The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-10-06
FOLLOWING 4 WHALE.
A Terrible Dive to the Bottom OF the
Sea and Miraculous Escape.

TFrom the Cleveland Sunday Times.
A ship some time ago arrived at Bris. /
.ol, after a successful whaling voyage
Time was when Thousands Of vessels
tracked the great sea monsters in search /
Of oil, but the discoveries Of the general
article have made the trade no longer
remunerxtive, or at least much less an
object Of pursuit. The ship referred to
was the West Wind, commanded by
Captain Parker. who met with a most
perilous adventure during the cruise
and which came very near costing him
his life. Under the most favorable cir
cumsisncss ths pceupation of the whaIer
10 one of sr.ts 5sr ger snd phy-ical trial,
sad v.gy ife'- ships ever return 80 port
7ishcl; los-aE ora or ra5Ee bands ,F ths
ordinary sriseac.es ot me service.
l,seens thai Csgisin FsrseS Mas oas
from his chip with bost's crew, chss'
ing q whale, and, having fsstened nis
hsrpoon to the creature, it dived, 81
usual. and the line, coiled in the bow-
Of the boat, began to run out with
lightning speed, as the monster sunk to
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 its working clear. The
line was working out With such rapidity
M 70 cause the smoke TO arise from the
woodwork OF the boat, and the Captain
threw water, as is the custom; but by an
unlucky lurch Of the boat he was canted
from his position, and he naturally
threw out his left hand to prevent him
self from falling; but in SO doing he
PLACED il so that the rope coiled around
his wrist, and he was overheard and out
Of sight in an instant.
He was perfectly conscious while be
was rushing down head foremost, and
with an incredible swifsness, and it ap
peared 10 him that his arm would be
torn from the socket, 30 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 WINS 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 il seemed as though g
stream of fire WAS passing before them
and came that inevitable activity of tht
brain which chsracterizes all such peril
GUS situations, where ones whole life
seems to pass in review in an instant o
time. But the Captain WAS a very
practical man, cool and courageous al
ways, an consequently still self-possess
ed.
He began to struggle with all hi
muscular power to reach the knif'
which he wore in his belt. He fel
that he was growing weaker every in
though we should say, parentheticallv
that what requires so long to descriht
occurred in time that was reconed b.
seconds rather than minutes. Or, If h
could but commsnd his right hand fo
, one stroke upon that fatal line! NuV
his heart began to fail him He di1 no
absolutely despair bus his brain reeled
his eyehalls, and his head fell "a thong
Compressed in an iron vice. Were thes
his last moments? He thought, in spit
Of the agonizing pain he endured,
would make one more brave effort.
:, The line providentially slackened fo
= second; he reached his knife, and. 4
quick as thought itself, as the rope b
!. came taut again, the keen edge of tn
. blade was upon it. and by desperate e
fort Of his arm it became severed. II
was freed, and then commenced his u
A ward passage, caused by the natur
, buoyancy of the human body. Aft
" this he only remembered feeling
r, sufocation, a gurgling spasm, and a
il was over until he awoke to an agonizir
II, pain of revivins consciousness in Il
IN arms of his boats crew. Truly one
IA the most remarkable escapes from dsa
on record.