Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-09

DEATH-woNDERFUL PRESENCE or
MIND.
The San Francisco Post has the follow
ing narrative: I'm 1886 Capt. Blank was
the first mate of whale ship cruising out
of New Bedford. The William King was
one OF those old fashioned tubs peculiar
to the last century. sailing equally we'll
either way, bow or stern. OF Tsleg, aph
mil, near San Francisco, school or
whales was raised, led by an immense bull
and steering In northerly direction. Two
boats were at once lowered, but they had
scarcely touched the water when the school
parted. one part running north and the
other south. Capt. Blanks boat followed
one band, while Jim Watson, the mate
followed the other. The Captains boat
had crew OF magnificent oarsmen; thev
laid to their work with will, and after
AN hours pull came in range Of the bull.
Capt. Blank got an iron into him In short
order; the fish sounded and went down as
speed which almost equaled that of the
tightening express train. The line ran
out with a deaiening hum. the loggerhcad
smoked. and the boat lay her bows deep
into the water. Suddenly the strain
ceased. the whale was coming up, and
every eye conned the seas for glimpse
of the monster. He came up like rock.
ct, struck the boat on the keel amidshjps
with his nose, and hurled it fifty feet in
the air. AS it descended it capcised and
fell bottom uppermost. The men imme-
dately swan Tor it, and, with the excap- I
tion of the Captain, reached it, whore
they clung to the boat. t.,r
sIhp cAntQin aOOn aWau1 nm hs,t ErA
ing the keel crowded, resolved not to risk
an upsetting by venturing upon it. So hc
put an oar under each arm, and treadin9
water. kept near the boat, cheering the
crew, who, as was natural to men in their
situation. were nervous and down-hearted.
They floated this way for several minutes
and were gradually getting over their
first shock, when the stroke Oarsman. a
gigantic negro, called out, Look dar-a
sharkr The crew looked and saw . large
bottle-nosed shark floating apparently not
more than falhom below the surface. II
The captain saw the monster also, and
felt his chance OF escape dwindle to ci-
pher; nevertheless. he did not lose cour-
age and instead of Fastening the event
which seemed beyond prevention resolved
TO escape 1t II possible. He knew that
shark would never bite at an unsteady bait.
The nose OF the creature is in It's way; il
must turn on its side TO snap, and then on.
y when the object is stationary. II may
be for a second only. but that is enough;
the shark darts like lightning. and in
moment sezes its prey. The captain knew
this, and knew his only salvation depend
ed on his keeping constantly in motion.
The least pause would be fatal, 90 with the
Two oars under his arms he kept ahoat,
moving about iacessantly. bis eyes fixed on
The mouster beneath him, which followed
wherever he moved. His mind was un.
usually active; every circumstance of his
lie came before him with the clearness of
uoonday. The scenes OF his youth in par.
ocular passed before him 10 vivid cOloring.
He saw the old farmhouse in which 10
was bOrn--the hills, woods, and meadows
surrounding it; the distant village. the
church spire. the flock on the plains, the
winding river, the cows browsing in the
tieids; he heard the clatter OF the mill, the
songs Of the mowers, the birds singing ia
the groves. and the gun echoing among
he hills. lie heard too the voice of one
iearer To HIM than all on earth; the voice
oi one-but all this took place while ra-
pacious monster was floating within few
ieet OF him, waiting only for few mo.
ment's pause in his movements to rend
nlm in pieces!
The second boat having now rescued the
wrecked men. approached the captain,
who ordered its crew to shoot by him at
full spred, aud as it passed he would grasp
1t and spring in, the critical moment being
when he would lose motion and the shark
would be likely to s;eze him. However
the risk must be taken. The mate faith-
fully carried out his directions. The men
strained every sinew. They were whale
men. and as such, topgallant oarsmen. The
boat itself was scarcely seen, buried in .
double wall Of toaming spray, the oars
bending like reeds, and the gunwales quiv.
ering at each stroke. 1t took nerve 10
secure the flying craft; but the captain
had these, and as II passed seized the star.
board gunwhale, and was thrown like
shot into the boat. At the same instant
the sharks head rose above the water, and
its jaws snapped with q sound audible for
considerable distance. The captain, as
himself remarked, escaped only by