Kaptein B.C. Larsen, styrmann H. Pedersen, forlist 1879

[Jens Johan Kaasbøll]

Cambria freeman, Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. Friday 26 September 1879, Vol 13, p 2:

A Well Authenticated Fish Story.
The steamship P. Caland, which arrived at New York from Rotterdam on Tuesday of last week, had on board Capt. B. C. Larser and the entire crew of a Norwegian bark which was lost in midocean under remarkable circumstances. Captain Larsen's story, which is fully corroborated by his men, goes to show that the accounts which have been given to the public from time to time of dangerous sea monsters inhabiting the ocean are not wholly false. Either the original sea serpent or some powerful submarine creature of the same race ran into the bark Columbia on September 4, in latitude 47 deg. 32 min., and longitude 43 deg. 54 min., and injured that vessel so that she sank within a short time after she had been struck. The bark Columbia left London for Quebec, in ballast, on August 8, and met with variable weather until the morning of the 4th inst., when she was sailing at the rate of from six to seven miles an hour before a fair wind. The sea was not very rough and the bark was carrying all sail and heading westward. The captain was on deck at five bells in the morning watch, when the tremendous shock, which shook the bark from stem to stern, was suddenly felt. The men who were asleep in their bunks were awakened, and thinking that the foremast had been carried away, sprang on deck. Captain Larsen and three of his men ran to the port side and saw the water discolored with blood, while the tail and fins of a huge monster were seen splashing about in the sea, which had become violently agitated on that side of the vessel. At this moment one of the crew cried out that a leak had been sprung, and Captain Larsen and the carpenter hurried down into the hold to see if he bark had suffered any injuries. In the port bow, about three feet below water mark, they found that four planks had been crushed in for a space of about four feet long-a large hole, through which the daylight above the water could be plainly seen. The water was pouring rapidly into the vessel through this hole. Several attempts were made to stop it up, but the captain soon found that it would be useless to remain below any longer. In the meantime the men on deck had become terribly frightened. Some cried bitterly, while others had become so frightened by their unexpected encounter with the sea monster that they were for the time being almost helpless. When Captain Larsen reached the deck he directed his men to get the boats in readiness for abandoning the vessel. The log book, instruments, and a few clothes, with some provisions, were bundled into two boats, which were put over the sides as soon as the excited sailors had placed a little fresh water in them. The water casks had been stowed in the hold, into which the sea was pouring so rapidly that no more than one day's fresh water could be saved. Fortunately the sea was not rough, and when the boats had been launched, the entire crew abandoned the bark. The larger boat was commanded by Captain Larsen, while Mr. H. Pederser, the mate, took charge of the smaller one. At 12o'clock, an hour and a-half after the vessel had received her death wound from the sea monster, the boats rowed away. Shortly after 1 o'clock the bark sank out of sight.-When abandoned the water in the hold was within two or three feet of the deck-beams.
The prospects of the crew seemed very doubtful then, as there was very little on board the boats, and a gale might spring up before night. An Anxious lookout was kept for passing vessels, and also for the marine monster.-Nothing was ever seen of the latter, but between two and three o'clock the smoke of a steamer, which was evidently approaching them, was observed. A pole, to which the signal of distress was fastened, was hoisted by the captain, and the joyful intelligence was soon passed from boat to boat that the steamer was rapidly approaching. By 3 o'clock the P. Caland, Captain Deddes, bound from Rotterdam to this port, hove to near by, and the entire crew of the Columbia, twelve men in all, were taken on board. The two small boats, by means of which the shipwrecked seamen had been saved from watery graves, were then cast adrift, and the Caland proceeded on her voyage.
When seen on board the steamship, Captain Larsen said that he was unable to give a full description of the monster which had sunk his vessel. Its fins and tails could be seen as the splashed the water, but he only got a slight glimpse of a portion of the body. One of the sailors at first thought it might be a whale, but no whale had ever been known to sink a vessel. A whale could not present an array of tail and fins reaching rom the fore rigging to the main rigging of a vessel of 462 tons register, but this monster did. What little was seen of its back was much too round for a whale. It would certainly require an animal of size and strength to make the hole in the bow of the Columbia. What became of the monster after it had run into the bark is not known, as the crew left the side as soon as it was discovered that the vessel was sinking. They then became too much occupied in getting things in readiness to abandon the bark to observe what course their submarine enemy had pursued. No traces of it were observed while they were in the boats.