Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-28
ROARED LIKE A LION.
A COASTER CAPTAINS STORY OF 4
REMARKABLE WHALE.
lt Didn't 'sBlov," but Its Roar Was Some
thing Awfnl-It Was Eighty Feet In
Length and Had Queer Looking Head.
Tried to Swamp the Schooner.

SoAnB AWAoA-As - 6A&nty ECcS IN
Length and Had Queer Looking Head.
Tried to Swamp the Schooner.
of South Portland, 1--WE didn't encoun-
ter the sea serpent, but we had strange
experience with a whale, and / don't
believe anybody ever had the like be-
fore. I've been at sea, man and boy,
since I was 9 years old, and never saw
the like Of the whale we encountered.
never saw whale before that didn't
blow, but the one we met didn't, but it
gave roar that was awful"
1T sounded like the lions in Central
park, New York." said Miss Houston,
who was one Of the party that had the
strange encounter.
1t 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 off
Wood island and making good Roadway
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 o
level with the deck.
One Of the crew first sighted the
strange creature and called Captain
Crossman, and in a moment all on
board hut 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, if
such, would elbow, - but it did not then
or after. Once narrow thread Of what
looked like steam shot up, but not o
drop OF water was sent into the air. As
they looked at the creature it reared
savagely, and then drew close mp to the
| side of the schooner, giving them ample
time to observe the head, and all agree
that it was very broad; that it tapered
almost to point, and that it was not
very thick through the thickest part.
The creature was about IS to so feet in
| 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 in sight, and they
had no difficulty in noting the points of
| difference between them and the stran-
| ger.
The great creature went down head
first and then made series of attempts
to strike the side Of the schooner with
its tail. 1t did not succeed and swan
around them, roaring loudly, in evident
anger. Then it went down and under
the schooner.
Captain Crossman, who had watched
for this movement. gave orders to be
ready to lower the boat, fearing that the
whale might come up under them and
break them in two. 1t was very fOrtu-
nate that they were not forced to lower
their boat. as it proved later to be leak
ing and would not have carried half
their number safely to land.
For more than an hour the whale con-
tinued its remarkable acrobatic perform
ance, standing. on its head, with its
tail waving in the air most of the time.
1t seemed bent ON hitting the schooner,
and it took the best of good seamanship
| 10 prevent an encounter.
| At last the whale seemed to get tired
of what had been fun at first, and it
headed for the westward
Captain Crossman is of the opinion
that this strange whale must have been
mistaken for a sea serpent many times.
Seen but a short distance off, the head
would look more like that of a great
serpent than of whale.
The creature, while making its long
and repeated attempts to hit the schoon-
er, continued its roaring when above
water. 1t would scrape against the side
Of the schooner and then would draw
off, seem to be calculating the distance,
and then strike. The schooner was kept
of at the right moment, and the crea-
ture missed the vessel every time. 1t
was an odd experience, and for q time
there was something closely resembling
panic, the women being badly fright
ened.
Miss Houston said that the sight of
that great mass standing almost upright
in midocean was something not to be
forgotten. Captain Crossman is uncer.
tain whether the whale is q natural
fighter or whether it was, frightened
when it came up ont Of the water, and
as result of its confusion made the re-
peated attempts to sink the schooner
One Of the crew hit it with bolt, and
many times Captain Crossman said he
could have hit it with board from the
deck. He did not venture to do anything
to further arouse its anger and let it 90
in peace. (Me. Press.
A Story About John wanamaker.
/ ran across my old friend Jim Bid
die Of the Biddles Of Philadelphia yes
terday. and we fell a-talkiDg about John
Wanamaker. Said Jim: "a good many