WHALING MEMORIES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22094, 27 April 1935, Page 1 (Supplement)

WHALING MEMORIES

TRAGEDY AND COMEDY

BY LONEHANDF.R

During a recent chat with an old Bay of Islander I was shown an envelope on which appeared the picture of a whale-ship with her headyards aback. It was just an ordinary print of a whaler, in her working rig, on the open sea, and probably few would have given a second glance, but experience sensed a link in the long chain of events that made the Charles W. Morgan the most famous of all old-time whaling ships. Built in 1841 and still apparently sound, the old-timer is kept as a showpiece at Dartmouth, United States of America, and a late picture shows her as a full-rigged ship with fore and main royals set. On the envelope the Morgan appears as a barque with nothing on the foremast above the upper-topsail. I have a copy of the old ship's register and also a sketch of her life-story, into which this latest bit fits perfectly. About thirty years ago the Charles W. Morgan was cruising on the Japan Sea, one of the best cruising grounds for sperm whales that the whalers knew. One day another whaler hove in sight and the two ships came together to exchange news—or " gam," as the whalers called it. The newcomer was the American ship Alice Knowles, and as both skippers had their wives with them it was not until the sun was near the horizon that they finished swapping yarns. On the way back the lady from the Charles W. Morgan took a picture of her home upon the sea, and now a copy appears on the stationery she uses. And that is how I came to see the picture of the old whale-ship in her working rig. The skipper of the Morgan was an old shipmate of mine, and when the old style of whaling began to peter out, and shipowners withdrew their ships from the business, he bought a controlling interest in a ship and ran her successfully for many years. It was men of this stamp that saw the old style of whale-hunting right out to the finish. Reported Missing From New Bedford the Alice Knowles sailed out on April 19, 1915, never to return. In those days it was customary for American ships to be away for three or four years, and owners never worried if the captains failed to report. The Alice Knowles was captained and partly owned by a man named Hegarty, a veteran whaleman who first went whaling in 1876. The first news of the probable loss of the barque was brought to New Bedford by a whaling schooner whose captain reported that he had been boarded by Captain Hegarty about a month previously and he had supplied him (Hegarty) with three large casks of water, which the schooner could spare, as she was homeward bound. Since then no other eyes save those of her crew ever saw the Alice Knowles again. Shortly afterward the schooner experienced a severe hurricane, but battled through with but little damage, and a few days later picked up an oil cask with the marks " W " and " A.K.", which were known to be the marks of the Alice Knowles.

While in the same vicinity four more casks were picked up, and. one of them was one of the three given to Captain Hegarty by Mandley, the schooner's captain. Among other things that were picked up was a painted cabin-door. Still, all these could have been washed overboard without the vessel being seriously damaged. Only two Survivors

The first definite news of the loss of the barque came from a Brazilian report reprinted in an American newspaper. A schooner had called in at Pernambuco, Brazil, with two sailors on board that had been picked up at sea. The report said the rescued men were two Portuguese sailors from the American whaling barque Alice Knowles that was wrecked on the night of September 3, 1917. One of the fortunate survivors was a boat-steerer named Duarte, who stated that on September 2 the ship was lying hove to with all sails furled except a forestaysail. The wind then was blowing with hurricane force. At 2 a.m. on the 3rd a heavy blow struck the barque and capsized her, throwing her on her beam ends. Everything was confused, and all scrambled for places of safety. Five minutes after the vessel had been thrown down a big sea engulfed her and swept men, casks, boats and everything movable clear away from the vessel.

Duarte said that after going down and coming to the surface again he found himself alongside the stern of a smashed whale-boat, which he recognised as one that had been stove in by a whale some time before. On the same wreckage was a foremast hand named Do Grasse. .They stripped themselves of all their clothing, and when daylight came the only thing in sight, besides tho stern of tho boat to which they were clinging, was an empty cask. } Duarte said that they hung on to tho piece of wreckage for three days and four nights until they were picked up by the schooner Thurlow. All this time the unfortunate men had neither food nor drink, and their legs were drawn up under them, through being so long immersed in the salt water. This account of the loss of the Alice Knowles has been generally accepted as correct, though in succeeding years there have been some details added. Luckily on this voyage Captain Hegarty had not taken his wife, which those masters of vessels with sufficient influence usually did." The Stork at Sea Ail amusing story was told by the master of a New Bedford whaler of an incident that occurred while on a cruise in the Pacific many years ago. A married skipper boarded the whaler Young Hector for a " gam," in the course of which he confided to his host the interesting news that his ship (the Sea Gull) was anticipating at any time a visit from the stork. Being inexperienced in matters obstetrical, he asked Captain Smith to keep company until the ordeal was over. Captain Smith agreed, but advised the anxious skipper, in case he could not be on hand at the critical moment, to turn the new arrival over to the chief mate and devote his whole attention to the mother.

The two ships kept in sight of one another for several days, until one morning just at daybreak the Sea Gull, with all sails set and flags flying, came bearing down on the Young Hector. It seemed that the stork had arrived in the night and in somewhat of a hurry. Following instructions, the chief mate had taken charge of the infant, but before bis attentions to it were completed the captain again opened the cabin door and shouted: "Call the second mate!" The second mate was summoned, and in a few minutes a second lusty youngster was passed out and both mates were busy. The skipper went back to his job, but a moment later once more opened the cabin door and called out "I dunno! Wait a minute. I'm not sure, yet; but tell the third mate to stand by."

Fortunately, however, for all concerned, the third mate's services were not required. Then after the main brace had been duly spliced the two ships went their different ways.