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

blo-o-w-sr'
For three weeks we had been eagerly
waiting to hear that cry, for we were
cruising for whales in the seemingly
boundless expanse Of the Pacific Ocean
and up 10 this time had not seen single
spout. You may imagine that we were
almost tired of waiting for our first whale
"Ayi ayl where away?" shouted the
mate, fairly leaping from the deck as he
hailed the lookout who had uttered the
cry; and. Where away" shouted the
captain, too, as he rushed out of the
cabin
Two points for ard larbo'rd beam, sir!
Sperm whale, heading to wind'ard, bout
three miles OFF,
cay! az! keep your eye on himl Don't
let hi,u get away Call all hands, Mr..
Pease! Put that helm hard starboard!
Stand by to brace roundthe yards" were
the raDid orders that the captain shouted
out. And then again to the lookout,
let us know - hen We he d for himm
lay, av, sirl" came down from the
lookout; and the next moment
STEADY. Now we have him, right
ahead sir, There blO-O-ws! There
blo-o-o-wsl Moyin' rather lively, sir"
''Steadv as YOU head now~ shouted
The captain 70 the man at the wheel.
Get the boats ready, Mr.. PeaseW and
in the same breath he started up the rig
ging with his glass to get look at the
whale
The Phoenix was by this time moving
towards the whale at the rate OF about
five knots an hour, ard preparations were
speedily made for lowering the boats
But tie whale having sounded, it was
half An hour before We again heard the
welcome cry from the lookout at the
mast head, There blows"
Long old dog" we heard the
captain muiterlng from MS perch on the
fore-ysrl It was evident that his pa
tience, as we'll rs ours, had touched its
lowest ehb, when we again heard the in
spring cry. y hich was .JllOwed Bly,
There he l., sir! four points off the
lee-bow."
"Ayi sy! we'll be right in his suds the
next time he rises" exclaimed the cap
tain. Think we've run about far
enough, Mr.. Pease?"
81 think so, sirr'
''HauI up the inainsal then, and lay
the 1nain-yards back Ease down that
helml Steady now, Let that iib sheet
flow out a little. Now hoist and swingi
Are you ready2'
'Ay, ay, sir"
Tower away then"
All! three boats, the captains and the
s first and second mates, splashed on the
water at the same moment. "Out oars,
boys" was the next order, and we shot
forward in a spirited and friendly race
for the monster III the distance.
My shipmate, 'Rier Garvin, and my
self were in the same boat, the f1rst
mates. We were from the same old
fishing village in Massachusetts. and
had been lads at school together; to-
gether, too we had come ont on this our
urst voyage. But whlle IN size and weight
] was a little chap" Rier was tall,
T bOnv. light-haired young fellow, lathy
and left-handed, but muscular, and one
Of the strongest and most tireless swim
mers / have eyer known. At this time
he was not far from twenty years old
my senior by Just year and a month.
ltier was a strong Oarsman, and he
had, when a squirt was needed, knack
Of half-rising from the thWart. placing
the palm Of his right hand at the end Of
mis- oar-shaft, and thus throwing his
whole weight into his stroke. In hard
tussle he more than made up form own
lighter strokes.
As bows we had both practised gre 10
deal at throwing. the harpoOn-mostlY !
posts or hay-coeks, -lor going on whai-
ing cruise had always been petscheme
with u.s.
There are certain games and feats to
which every boys mind naturally IN
clines. This Of throwing the harpoOn
was one at which 'Rier excelled.
In fact, it was quite sight to see 'Rier
poise his long body for a cast of the
harpoon. He conld throw to a remark
able distance. A standard harpoOu,
with its connecting line, is no playihlng;
but 'Rier-with plenty of room to swing
was good for pretty sure rising cast
Or eighty, or even hundred feet.
As the captain had predicted, we
we're right in tine whales ''suds," the
next time he rose. Tie old chap broke
water scarcely two boat-lengths from
the second mates boat. But we, though
fully abreast, We're outside of that boat,
and to MIR Parsons boat-steerer be-
Ionged the first east.
'Rier was one of our harpOoners, or
boat-stecrers, and he was that day to
make his first cast at a real whale. He
rose up balancing the iron pole in his
left hand mo use" said the mate.
''They have the first lick at him
CAV. do thew" yelled 'Rier. Then
saw him bend to 1t and that long left
arm come hack.
II was quite in defiance Of orders and
custom; but the next instant his har-
poon described a mighty curve in the
air ten feet over the inside boat, and
etruck with dull sound clean to the
.'hitch" in the as yet uLdisturbed whale.
''Avast there! What are We about
shouted the second mate; and the next
instant, stuug 10 the quick, the biz lev
THAN fluxes in the air and down he
went
"Pul' boys! screamed their boat-steer-
er. '.Wc'n be c9uLlt in tue blight of
their line" and they had barely time 10
shoot clear when our line became taut
and began to whiz around the logger
head
1t is amazing to what depth whales
will often GO when harpOoned. A diver
even in armor, cannot bear the tremen-
dous pressure at a greater depth than d
hundred AMI sixty feet. But whale
will sauul to the depth of more than
half mile straight down.
Instances are related by old whale
men of whales running out SIX thousand
feet of line al "a single downward plunge
II seems as if the pressure at such an
enormous depth must crush the great
spongy creature like dough beneath the
bakers roller; aud why it does not,
have never heard satisfactorily eX-
planned
But this. our first whale Of the PhRn-
IL did not descend 10 very great dis
lance before the line suddenly sdckened
Hes rising, boys" muItered the
mate. and he laid hold of the lance
Back water Stand 10y there, to give
him another iTon,'
Right ahead of the boats bows great
black shadow presently rose up with Il
heavy swash. and the next moment we
we're deiuged with spray and water. Al
three of the boats were at close hauls
and three harpoons flew out on the in
slant.
Forward .Huick!' shouted Mr.. Pease
MS he stood III the bows, lance in hand
our boat was almost touching the
monsters black side, when suddenly be
seemed filed with fury, and thTustina
his great case half out of the water
with a single upward "clack" OF I'm
tonc Jaws. he cruhched our boat midway
its length
Even we in the stern had barely time
10 leap out into the water, where a mo
mept later found myself whirled anC
smoked down into the vortex caused by
fine whale. who had again gone dowl
beneath us.
Halt stranded, I at last ctme up, tan
oled i'm our line. and before | could fair
IN see. was hauled into the captains
boat, which had cut from the whale an,
come 10 pick Us up.