Democratic Sentinel, Volume 3, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 October 1879 — The Sinking of a Vessel by a Whale. [ARTICLE]

The Sinking of a Vessel by a Whale.

Since it has been generally conceded that the fish which foundered Capt. Larsen’s bark Columbia in mid-ocean, by thumping a big hole in her port bow must have been a whale, popular interest in the accident has palpably decreased. In truth, it was hardly more the strange disaster itself than the possibility of a new and dangerous seamonster being concerned in it that excited attention—some mysterious, powerful submarine creature, it was hoped, hitherto unknown and unexpected. Hence the opinion of one of the crew that a whale struck the vessel was at first scouted in favor of the more-se-ductively indefinite statement of another that it was “a huge something with fins and tail.” All the evidence, however, is in favor of the whale theory, and it is conceivable that a big whale, going at full speed, could stave in the planks of an old craft like the Columbia. Had the vessel been insured, some persons might possibly have found ground for suspecting a voluntary scuttling, but she is said not to be insured. Besides, Capt. Larsen, who is a white-haired mariner, with candid eyes, broken English, and an honest smile, has inspired general confidence in his veracity. It is said that this is the first case on record of a vessel actually sunk by a whale. Perhaps it should rather be called the first case of a sunken vessel whose crew escaped to tell the story. May not more than one vessel that has sailed and never been heard of have fallen a victim to this form of disaster ?— New York Sun.