Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
FATHOMs DEEP.


copyright, 1901 by 7 c. Mcclure
One day as we Of the American brig
Sally were cutting in Il whale TO the
north Of ST. Helena the English bark
Empress came up from the south, and
the two craft remained in Company
| for three or four hours. The Empress
! had been ont OF port forty days with
out a capture. ana crew and captain
were Disguised. More than that, she
had been through severe gale and
had three men hurt and had lost sails
and topmasts. Captain TravcrS was a
| fine seaman and an old whaler, but the
Empress had not even yet lowered for
| a whale.
Two weeks later, just after we had
got in another whale and scrubbed our
decks and while we were under easy
sail 10 the south of the island, we low
cred for a school of whales and got
| two.
! We were making our captives fast
to the ship when the Empress came
down on Us from the east. She was
now 1ifty-four days out, and i'll luck
still pursued her.
AS l was third mate of the Sally, 1
had opportunity TO discover the state
| of feeling aboard the bark. Her crew
was on the verge of mutiny, and Cap
tain Travcrs had become alarmed for
the safety of his ship.
He had been aboard us for Il couple
| of hours talking things over when a
monster whale broke water within a
half mile Of the two craft. We put
the man aboard of his ship as soon as
possible, but long enough before he
reached her his mates had lowered
and We're away.
There were those aboard the Empress
who said that it was the same whale
which had been met with before and
had escaped them. At any rate, he
had Il harpoon sticking in him and
was badly tangled up in line. He
was rolling on the surface when both
boats came up and made fast ut the
same moment. For twenty seconds
after being struck the monster did not
move fin. Then he started off with
rush and made 4 complete circle
around both ships. leaving such wake
behind him that there We're times when
we lost sight of the boats in the foam.
Having completed the circiestlGe levia-
than slowed about until lie was head
on 10 the first mates boat. He lay
for moment. swinging his lower jaw
10 right and left in vicious way,
and then made rush. The boat at
tempted 10 shoot ahead and avoid him.
hf IaAt. l7s.pi
swing Of that terrible jaw and left
only fragments behind as he headed
between the two ships and went off
to the south. The second mates boat
was obliged 10 cut loose to pick I'D
the other crew. but three men. one of
whom was tie chief mate. had lost
their lives
When the extent of the calamity be
came known aboard the Empress open
mutiny resulted. The men demanded
that she head away for Bristol. and
two hours later she was homeward
bound. Never did a more disSruntled
crew reach port. The owners at once
removed Captain Travers from COM
mand and gave him 4 bad name. and
the crew had TO dodge TO escape arrest
for their mutiny. The bark laid I'D
for three months until the affair had
passed out of public mind, and she.was
then prepared for another cruise. She
had lost prestige, but there was no lack
Of applicants when she was ready for
sea. The new commander was named
Thorndyke, and on leaving port lie told
the owners that he would return with
q full ship or not at all.
We in the Sally were cruising east
and west, taking 2 YhSlo QccSSioassIx. J