River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-07-19

Immediately the whale rose a fourth
time, and was lanced repeatedly from
both boats. He sounded once more, but
only a short distance, and upon rising
he at once went in his death furry
when from his mouth were elected great
masses of matter, the remains of squids,
octopi and other large marine creatures
upon which the sperm whale feeds.
1t was astonishing to see the velocity
with which the great creature
nade the descent. The fric-
ton of the rope attached to the har-
pooh was such that, unless kept con-
stantly wet, it would char the gunwale
Of the boat, while man stood ready to
cut the line in ctse it should foul or
kink, which would possibly be fatal to
boat and crew-and, PERHAPS, lose the
whale beside.
In the excitement attending the kill
ing Of the whale, Rier WIS for the mo-
iucnt forgotten. But we now pulled
alongside the second mates boat, and
Capt. Cox, jumping into it, felt Of the
body, and opening the soaked, torn
jacket, placed his hand over the heart.
Then he turned to Mr.. Pease.
"Bear a hand here" he SAID; 81 think
can feel flutter Of life in him"
All the way back to the ship, as we
towed the whales carcass, they were
rolling 'Rler's body on the thwaTt and
trying to get the water out of him.
There seemed little chance for hope,
but as they were hosting him aboard,
he suddenly gasped.
The doctor then took him in charge,
and with warm blankets, much chatting
and plenty of hot gin, they at last
brought the poor fellow back TO life and
d. - 4. F..
night before he was out of the sick bay,
and on his legs again.
From what he could tell us and what
VIC bad seen, it was pretty certain that
when the whale crushed the boat, it had
caught Rler IN its mouti., together with
that great fragment of the boats bottom
which had probably kept the monster 8
Jaws little apart and so saped him from
being quite crushed.
He said that hc felt himself seized and
held as if in wise, and that he really
thought the whale had swallowed him
The water surged and eurglcd over
him and he held his breath But in q
nom ent or two all grew dark and he
felt terrible pressure, as of tons
weight, on his lungs, his heart and his
brain.
Then he tried to struggle free; but he
could neither STIR nor breathe. his
breath seemed forced out of his body
His head seemed about to burst; and re-
ports like those of muskets rung in his
ears. This was the last he could recol-
lect, and he knew nothing more till he
was restored to consciousness aboard the
ship.
One of his legs vas badly bruised, as
if q behaving pin had been iammed into
it, clean to the bone. This was no doubt
occasioned by one of the whales teeth;
for these sperm-whales have large,
round teeth of the finest ivory.
Probably no man, either before or
since. has ever descended to such q
depth in the ocean as did our amateur
harpOoner; and his case must stand out
as a unique example of how far a human
being may go down into saIt water and
survive the awful pressure.
From the way the line was cOiled, it
was not possible to determine precisely
how deep the whale went; but it could
not have been much less than six hum
bred feet, and may have been nearly or
quite thousand.
'Rier was nicknamed 1.-THE man the
whale swallowed" and was so known
during all the rest of that voyage, and
the mate, who was always laughing at
what he called "murcles," said he ''be-
lieved in joiner" after that.-Youth's
Companion.