The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-10-02
Sunk by q Sea Monster.

The steamship P. Calane, which ar
rived at New York from Rotterdam
Tuesday, had on board Capt. L. G. Lar.
sen and the entire crew of Norwegian
bark which was lost in mid-ocean under
remarkable circumstances. Capt. Lar
sens story, which is fully corroborated
by his men, goes to show that the ac-
counts which have been given to the
public from time to time of dangerous
sea monsters inhabiting the ocean, are
not wholly false. Either the original
sea serpent, or some powerful submarine
creature of the race ran into the bark
Columbia on September 4, in lat. Al deg.
80 M, and lon. 43 deg. 81 m, and injured
that vessel so that she sank within a
short time after she had been struck.
The bark Columbia left London for
Quebeck, in ballast, on August s, and
met with variable weather until the
morning of the 4th inst, when she was
sailing at the rate of from six to seven
miles an hour before q fair wind. The
sea was not very rough, and the bark
was carrying all sail and heading west.
ward. The captain was on Geek at five
bells in the morning watch, when
tremendous shock, which shook the bark
from stem to stern, was suddenly felt.
The men who were asleep in their hunks
were awakened, and, thinking 'that the
foremast had been carried away, sprang
on deck. Capt. Larsen and three of his
men ran to the port side and saw the
water discolored with blood, while the
tail and fms of huge monster we're seen
splashing about in the sea, which had
become violently agitated on that side of
the vessel. At this moment one of
the crew cried out that leak had been
sprung, and captain Larsen and the car
penter hurried down into the hole to see
if the bark had suffered any injuries. In
the port bow, about three feet below
water mark, they found that four planks
had been crushed in for space of about
four feet long. A large hole had been
made, throug b which the daylight above
the water could be plainly seen. The
water was pouring rapidly into the ves-
sci through this hole. Several attempts
were made to stop it up, but the captain
soon found that it would be useless to
remain below any longer. In the mean
time the men on deck had become terri
bly, frightened. Some cried bitterly, while
others had become so frightened by their
unexpected encounter with the sea mon
ster that they were for. the time being al
most helpless. When Captain Larsen
reached he deck he directed his men to get
the boats in readiness for abandoning the
vessel. The log book, instruments anda
few clothes with some provisions, were
bundled into two boats, which were put
over the side as soon as the excited sail
ors had placed little fresh water in
them. The water casks had been slowed
in the hold, into which the sea was pour
ing so rapidly that not more than one
days fresh water could be saved. For
tunately, the sea was not rough and
when the boats mad been launched the
entire crew abandoned the bark. The
larger boat was commanded by Capt.
Larsen, while Mr.. H. Pederser, the mate,
took charge of the smaller one. At IL
o'clock, an hour and half after the
vessel had received her death wound
from the sea monster, the boats rowed
away. Shortly after one o'clock the
bark sank out of sight. When aban-
doned the water in the hold was within
two or three feet of the deck beams.
Capt. Larsen told Tines reporter that
he was unable to give full description
of the monster which had sunk his
vessel. It's fins and tail could be seen as
they splashed the water, but he only got
glimpse of aportion of the body. One
of the sailors at first thought it might be
whale, but no whale had ever been
known to sink vessel. A whale could
not present any array of tail and fin
reaching from the fore rigging to the main
rigging of a vessel of 462 tons register, but
this moster did. What little was seen
of its back was much too round for that
of whale. 1t would certainly require
an animal of enormous size and strength
to make the hole in the bow of the Co.
lumbia. What became of the monster
after it had run into the bark is not
known, as the crew left the side as soon
as it was discovered that the vessel was
sinking. Then they became too much
occupied in getting things in readiness
to abandon the bark to observe what
course their submarine enemy had pur-
sued. No traces of it were observed
while they were in the boats.