The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-03-08
A Vessel sunk by q Whale.

The ship Essex, Capt. George Pollard,
Jr, sailed from Nantucket for the Pacific
| Ocean. In November, 1910, the mates
boat struck whale, was damaged and
! Obliged to return to the ship. The captain g
and second mates boats had fastened to
another whale. The mate had repaired
his boat and was about lowering it again
when he observed sperm whale about
twenty rods from the ship. The whalc at
once made Tor the ship going about three
miles al hour, the Essex sailing about the
| same rate.
Scarcely had the mate given the order to
the boy at the helm to put it hardup, when
the whale, with greatly accelerated spccd,
struck the ship with his head just forward
OF the fore chains. 'rhe Ship" says the
mate, Dir. Owen Chase, from whose &C
count this is condensed, drought up us
suddenly and violently us if she had struck
! rock, and tremblcd for few seconds like
a leaf" The whale passed under the ves-
sci, scraping her keel as lie went, came up
ON the lceward side of her, and lay on the
surface OF the water apparently stunned,
lor alout moment. lie then started off
to lecward. Mr. Chase Immediately had
the pumps rugged and set gong. ''At this
time the vessel was beginning to settle by
inc mead, and the whale, about 100 yards
on was lhrashng the water violently with
lis tail, and opening and Closing his jaws
win great fury" Signals were made for
the captain and second mate to return, the
boats were being cleared away for launch
ing when the mate was startled by the cry
of man on the tgallant forccastie, "lIcre
he is-hc Is making for us again" The
mate turned, saw The whale about 100 rods
directly ahead coming down, apparently,
with twice as much speed rs before, and at
that moment it appeared with tcn-fod fury
and vengeance in his aspect.
line OF foam about Il rod in width.
made with his tail, which he continually
thrashed from side to side, marked his on
coming MIR. Chase hoped by putting the
helm hard up, the vessel might cross the
line OF the whales approach, and the sec,
ond shock be avoided, and instantly gave
ORDERS TO that elect, but scarcely had The
course OF The ship, already somcw. at wat
erlogScd, probably, been changed single
polnl, when the head of the whale crashed
INTO her bows, staving them completely III
directly under the Cut head.
lhc captain and second mate returned to
lind tho ship on her beam ends. Boats
were lowered nndpiovisiOncd, and not more
Than ten minutes had elapsed since the
whale first attacked the ship, before she
lay full OF water, her decks scarcely above
the surface of the waves and her crew
abroad on the ocean. The voyage in the
boats was long tcdiously sad one The
second mate and seven of the crew dicd.
On the night of the 18th Of January the
boats became separated. One and then al
other OF the mates crew became cnfccblcd
and died. The body of the second unfor
tunate was dismcmbcrcd, the flesh cut from
raving comrades. When the darkness of
despair had settled upon their cloUdcd, tot
tcring minds, the welcome cry of ''Sail |
no j. was given. and tho poor wrecks of |
humanity still surviving in the mates boat, |
were picked up on the 18th Of February, |
by the English brig Indian, Capt. William
Crozicr, anu treated with brothcrly ten
dcrness and humanity.
The captains and second mates boat |
kept together until the night of January
~, 1920. During the interval between
tho separation from the mate and this time |
four men had died out of the two boats, |
and their bodies furnished their comrades
with their only food. The captains crew
became nt last reduced to the alternative of |
drawing lots to See which should be killed
to furnish sustcnancc to the survivors. On
lAc Iou VI FcpluuIy, tiICc lHOntuS llOln
the timo when they left their shattered
ship, Capt. Pollard and Charles Ramsdale, |
the sole survivors of the boats crew, we've
picked up by the ship Dauphin, of Nan
tlcket, Captain Zimri Collin. The third
boat was never heard from. The three |
men left on Duccs Island were aftcrward |
rescued. The number surviving in the |
mates boat was three.
Can't pollurI pnuar to a linda to 4 N |
terrible privations and suHcrings undergone
on this occasion, and would always avoid |
rcfcrcnc &C to it If possible. Ills next voy-
age was as captain of the ship Two Broth
crs, VIII ich was lost On n coral reef IN the
Pacific while under his command. For
many years Capt. Pollard was on the night
police in NonluLke,. having abandoned the
sea.