The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-24
STRANGE OCEAN MONSTERS.
9alss Told BY Mariners for the Ears Of
Landlubbers.
Tho Ba1k Columbia Scuttled and SwampeA
~ Thing Much Larger Than q Whale
Ne Privateer's Crew Paralyxed by
Serpent $50 Feet Long.
mev York Star, September i4.l

norway, was nileQ with an excited group OF
sailors prior 70 business hours on Wednesday
They exhibited radically different kiads of
emotion, some weeping and begging to be
taken to Scandinavia, and Others angrily rs
sorting in the purest vernacular their limo
cenee Of some underlined accusation. The
uproar was explained upon the entrance Of
the consul general
These seamen," he said, s.arc the surviv-
ing crew Of the Norwegian bark Columbia
that was sunk so mysteriously on Thursday
last in latitude Az, longitude 4So So They
were picked up in open boats by the
Rotterdam steamer p. Caland few hours
after the wreeking. They claim that a
strange marine monster stove a hole in the
bark. Others suggest the idea of scuttling,
and the latter charge is what they are wrsng
ling about"
An agent of the Columbia volunteered the
information that she was of $50 tons burden,
owned by Captain Raed, of Funschborg.
Her cost was $4,000. Nothing is known on
this side of the Atlantic of the amount of
her insurance. 1t is regarded as a singular
fact. however, that crew of 1e men should
be sent out with the ship sailing in ballast.
Mate Petersen made detailed statement
to the consul general After leaving London,
. straight course was steered for Quebec.
At 1920 .. m. on the 4th of September,
sudden shock threw the entire crew On their
faces. In utter amazement Captain Larsen
looked over the vessels side only to see a
black mass rising from the bows. In a few
seconds it assumed the shape of whale. but
was nearly twice the size of an ordinary one,
and unacceptable by reason of bloody LAGER
atoms. The sea was dyed red for distance
of SO feet on either side. The mates expert
snce is best told in his own words:
"The big fish was over 40 feet loag. 1t
thrashed around in great fury. 1 thought
We had struck rock. If it was
whale, We must have killed him; During
the excitement somebody discovered
water rushing into the hold. Lar
sen put On the pumps, but could not reduce
the steady pour of the water. L climbed
over the side lowering myself by rope to
the waters edge and then saw that six four
inch planks had been crushed in and after
ward ripped off. The monster that did the
mischief fioundered about few minutes and
sunk. We began to do the same thing
Larsen got into one of the two open boats.
and took the other. We forsook our
clothes, money-everything. With six men
each boat we putoff, the Columbia going
down at 12:45 o'clock. We were thankful
to escape A new danger threatened us.
w HaQ HoitlcT WdItT nor pfOviSiOHS~ pt6
reckoned on being 80 miles from the ostly-
ing fishing banks of Newfoundland, where
we hoped some small vessels might be found.
In less than three hours we sighted the
steamer P. Caland, which responded to sig
nal Of distress made up of an oar and black
coat
Captain Deddes, of the rescuing steamer,
is of the opinion that the story given by the
Norwegisns is true. Their stories all coin
eide. The only similar case coming to the
knowledge of the captain was that of q Gun
ard steamer, which last year had her propel-
Ter shattered by a whale. The following Of
fetal report of the rescue was sent by Cap
tain Deddes to the Rotterdam and Antwerp
Steamship company:
September 4, about p. M, saw two boats
with 12men in them. Shaped our course for
them and took the men on board. We set
the boats adrift. The men proved to be the
whole ship-wrecked crew of the Norwegian
bark Columbia, bound from London to Que
bee. Captain Larsen, of the Columbia. his
mate, Mr. II. Petersen, and the crew made
the following statement: On their voyage
from London they met with variable winds
and weather until September A, when, sailing
with all sails set, in light northeast wind,
about IL a. m. they felt sudden shock
On looking overheard they saw the sea dis
colored by blood, and either a fish or other
sea monster, making away from the ship as
fast as it could At the same time Captain
Larsen heard some of his men crying that
the ship was leaking badly and filling very
fast. He went down into the hold. but soon
found that nothing could be done to save the
ship. When he came on deck again the
crew had barely time to put the boats Ever
board and take few things NTH them.
Half an hour after they b. 1.s the Columbia
sne Wsns uowh. .nortly aferward they
u,soove,e" " coming in their way. and put
W W . with a signal of distress, which we
.ceived. After taking them on board we
proceeded on our course"
The crew of the American ship Privateer,
which arrived in this port from London on
Monday night, had remarkable experience
with a sea serpent off the French coast
charter for James Z. Levett of No. 81 South
street. Mr.. Cox is stout, bronzed veteran
of the seas, and the possessor of a reputation
orveracity and good seamanship that i
would be difficult to call into question. HI
related to q reporter the following tale
which was vouched for by three able sea
men Of the Privateer:
1--WE left London on August in fine sail
ing weather. There was rafting breeze OF
on the stern quarter that drove us through
the channel in magnificent style. At abou
o'clock on the afternoon of the 5th l steo'
smoking on the after-deck, with my back t
the rail- We were skimming along a
about seven knots, under tack leading In
shore. Brest was Just 100 miles on the por
Suddenly, Jack Harlow, my man at tn
wheel, caught sight of something in the wa
ter that made his eyes stand out like billiar
balls. He dropped the wheel with the ea
clamation, by Cd look at thatF
turned quickly and was confronted by on
of the most horrible blood-curdling sights
has ever been my luck to run across Their
was a sea serpent sure enough regular al
aconda of the deep. knew nothing of sue
monsters until that moment, although Nv
heard many incredible stories about then
without taking any stock on my own accoun
Now, I'm not coward, but I shook all owe
durn it, when clapped my eyes on that in