The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-09-26
A Well Authenticated Fish Story.

The steamship p. Caland. which ar 4
rived at New Y ork from Rotterdam on |
Tuesd ~ of last week. had on board Capt. /
B. G. LarseT and the entire crew of a
Norwegian bark which was lost in mid
ocean under remarkable circumstances.
Captain IaTsen's story, which is fully
cOrToborated by his men. goes to show
that the accounts which have been
given to the public from time to tine of
dangerous sea monsters inhabiting the
ocean are not wholly false Either the
original sea serpent OF some powerful
submarine creat ture of the same race ran
into the bark Columbia on September 4.
in latitude a. deg. 81 min. and longi-
tude 43 deg. 81 min., and injured that
vessel so that she sank within a short
time after she had been struck. The
bark Columbia left London for Quebec
in ballast, on August s. ard 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 fair wind. The sea was
not very rough and the bark was carry
ing all sail and heading westward. The
captain was on deck at five bells in the
morning watch, when the 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 fore
mast had been carried away. Sprang on
deck. Captain Larsen and three of his
men ran to the port side and saw the
water discOlOTed with blood, while the
tail and fins of huge monster were
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
4aie I nd
the carpenter hurried down into the
hold 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 4
space of about four feet lOng-a large
hole, through which the daylight above
the water could be plainly seen. The
water was pouring rapidly into the YES
sci through this hole Several attempts
were made to stop it up, but the captain
soon found that II 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 50 frightened
by their unexpected encounter with the
J sea monster that they were for the time
being almost helpless. When Captain
/ Larsen reached the deck he directed his
men to get the boats in readiness for
abandoning the vessel. The log book,
instruments, and a few clothes. with
some provisions. were bundled into two
boats, which were put over the sides as
I soon as the excited sailors had placed a
little fresh water in them. The water
/ casks had been slowed in the hold. into
which the sea was pouring so .apidly
that no more than one DAYS fresh water
1 could be saved. FOrtunat ely the sea was
!. 1
launched. the entire crew abandoned
the bark. The larger boat was COM
manded by Captain Larsen, while Mr..
+ II. Pederser, the mate. took charge of
the smaller one. At y O'Clock, an hour
and a-half after the vessel had received
her death wound from the sea monster.
the boats TOwed away. Shortly after l
/ O'Clock the bark sank out of sight
When abandoned the water in the hold
was within two or three feet of the
deck-beams.
The prospects of the crew seemed
very doubtful then, Us there was very
little on board the boats. and a gale
might spring up before night, An anX-
iOus lookout was kept for passing vessels,
and also for the marine monster
. Nothing was ever seen of the latter,
but between two and three O'Clock the
smoke from q steamer. which was evi-
IDENTIFY approaching them, was observed
4 pole. to which the signal of distress
was fastened was hoisted by the cap
tain. and the joyful intelligence was
. soon passed from boat to boat that the
steamer was rapidly approaching. BY 3
O'Clock the p Caland. Captain Deddes.
bound from Rotterdam to this port,
hove to near by, and the entire crew Of
the Columbia, twelve men III all, were
taken on board The two small boats,
by means of which the shipwrecked
seamen had been saved from waterv
graves. were then cast adrift, and the
Caland proceeded on her voyage.
When seen on board the steamship,
Captain Larsen said that he was unable
to give full description of the monster
which had sunk his vessel. It's fins ana
tails could be seen as they splashed the
water. but he only got a slight glimpse
of portion of the body. One of the
sailors at first thought it sd ght be, a
whale. but no whale had ever been
known to sink a vessel. a whale could
not present an array OF tail and ms
reaching from the fore rigging to the
main rigging of q vessel Of 462 tons
register. but this monster did. What
little was seen of its back was much toe
round for a whale 1t would certainly
require an animal of size and strength
to make the mole in the bow of the Col
umbia. What became of the monster
after it had run into the bark IS no
known, as the crew left the side as sool
as it was discovered that the vessel wa
sinking. They then became too mucl
occupied in getting things in readiness
to abandon the bark to observe wha
course their submarine enemy had pur
sued. No traces of it were observe,
while they were in the boats.