Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-19
TOWED In BY A WHALE.
THE STORY rom YANaNrUCn py
MN

Anchored to n Whaie In III. pac,ac Oc.a,
and Assisted by II out OF an uppi.,.
ant Predicam ent-How ,h, Harmon, a.,
Recovered.
flag with perpendicular bars of red and
Wh,'e noa's over the ROOT OF large building
IN tue Town OF Nantucket. The building is
lhe custom house, so called through tradition,
'or no vessel ever enters this port from for
egu lands now, and there can be no cus,oms
10 coiect' II IS conducted bys number OF
superanuated old sea captains who smoke all
aay ana weave tremendous sea yarns for the
benefit OF any city man who may chance
along. One weather beaten OH salt told a
story lately and now the others are rackino
thelr brains Tor something to surprise him.
lie said;
81 left Nantucket on May l5 lsIl, as sec
ond mate OF the snug bark Anna Spowdep.
captain keziah Colin, bound for the Pacific
Ocean. I'm not going TO tell you Of our ,rip
around the Horn, although that was rather
lively and we did lose two men overheard
but will get right down to the bottom f,cts /
what | started to tell. We had already
killed two big whales, and were poking
around about 400 miles north ,i the
Sandwich Islands, when we sighted a big
fellow a-blowng not u mile away. The
first mate and myself put off in two boats,
but had the likeliest crew, and struck the
whale 6rst-struck him hard, too, because he
was spouting blood in five minutes. Jus,
then we saw another whale and the first mate
put out after that one. The bark tried 10
beat up In our direction, bat sounll came
on and we lost sight of her The waves were
so big that we should have been capsized if
we had not kept to the esward Of the whale.
which we had killed before the squaIl struck
us. Its big carcass formed a sort of break
water. Besides that, the oil that oozed from
its wounds, seemed to quiet the waves. We
were afraid some big waves would throw the
whale on top OF rs, but by keeping the oars
going we managed to stay at a safe distaucef
"When the storm passed over no, sign OF
the bark was to be seen. There we were
anchored to a whale out in the middle Of the
Pacific ocean, with not more than two DAYS
ratous OF bread ana water for the seven men
in that little boat. We waited all that night
in hopes of seeing the ship, and at night We
burped some bluhber on the back OF the WI ale,
but no help came. When morning came aud
no sail could be seen, we krew that
there was no hope OF finding our YES
sci again, and there was nothing to
do but to pull away in the direction of the
Sandwich Islands. trusting to reach th.n
before a violent storm should oy,rwhelm ma
We cut our harpoons out of the whale be-
cause we didn't know when we might need
them. There is one OF them in the corner
there now. Guiding the toat with compass
which | always carried with me we pulled
away for the Sandwich Islands We
made forty miles tha, dsv. and tho ,nsn
were terribly tired. We Silent bv watch
es, off and on. and by pullin1 now and
then perhaps gained ten miles dining tho
night. The next day the men were worn
out, and the sun was 80 hot that thev could
not work their oars. Our chances OF reach
ing land seemed very Moor Toward roo, 7
was standing on the bow Of the ho,t Innkinr
around in hopes of seeing a sail vban I saw
a in-bsck whale come 10 the surface mot
more than 200 wards away. |, was no uso
to us now, but the whsleman's instinct wss
too strong within me to be resisted
"'Give way,' | cried. There sbe blous,
81 picked up a harpoon. and as the orou or
the boat almost touched the whale | drove
the point deep into its side. II failed IN resrh
a vital point and away the big ,eIlew went
rhe line ran out 30 fast at first that /, made
the rail smoke, and I raised The batcbet
ready TO cut it, for feared the whale would
draw US under But the strain slackened after
a little until there was only a moderate null
and giving the end twist around a row-lock
I let the whale tow us along.
"This is better nor rowing said one
"'Ies, and he's going in the ripht direc