The San Francisco call., 1896-11-13
THIS WHALE WAS A RACER.
She Drew the Boat Under and the Men
Had to Get Out and Swim.

She Drew the Boat Under and the Men
Had to Get Out and Swim.
Will Taylor, son of Captain Thomas s.
Taylor of the whaling schooner Rising
sun OF Princetown, has arrived home.
havin left that craft on Hatteras ground
few days ago with $50 barrels of sperm oil
below hatches, taken since leaving home,
March 80. Mr.. Taylor went on the cruise for
the benefit of his health, which had been
undermined by close application to his
desk III Boston postoflice. He tells of
one exciting incident of the voyage, by
which boats crew narrowly escaped
death. His story is as follows:
July we raised school of whales
bound across our course and going fast TO
windward. The mates boat got away
speedily in chase, and with oars and sail
attempted to overtake the herd. The
captains boat followed, and we, hoping to
cut in ahead of the heard and believing
that a sail would assist, started to get the
mast in its step. before this could be
accomplished we met big COW whale
squareiy head on. and an iron was socked
in on the instant. The whale proved a
lively one and full of fight. and going in
an opposite direction TO our course tore
the whale line from the bow chock and
swept it aft
"But fortunately the line caught and
held under cleat on the bow, or it would
have cleared that side of the boat OF
everything above the rail. The boat was
whirled around. but the tow line teing
out of place maGe the boat tow at an
angle. She began to move furous.v
through the water with two men hurriediy
striving to prize the line into place. They
were unable to accomplish this, and the
boat began TO careen and show symptoms
OF swamping. One man lost his head and
jumped overheard, but was immediat ely
seized by my father and hauled in.
The first tub of line ran out over the
bow at lightning speed while all this was
going on. and with equal rapidity the line
from the other tub began to follow suit.
But suddenly it snarled in the tub. and
nearly the whole bunch came out at once
and buzzed forward, striking with a thud
and catching solidiy somewhere forward.
The whirling mass of line narrowly es-
capped catching our men as 1t passed across
the thwarts, and did catch paddle. which
it whrled forward amid the ruck as if to
com mplicate matters.
"Whlle the captain was rescuing the
man overheard the turns came off the log
gerhead, and but a half dozen coils re-
manned in the tub.
THE captain seized the line to take ne,y
turns, but at that instant the boat went
down head first. The captain was washed
over the stern, and as ne went snatcned at
the long steering oar, but il passed
through his hands and out OF sight under
water.
.I clung to the boat until found she
was going we'll down, then let go, but
went so deep that L swallowed lots of water
before shot upward to the surface.
when / came 10 the top OF the water /
found all the crew swim ming around with
only one oar 20 support the entire num-
Der. My father can't swim stroke, but
he had on jacket which can be inflated
with air, ana he did very we'll by its aid.
I'VE kept up for o while when all at
once the boat came to the surface. The
line had parted and The whale had gone
clear.
1--WE clung to the boat until the mates
boat came TO our assistance and picked us
up. We had been in the water about
fifteen minutes and had had sufficient
whaling for that day. Nothing was seen
Of that whale afterward. Boston Daily
Giohp