Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-12-27
ROARED LIKE A LION.
A COASTER CAPTAINS STORY OF a
REMARKABLE WHALE.


Length and Had Queer Looking Head.
Tried to Swamp the Schooner.
"No," said Captain ]. A. Crossman
of South Portland, 1--WE didn't encoun-
ter the sea serpent, but we had strange
experience with whale, and l don't
believe anybody ever had the like be-
fore. I've been at sea, man and boy,
since 1 was 8 years old, and l never saw
the like Of the whale we encountered. l
never saw whale before that didn't
blow, but the one we met didn't, but 1t
gave q roar that was awful.
ut sounded like the lions in Central
park, New York." said Miss Houston,
who was one Of the party that had the
strange encounter
at certainly was more like the roar
of lion than anything else can think
of, said Captain Crossman.
The schooner Grace Webster, Captain
Crossman, was on her way from New
York to Portland with Ala tons Of coal.
Besides the captain and crew Mrs. Cross
man, her daughter and Miss Houston
were on board.
The schooner was about ten miles of
Wood island and making good headway
under full sail, the mate, Merrill Cross
man. at the wheel, when there was a
sudden commotion ahead, and the great
head shot up into the air and was on
level with the deck.
One of the crew first sighted the
strange creature and called Captain
Crossman, and in a moment all Oh
board but the man at the wheel were
looking at the strange sight. They saw
before them an enormous head, one
mass of great punches, through which
the wicked looking eyes Of the creature
cleaned. They expected the whale, Il
such, would blow" but it did not ther
or after. Once a narrow thread Of What
lool / like steam shot up, but not
drop of water was sent into the air. AS
they looked at the creature it roareC
savagely, and then drew close up to the
side Of the schooner, giving them ample
time to observe the head, and all agree
that it was very broad; that it tapere(
almost to a point, and that it was no
very thick through the thickest part.
The creature was about 70 to so feet II
length and had a very broad tail, very
different from that Of an ordinary
whale. In fact, at the time there Were
three or four whales i'll sight, and they
had no difficulty i'll noting the points O.
difference between them and the stran
ger.
The great creature went down heaC
first and then made series Of attempt
to strike the side of the schooner will
its tail. 1t did not succeed and swan
around them, roaring loudly, in eviden
anger. Then it went down and unde
the schooner.
Captain Crossman, who had watched
for this movement. gave orders to b.
ready to lower the boat, fearing that tn
whale might come up under them ant
break them in two. 1t was very fortu
nate that they were not forced to lowe
their boat, as 1t proved later to be leak
ing and would not have carried hal
their number safely to land.
For more than an hour the whale con
tinued its remarkable acrobatic perform
ance, standing on its head, with it
tail waving in the air most Of the time
1t seemed bent on hitting the schooner
and it took the best Of good seamanshil
to prevent an encounter.
At last the whale seemed to get tire'
of what had been fun at first, and /
headed for the westward.
Captain Crossman is Of the opinion
that this strange whale must have beef
mistaken for a sea serpent many times
Seen but a short distance off, the hea'
would look moro like that Of a grea
serpent than Of whale.
The creature, while making its lonl
and repeated attempts to hit the schoon
er, continued its roaring when abov
water. 1t would scrape against the sid
Of the schooner and then would draw
off, seem to be calculating the distance
and then strike. The schooner was KEEP
off at the right moment, and the crea
ture missed the vessel every time. l
was an odd experience, and for tim
there was something closely resembling
a panic, the women being badly fright
encd.
Miss Houston said that the sight 0
that great mass standing almost uprigh
in midocean was something not to b
forgotten. Captain Crossman is uncer
tain whether the whale is natura
fighter or whether it was frightened
when it came up ont Of the water, ant
as a result of its confusion made the re
peated attempts to sink the schooner
One of the crew hit it with bolt, ant
many times Captain Crossman said h'
could have hit it with board from The
deck. He did not venture to do anything
to further arouse its anger and let it g
in peace. Portland (Me. } Press.