The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-03-25
4 PERnOUS ADVENTURE,

4 ship sometime ago arrived at BIS
toll after a successful Pacific whaling vOy-
age. Time was when many thousands
Of vessels tracked the great monsters IN
search of oil, but the discovery of a min
e,al article has made the trade no longer
rernunerative, or, at least, much less an
object of pursuit The ship referred to
was the West Wind, commanded by
Can't. Parker, who met with most per-
ilous adventure during the cruise, and
which came very near costing him his
life. Under the most favorable circum-
stances. the occupation of a 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 eMgencies of the service.
1t seems that Captain Parker was out
from his ship with boats crew chasing
a whale, and, having fastened his har-
poon to the creature it d1ved. 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 ex-
IRENE depth of the ocean. At this crltl-
cal iuncture Captain Parker went to the
forward part of the boat to be sure that
there was no twist in the rope to prevent
it's working clear. The line was running
out with such fearful rapidity as to
cause smoke to arise from tie 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
naturally threw out his left hand to pre-
vent himself from falling, but in dong
so he unfortunately placed it so that the
rope coiled about his wrist, and he was
out of sight in an instant.
He was perfectly conscious while ne
was rushing down, head foremost and
with an incredible swiftness, and it ap-
peared 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 Wei 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 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
roaring as of thunder sounded in his
ears. He opened his eyes for q single
instant, and it seemed as though a
stream of fire was passing before them.
And now came that inevitable activity OF
the BRAIN which characterizes ali 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 al
ways, and constantly 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 1T
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
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 tensions, light and
darkness seemed to alternate before his
eye-balls, and his head seemed compress
sed in an iron vice. Were these his
last moments? He thought, spite Of the
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 desperate
effort of his arm it became severed. He
was freed, and then commenced the up
ward passage, caused by the natural
buoyance Of the human body. After
this he only remembered feeling of
suffocation, gurgling spasm, and all
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.