The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-10-18

A correspondent of the New York
Sun tells the following:
We boarded thi, summer at the houss
Of Capt Thos G Nickerson in Nantuck
ct, the last survivor Of the crew Of the
whaling ship Essex, which was sunk by
a whale in the Pacific Ocean somew here
about tho year 1920. The story. IS he
tells it. is thrilling one. The Essex
was nearly new, reached the Pacific
fishing grounds in good order. took and
tried out one large whale. and cleared
the ship. a. usual. for further captures
One morning the lookout from the
masthead sighted q large school Of
sperm whales The boats were lower
ed and manned for pursuit, ard the
Captain h.rpooner succeeded III -'rik-
ing whale. He was then some three
mile, from the ship and the mtte's boat
was ha'ten,ng to his assistance. One
Of the men. happening to glance to~afd
tho ship. saw flying not only the signal
70 return, bu. the signal of dist'ess.
The Ynste's boat hurried back with all
speed. Getting on beard. they were
Informed that the ship had been struck
by All immense sperm whale. and the
water was rushing into the held IN q
fearful manner. While they were en-
deavoring TO ascertain the extent II the
injury, the same fish. u II ouster IA size.
appeared. swimming directly toward
them again Mt n furious -lc.d. The
creature seemed to DO either III great
f,t l., 10
tie waters to IA white foam with his
tail. wri'hing and lifting his immense
body hnlf out of il. Bringing it down
again with report like cannon, and
rushing straight upon the devottH
ship.
The first blow had been ia the h's
nud the shock had thrown the m,n
th,ir feet and dashed everything from
its fas.enings, rs thoush the ship IN a
gale had struck n shaken rock. The
whale himself hai seemed stunned for
u moment. The second time he struck
III, ship on the larboard side. crushing
in her timbcrs and making her shiver
from stem to stern. For II moment
they thought the whale had kil!ei hi.n-
self; he turned on lis back. psniin &
heavily; then. iecoyrrin. himself f"r u
last effort, ho backed away and cane
at them the third ciiur, with strength
enough TO open still wider the yawniug
gaps hs ha already made. After that.
apparently satisfied that he had done
his work. he swan slowly away toward
the distant school. leaving tho Essex
with the water pouring in. The men
kept firing guns AS signals OF distress.
aud the Captain having left the wound-
| cd whale. hsstened to the scene Of DIS
aster. They had barely :in.e~to load
! their frail whAleboAts with the neces-
saries Of life before the ship sank More
than three mouths after. having endnr-
ed the utmost suffering aud hardships
that human nature can bear. and hav-
ing in that time traversed nearly 1000
miles If water and lost half their num-
Der. they were at last picked up. Capt.
| Nickerson does not like to talk Of this
fearful passage in his life. and the hor-
rors of it have left permanent im-
preston on his mind He is living III
| the town Of Nantucket. whero most OF
the survivors lived and are :well re-
mombcred by the inhabitants He ex-
presses tho opinion that his ship is not
tho only one that has met her death 10y
the anger Of whale, and that the vlc-
! tins of those monsters number far IA ore
than landsmen suppose.