The Osceola times., 1880-09-25
A HARNESSED WHALE.
That Ran Away with PIucky Boat Crew
at the Rate OF Mile a Minute.


at the Rate OF u Mile a Minute,
New Haven Union
wandering around on the wharyes a
day or two ago among the remnants of
what was once the scene OF hustle and
activity IN the good old DAYS of Whaling
OIn0n reporter encountered an old sea
captain who had a good story TO tell
Near by was moored q whaling vessel
ana casks OF oil were ranged about, so
mat the old tar seemed at home. The
conversation turned on the recent boat
races, and the time made for two miles
by the Harvard and Columbia freshmen
crews. The old sailor thought that the
boys rowed well and went pretty fast.
but he had gone faster, and probably
faster than many ever went in row
boat. The scribe urged the mariner TO
tell the story, which he did substantially
as foil jws:
1t is about thirty-fve years ago since
went out from New London as a boat
steerer. That is pretty lively berth, as
any whaleman can tell YOU, especially
when any whale is tackled. The steer
er has virtually the control of the boat
and the safety of the men in it, and
when the whale begins to lash the water
with his tail look out; there's danger in
pelng near the big huke. Sometimes
you can put an iron into a whale and he
won't splash on the surface, but will
start OIL like rocket, or perhaps 90
right down, and you have to cut loose
and lose your line and irons. Still. a
whaleman gets used to these things. and
when boat is stove in by whale. or
when the crew get into any difficulty
they generally know what to do. and
take matters philosophically. They are
tough fellows, and can row for hours.
ana without training, end with heavy
oars resting on the 'cunnel" (gunwalc)
of the boat.
In those days different class of men
went whaling from what 90 now. Pre-.
vious to the war-that is, some wears
prevlous-there was money in both oil
and bone, though just before the war
they sold for less than you could Get
them for. But when there was money
IN whaling captains could get a passably
good pick of men for their crews. Stout
young fellows, who couldn't make more
than their salt on the farm. came down
to New London TO 90 to sea, They had
heard of the big chances for good vow
age, which, if realized, would give them,
IN few months, more money than they
ever saw. If the owners got the hons
snare OF the money there was still
good lot left to be doled out in laws (pro-
portionate shares) to the men. In fact,
fortunes were made in one voyage, or
what would pass for an acceptable com.
potency for man who was contented to
live modestly. Well, on the ship on
which ! was boat-steerer tins time there
was as fine a set of men, pluck and en-
durance considered, as YOU ever saw.
In my boats crew there were some par
ucularly good men. But what happened
to us one day tried the mettle of several
OF them.
We were lying becalmed one day off
the Cape of Good Hope. 1t was as
smooth as mill pond for miles; you
couldn't see ripple on the water, for
not breath of wind stirred. There
were several whalers laying off the land,
close in, waiting for wind or something
to give them occupation. By-and-by we
saw two or three whales coming up TO
blow, about two miles away. The cal-
tain called the watch up. and couple of
boats started for the whales which were
living still as if summing themselves. In
my boat was 1 big negro, black as the
ac of spades. Every time he would
row stroke the boat would shoot ahead,
and he would open his mouth and grin,
showing wonderful display of ivory.
We raced with the other boat and got
ahead, Tor my men were 1.-THE and
tough, and by-and-by we got along side
of one of the big fellows. The steering
oar was pulled in; the oars were packed
that is, pulled in so that they couldn't
strike the water, then an iron was
thrown into the floating island.
The whale laid still for a minute, as if
struck with amazement that any one
should dare to touch him. The rope
which was coiled up in the tube at the
bottom of the boat didn't seem to be of
any use for moment. In the meantime
the other boat had come up. Suddenly
the whale made up his mind what to do.
He started off like locomotive, the rope
whizzing around in way TO astonish a
land lubbcr The boat didn't follow
slow. When the rope was out we were
rushing by the Captains boat like mad.
The Captain took of his cap and waved
it at me shouting: "Go it, young man;
you're going out of town faster than
you'll ever go again. All that we could
do IN that double-ended boat was to sit
still and see her 90 through the water.
| candidly believe that we went at the
rate of mile minute, and the water
was wonderful sight. II reminds me,
now that think of it, of Poe's descrip-
ton of the interior of the Maelstrom,
where the water went around so fast
and was so black that it must have
seemed like wall of polished ebony.
The pressure downward piled the water
up on both sides of us SO that 1t seemed
to be at leasl three feet higher than the
edge of the boat, but 1t couldn't run in,
for we were going so fast it hadn't time.
Every ones eyes were blurred with the
wind, which seemed to be blowing
hurricane against us. The line hitched
TO the iron in the whale was rushing
through the water as rigid as an iron
rod, and there must have been a line of
foam mile long behind us. This thing
couldn't 90 on forever. The negro had
got little scared, for it looked as though
the whale would never get tired out;
and we were going to sea at an amazing
rate. The ship went away as If by
magic, and we had lost sight OF the other
boat. The negro stopped grinning, and
the other men expected, at least, to have
row all night in the dark, unless the
ship should follow us. Finally the line
all at once slackened. The whale hadn't
stopped, and, for all | know, is going
ahead at the rate OF a mile minute
still, but the iron had come out We
rowed back to the ship, and as we came
along the Captain called over the rail:
"Wheres the whale?"