Towed by a Whale

Takes the Anchor in his mouth and runs away with a schooner.

Cape Ann Advertiser
A letter has been received from teh steward of the schooner H.B. Griffin, Captain George Nelson, now absent on the Banks, in which it is stated that they have met with an unusual experience, vis, that of being towed by a whale. The affair occurred on a fine day which all the dories were out attending the trawls. The captain and steward were on board as usual, looking after the vessel and keeping an eye on the dories, when all at once they felt a sudden jerk, and soon the vessel was going through the water at a rapid rate and no motive power visible. It takes considerable to startle a fisherman, but this was something so uncommon, a vessel dashing through water at a rapid rate with her sails furled and anchor down, that they began to look alarmed. Suddenly the cause made itself manifest, when a monstrous whale arose to the surface, with teh anchor fast either in his jaw or blow-hole. He tore through the water at a high pressure rate, and was fast taking the craft out of sight of the dories thus leaving the crews exposed; and besides this, there was danger of the vessel being towed under. The only remedy was to cut the cable. This was done, and his whaleship went off with the anchor in tow. The jib and foresail were hoisted, and the vessel was soon engaged in picking up her dories and on her way to New foundland, where a new anchor and cable were secured.

There are but two similar cases of which we have any record, which we have found in the files of our paper, vis: Schooner C.H. Price was towed a day and a half by a whale in 1873 when teh fluke of the archer broke and she was released. Then again, on the 16th day of December, 1874, while the Schooner Sultana, Captain Peterson, was at anchor on the Grand Bank, a sudden motion was felt and soon the vessel was speeding through the water at a twelve-knot speed. The captain, not wishing to lose sight of his dorymen, cut the cable after he had been towed some distance, otherwise he thought he might have captured the monster. There was a companion whale which swang with the one who had the anchor, and he was evidently astonished at teh predicament of his mate.

source:The Sunday Herald
location:Syracuse, New York