The sun., 1893-06-04
SUNK BY A SPERM WHALE.
IN BITTLE WITH THE MONSTER
THE SNIP WIS WORSTED.

L
| Duel with Wounded Whale.
"Therc was one lively scrmmage with whale
that missed in tho q BOD old days OF whaling"
| said tho veteran eN-seaman. and when the
| boys got bncli to New Bedford ard told me
| about 1t. felt ns bad rs IF had lost a near
| relation to think that hadn't been with 'em.
| That crew loft New Bedford In tho stanch
| shin Ann Alexander. but they didn't come back
! In hes. And nobody elsc cvct came back In
| her. for the good reason that she never came
| bnck herself She was one OF the only two ves-
| sells that were over actually known to have
been sunk by whale In the whole history OF
| whaling. although many u one is supposed to
| have met that tate.
The Ann Alexander sailed from New Bed
| ford Just forty three years a!D this very June.
| bound for n cruise in tho South Pacific. Capt
| John Debois commanded her She carried q
| crew o. twenty.thrcs officers and mon, She
| cruised for over n year. and had taken good
cargo OF oil. whoa. about the middle OF
August. 1851 she camc up the Chilli const to
try her luck OH tho OF shore whaling ground.
n famous place for sperm whales. There she
came in sight OF humorous whales early ono
morning. hut they wore shy. and 1t was nlong
toward the middle Of the ,lav he'nre her boats
crews mndo fas' to ono. There were two bOats
u'ter him. one in charge of Capt Bcbois and
one commanded by First Mate Joe Green.
Tho whale was harpooncd from tho mates
boat. 1Io gave them hard run for
nm hour. and then got angry no turned
suddenly and rushed straight iurtho 10 II. and
he ushod so fast thai there was no getting
out OF his way. He came ut them with his
jaws wide onen. and tina orcninG OF railroad
tunnel isn't much wider than n sperm whales
mouth when 1t is opcn. ltwas plain TO tho
mon in the boat that the old fellow intended to
mako n lot o! Jouahs out of them II they
In. in ihN l.n,t ko. ii,,b blnl ova rd
every man o. them. ~, SECOND to, soon.
either for the last man was hardly in
the water before tho boat was in tho
whales jaw and was crushed to splintcrs-
Then he steamed slowly AWAY. ns IL he was
sab saS1 with his T"FS TnS tSa Gaaa ho, s"s- s.
urnyIo ~ ,nlr,,v ,hn whale which cr,i,sd
un"ole 10 'o,'oW ,h' ",nie, "h'rh ero'sea
"Ihc shin lay six miles from tho sccne OF
,,,, ,;,i,, ,.aa. an, ,Hn ,,",,, -, .,,a
whale was seen hyathosc left on the vessel
Another boat was Immediately lowered and
sent to the RELIEF OF the CAPTAIN When 1t
arrived the crews wero divided again. and pur-
'.,,., .I .,,t, .h ~ ;, -,
stp","'o" anu l. "''f"'tynta ine pioM'hE n,1h- ,n
mates bon, WAS nean tho first to gct near
him, nn,, if WA. rnin tonll in the bont That the
fierce and wary whale was watching the whole
nrorcnl,ng When tho hoat cot within twenty
yarn @ MIN hG rsTI 'om1rl 1t ,faety as
could TO no withstnndinE or avoiding the
r"mSn"us rIH nt ,mS ne ve ths tnS MS.Ia ha
shhit before they once more took to tho sea to
save, save Themselves Ihe harpooner threw S =
thnn's Tesh. Eut tho great cientnre never
siarkcned hs sre"l or turned MS much as an
second 'i, nt was ostjnr I'M about in raHEed bits.
hs pT"s +" soEl Il sway .na 1EnP ss% and
i, " lscD,!tng % from rom View. The Captain rescued
me men SSs9na ,s m HpI ma t sh ms ho ordr5sd dr5sl
had scarcely teen given when tile whale hove
-? lie Su Knew " tlamea WELL said Joe Green.
Wine q, MS ''I Int mH have nm end OF it, mo
coud r%s La boat uu poH so a % avoid tSs
whales rush they Knew it was ali UP with
some OF them, anyhow, before aid could rench
thsm from t'tI the sHip. Under the expert drec-
tion Of the Captain they did outmanTuvre the
and after ,hrn to the
with two Iarpoons in him.
80: - tut i was good ior US said Joe Green.
he had kent US SO hard at work that we were
about used UP. and he'd a swamped US. sure
The Cartain and the crow reached the ship
a mai ana disappointed LOT. The whale was
whnIer am nnnng them had ever seen. and he
must have been - tremendous fellow. or no
couldn' t have done what he did before he got
through with them. The Captain swore hs
wouldn't give the monster up. lie would chase
him with tho vessel.
':Andl let's see him smash her. the varmintP
And that is Just what the Captain saw, to
his everlasting sorrow. He ordered all sail
set and gave cha SO to the great sea monster.
who Although now ten miles away could be
seen like 2 Zig rock in the ocean. 4 was late
in the afternoon before they overlook him. him.
going nvee knots ua hour. 2 lance Tas s
h.,d Tie While was lying Still when
the lance struck him. The ship passed
on The whale thrashed the water for a
minute like n tempest Then he settled down
and pursued tho shin Mt a rate that was rapidly
closing the Distance between them. The ship
was hauled Ly the wind aud tho whale passed
by il nt n trcmendous speed He ran on for
ift y yards. turned head toward the ship and
lay still The vessel held OFT to watch the
Inons er ami attack him when the best chance