Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1897-06-19
MARTINSBURG. w. va. SATURDAY. JUNE 80 1897

Other Size.
Yes, sir, under the ship slick as o
whistle. an tic Dutchmam IN her That
whale was scientist, sir. He calki-
lated right to lose the boat. but, bless
you, it's bigger job than any one
wanted to tackle to stave that craft. an
as for hoatin, she was boxed at each
end an couldn't sink. But that amt the
end Of the story. We remembered the
fellers that jumped, an we seen the big
boat would pick EN- up before we could
put another over, so we turned to look
at Frank again. There warn't anything
left in the boat to bail with, an he
couldn't do nothin but wait ON the
pleasure of that whale. He travelled
away from the ship as fast as he come
at it, All he must a. gone third OF a
mile before the boat Stacked. Then we
seen her slow down an come to q dead
stop. Line bu sted, says Man a
boat an fetch in the Dutchman. I
hadn't no more'n spoke the words when
big wave seemed to rise up near the
boat an old whale blowed 30 feet high.
Then he got old Liz in range. Up his
tail goes. an he under water again.
could see Frank wade forrard in the
boat an try 10 pay out line, but it was
jammed, an before he could make 1t
loose the boat give jerk round, almost
a. THROWN him out, an come at as again.
What I'm sayin is truth, doc That
boat struck another bee line for us.
suppose, more properly speakin, tho
whale did. GOSH How she did come
kitini Frank quit foolin with the line
an just hung on.t reokoned the boat
was inoyin EASTERN ever, only she didn't
throw so much water, cause she set
down almost to her rowlocks We stood
specifies while she was drivin for us.
When she got within 100 yards the
mate took big breath an let fly.
stsJump, you ----- Dutch lubbers or
you re dead man.
But he didn't jump an ! see him
gittin ready for another dive under old
Liz.
II grabbed up bucket, climbed on
the rail an when the boat came near
enough / lie. drive at Frank, hopin to
knock him overheard IL hit him. He
seen it comm, lodged an just as the
boat went tail up again yelled:
al can't swiml'
"Down went the boat like soundin
lead, an this time we all slid over to
starboard to see her come up Seven or
eight seconds passed, maybe, an then
about 3 fathoms off our beam up come
the boat, bottom up. oh, Lord.
prc.Gpd the cook, he's goneri' But
he warn't. No, sir. The boat hadn t
Travelled 30 yard afore she righted, an
we seen Franks head bob up over the
gunnel. Well, old whale didn't run SO
far this time, for he broke water few
hundred fathoms eff In about minute
be sent up stream of blood. | seen
that the barpoon was a good throw an
he wasn't goin to fight long.
II sent the second boat out after him,
but they didn't git far fore down goes
the whale for the third time, an in a
second the little boat slowed again, an
we knew he was comm at us. There
warn't no way to stop the whale, SO we
Just waited again. while the little boat
made tracks for us like she was goin to
ram. just when reekoned by the line
out that the whale was passin under us
there was tremendous bang, an every
mothers son was throwed fiat. Old Liz
rolled to starboard an then back to port
an lay roclxin while we got up. Reckon
you guess what happened, doc. That
whale miscalkilated He laid his course
fine as silk, but his elevation was off q
couple of points. He didn't fetch deep
enough All hit old Liz welt tha'd like
TO rip the keel off her. That settled the
business too. We looked over the rail
an seen some bloody water, then flip
per, an soon big, black body floated up
alongside. There was our whale, sir,
dead as hunk of salt pork, with the
top Of his head half torn off. He was a
blue whale, doc, an he measured close
to 60 feet What become of the Dutch
man? Why. the boat slowed down when
the whale rammed us an the other boat
took him off. Hurt? No. He went to
work cuttin up that whale along with
the rest of 'em. l did hear afterward
that be was grumblin cause twas his
bucket / throwed at him an 1t warn't
picked up. Right lively whale, warn't
il, doc?"
Right lively" repeated the doctor
abgently. Minneapolis Times.