St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1903-11-18
SUNK BY
A WHALE

IN the space or ten months ana at
distances hundreds Of miles apart we
of the English ship Castle caught sight
of the famous whale known for some
years as Fighting Tom" six different
times. We lowered for him on the first
two occasions and put harpoons into
him, and In return he smashed three
boats and killed five men. After that
we ran away from him. After the
sixth time we saw him no more for a
year. Then he came for his revenge.
We were in the south Atlantic and
had completed our cargo and set a
course for home. About noon one day,
while we were cleaning ship, whale
suddenly preached right astern Of us
and not more than 300 feet away. l
was at the wheel at the time, and we
were going Off at a four knot breeze
from the southeast. heard the whale
as he broke water, and the sight Of him
standing on his tail caused me to shout
an alarm.
Half dozen of the crew saw him as
he fell back on the water, and it seemed
to all Of us as If he were going to strike
the ship. His tail raised three or four
waves which pitched the ship about as
If we were lying to in gale, and,
though the monster settled away out Of
sight at once, we had identified him.
1t may seem queer to you to read that
every man aboard, from captain to ap-
prentice, was badly frightened as soon
as it was known that our old enemy
had hunted us down, as it were. We
had left him almost four months before
at point 1000 miles away, and yet he
had overhauled us, as if he had been a
steamer sent in search and posted as
to our cruising around. His preaching
SO near was taken as evidence Of his
evil intentions, and some argued that
he meant to strike the ship.
1t was sos, I believe, when the
whale disappeared, but for an hour
after that we continued to speak In
whispers and tiptoe about. l am sat
isfed that not one captain in hundred
would have done what ours did that
evening. No living man could charge
him with cowardice or superstition, but
when supper was over he called his
mates and boat steerers into the cabin
and said
"While hope we have seen the last
of the whale, l think it my duty to
prepare for trouble. You will there
fore see the boats overhauled and pro-
visioned and ready for hosting out"
Before 10 o'clock every boat was
ready. The wind had freshened bit
as the sun went down, and the night
was clear and starlight. The watch
was changed at 10, and everything ran
smoothly till an hour after midnight
| Then the odor of whale suddenly
saluted the nostrils Of the men, and
they looked to windward to catch sigh
of great black hulk on the water. II
was Fighting Tom again.
A whale cannot remain under water
above fifty minutes at the extreme
limit, and where this monster had put
in the eight hours we could not guess
If he had run to windward when ht
settled away at s o'clock he had trav
eled such a distance before coming VI
again that we had failed to detect hi
spout. We had sailed at least fort!
miles since losing sight of him, ant
yet he had somehow picked us vi
again. Word was passed around, ant
all hands turned up, and from l to
we were in state Of suspense.
At about 3 the whale began lashin
the water with his fukes. We ha'
done nothing to arouse him, but h
probably thought 1t was time to begi
business. AS soon as he began his "fuR
ing" we prepared ourselves for CO
lamity, and it was not long delayed
When he had churned an acre or S
of the surface to foam he Sieve
around and headed for us, but misca
culated our speed and passed asterl
though clearing the rudder by not nor
than five feet.
AS he rushed away to leewart
swinging his head and thrashing tn
water, we luffed. sharp up until W
were heading due east. Meanwhile
was watching the whale through tn
night glass. I think he ran full mi
before turning. Whether he locate
} us by sight or sound no man can sa,
but as he slowed around I saw that
would come head on for our stern.
AS he started on his mad rush II
ships head was brought due mort
again in hopes to avoid him, but
, changed his course as we'll and can
down on our port quarters. | belle
every man in the ship had his eyes
the furious leviathan as he came bea
ing down upon us. His head was ca
ried so high it seemed as If big roc
was pushing along the surface, and
left behind him a great wake Of foa
and sea which would have swampt
a yawl.
'Hang on! For your lives, hang on
shouted the captain as he. saw VIII
was coming, and fifteen seconds lat
there was a shock as heavy as If v
had struck a rock while running b
fore hurricane.
Nuerv soul aboard knew the sh