The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-10-12
FOLLOWING A WHALE.
A Terrible Dire to The Bottom of The Sea
and Miraculous Escape.

A ship some time ago arrived at Bris-
tol, after successful Pacific whaling voy'
age. Time was when thousands Of yes
sells tracked the great sea monsters in
search of oil, but the discoveries oil the
mineral article has made the trade no
longer remunerative OF at least much
less an object of pursuit. The ship re-
ferred to was the West Wind, command
ed by Capt. Parker, who met with a most
perilous adventure during the cruise, and
which came very near costing him his
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.
It seems that Capt. Parker was out
from his ship with a boats crew, chasing
a whale, and having fastened his har-
poOn 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 ex-
treme depth of the ocean. At this crit
ical iunCture Capt Parker went to the
forward part of the boat to be sure that
there was no twist in the rope 10 prevent
its working clear. The line was running
out with such rapidity as to cause the
smoke to arise from the woodwork ofthe
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 himself from falling; but, in
doing so, he placed it so that the rope
coiled about his wrists, and he was over
board 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 ap-
peared to him that his arm would be
torn from the socket, 30 great was the re-
sistance of the water. During these aw-
full moments he was well aware of his
perilous situation, and that his only
chance for life was to cut the line. But
how could he do this2 He could not
move his right arm from his side to which
it was closely pressed by tie force of the
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 single instant and
it seemed as though stream of fire was
passing before them, and now came that
inevitable activity of the brain which
all such perilous situations
where ones whole life seems to pass in
review in an instant of time. But the
ca tain was very practical man, cool
and courageous always, and consequent
ly still 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 it was
now or never with him, though we eshould
say, parenthetically, that what requires so
long to describe occurred in time which
was reckoned by seconds rather than
Oh, if he could but command
MS right hand for one stroke upon that
fatal line Now his heart began to fail
lim. He did not absolutely despair but
MS brain reeled, his nerves seemed 10
alternate before his eye-balls, and his
head felt as though compressed in an
ron vice. Were these his last moments?
He thought, in spite of the agonizing
pain he endured he would make one
more brave effort.
The line providently slackened for a
he reached his knife, and, as
luick as thought itself, as the rope be-
;ame taut again, the keen edge of the
blade was upon it, and by desperate eff
ort of his arm it became severed. He
vas freed and then commenced his up
ward passage, caused by the natural
,uoyancy of the human body. After
his he only remembered feeling of
a gurgling spasm, and all was
'ver until he awoke to an agonizing pain
# reviVing consciousness in the arms of
lis boats crew. Truly one of the most
emarkable escapes from death on re-
ord