Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-07-25
AN OCEAN TRAGEDY.
A MATES AWFUL ADVENTURE
ON THE NORTH PACIFIC.
Between Two Desperate Mutineers
and Ravenous Shark-Saved BY
His Murdered Captain.


route from Portland, Ore, to the At
lantic coast, and the story as heard from
his own lips is as follows:
81 was wrecked on the coast of Brit
ish Columbia during the terrible gale
which recently swept from one END 70
the other of the Pacific coast, and am
now on my way to report to the owners
of the ship and cargo. She was whaler
named the Blanche Buckingham, and
hailed from the Pelican Inlet, on the
coast of Maine. We sailed from port
nearly three years ago with crew OF
eleven, besides the Captain and two
mates. l was the first mate. The Cap
tain was an old whaler named Capt.
Leroy Aubrey, and he has been the
friend of my lifetime. After striking the
whaling g ounds we had excellent luck,
and were slowing away considerable oil.
Everything ON board was peaceable,
with the exception of two men, who had
hard feeling for the captain, and con-
Quoted themselves in such manner as
to cause them to be thrown into irons
upon two occasions. Upon the last oc-
casion they seemed to have repented and
promised better behavior, and every one
buDDOhGu I'LL ldu DCtn cCANA1Ns
''Some two months ago we were off
the coast of British Columbia, some GOO
miles from land, and one day when |
was out with nine of the crew in two
yawls, one Of my crew noticed signal
being worked from the mainmast
rigging. 1t was evidently one of dis
tress, and at once hastened toward the
ship. 1t was a little after midday. My
mind was filled with forebodings, for
the Captain and the second mate had
remained on board with the two men l
have spoken of and the cook. As we
neared the ship the man in the rigging
proved to be the second mate, who
warned us not to come alongside, and
said the two men had killed the Cap
tain, and that he had only saved his own
life by springing into the rigging armed
with harpoon, which prevented the
murderers from following him. The
cook was threatened, but begged for his
life, and had been secured in the cabin.
Ny first thought was to board the ship,
but the mate told me the men were
crouched ON deck, armed with harpoons,
SO | withdrew.
waiting until after dark, rowed TO
within q short distance OF the ship, and
removing all my clothing, l armed my
self with a meat knife, slipped into the
water, and struck out for the ship. All
the firearms on board were locked in
strong iron-bound box, the only key of
which had in my possession. / intend
ed swimming 10 her, climb upon the
rudder, secure the pistols, and either
oa,,4,.ra or Ii IN fha n,,1r1afiafS
az had succeeded in swimming about
100 yards from the yawl, when my heart
was almost paralyzed with horror as
became aware of the presence OF a shark.
/ could hear him rushing toward me,
his dorsal fin c'eaving the water like a
streak. The horror Of a terrible death
crept over me, and in an instant |
seemed 10 live an age of suspense.
Quickly drawing my knife, and as felt
the swell on the water which preceded
the mons er. / gathered myself for
desperate attempt to dive, which was
done, and the huge form
shot over me like a flash far out into the
depths beyond. The ship was only
few yards distant, and | realized it was
a fight for life. | was desperately
wedged between two foes, which / knew
to be equally dangerous
eIf cried to the mutinous seamen
aboard, they might refuse me assistance,
and if not, would perhaps save me only
to be butchered. To escape the shark
was next to an impossibility, which |
recognized as / heard the baiiied mon
ster making the water boil as he turned
to renew the attack. ] realized it would
be but an instant before the man eater
would be upon me again, and l fairly
threw my body ont of the wafer In max
ing such strenuous efforts 10 gain the
ships rudder. l could again hear that
sound like the cold cutting Of
knife through the water. | felt the
swell of the monster behind me, and
every fibre in my body was struggling
to escape. My breath was suspended,
and my eyes seemed sprlnging from
their sockets trying TO measure the dis
lance to the place of safety. All at
once the near approach Of the fish
filed me with the horror of failure, and
turned to meet it with the knife which
/ carried in my teeth, when heavy
body shot over me into the sea, ana L
was nearly drawn into the vortex. |
heard the steel-hke jaws of the monster
close upon and crush the unknown OBJ
iect as / gasped the rudder, and, almost
sense,es yielded torelaxation. Idon't
know how long 1 lay there, and never
an infant, pillowed against its mothers
bosom. rested more sweetly than l. 1t
was a moment of peace with all the
world, and my entire being seemed
going out in prayer of thanksgiving
for my miraculous escape.
Hearing the sound of voices above
me, recognized the speakers as being
the two seamen. The old brute viii
never put us in irons again, heard one
of them say. and knew that the MUIR
dered Captain had saved my life; that
they had thrown his body into the Jaws
of the hungry shark. and the friend Of
my life time, while cold in death, was
nv savior.
Aroused to action. climbed up the
rudder post and finally reached the open
ing. through which crept INTO the
pantry. ! crept into the apartment
A. chest vsac E1r,t