when thousands Of vessels tracked tho great sea
monsters in search Of oil, but the discoveries OF
tho mineral article has made the trade no longer
remunerative, or, 1T least, much less an object
Of pursuit, The ship referred to was the West
Wind, commanded by Capt. Parker, who met
With most pe1ilous adventure during his cruise,
and which came very near costing him Ills
life. Under the most favorable circu1n-
stances tho occupation Of tue whaler is one
Of great danger aud physical trial and very few
sings ever return to port without losing one or
more hands by tho ordinary exigences Of the
service.
It seems that Capt. Parker VAS out from his
ship, With boats crew, chasing q whale, and,
having fastened his hn7poon to the creature, it
diyed, az usual, and the line, culled in the bows
Of the boat, began to run out with lightning
speed az the monster sunk to the extreme depth
of the ocean. At this critical juncture Capt.
Parker vent to the forward pa-t ct the boat to be
sure that there was no tgist III the rope to pre-
vent it's working clear. Tho line was running
out with such rapidity as to cauhc smoke to arise
from the woodwork Of the boat, and the Captain
throw water, as is the custom, upon the spot BY
some unlucky lurch Of the boat he Was canted
from his position, and he naturally threw out bis
in doing SO, he unfortunately placed it so that
the rope coiled about his wrist, and be was over
board and out OF sight ia ali instant.
He was perfectly conscious while he wxs rush.
ing down. head foremost, and with an Incredible
swiftness, and it appeared to him that his urn
would DO torn from tho socket 50 great was tho
resistance Of tho water. During these awful
moments he was well aware Of his petilous Sit
uatiou, and that bis only chance for life Was To
cut the ine. But how could he do this? He
Iii fd,t<f aid
which it Was 80 closely pressed by the force OF
the clement through which he was being drawn.
The pressure on his brain grew more and mora
terrible and roaring Us Of thunder, sounded
in luis cars. He opened his eyas for singla in
slant, and it seemed as though stream Of frs
uas passing before them. And now came that
inevitable activity Of the brain which character
ICES all such perilous eituations, where ones
whole life seems TO poss in review in an instant
Of time But the Captain was = very practical
man, cool aud courageous always, aud eonse-
quently still self-posseased.
He began to struggle with ah his muscular
power to reach tue knife which ho wore in his
belt. He felt that lie Tas growing weaker every
Instant, and it was nor or never with him,
though ne should say, parentheticaly, that what
requires 30 long to describe occurred in timo
which was reckoned by seconds rather than min
ntes- Oh, il he could but command his right
hand for one stroke upon that fatal line! Now
his heart began to fail him. He did not abeo-
4utel5 despair, ott LIB DRAM TeeleQ, LIS nerves
seemed to relax their tension, light xnddarkneas
appeared to alternate before bis eye-bsl's, and
his head felt as though compressed III m iron
vice. We're these his Inst momenta? He
thought. in spite Of the agonizi1g pain he en-
drred, he would make one moro brave effort
The limo p1oyidertialiy slackened for 9 second;
he reached Ills knife, and. Is quick as thought
itself, as the rope beca1no taut again. the Keen
edge OF the blade was upon it. aud by desperate
effort Of his arm it became severed. He was
FwAA ~ ~
caused By the natural buoyaucy Of tho human
body. After this, he ouly remembered feeling
Of su1ocation. a gucgiing spcsm- and all was
over until he aHoks to an agonizing pain Of re-
crew. T!ulv. one Of the most remarkable escapes
from death On record