195 years ago today, on November 20th, 1820, the Nantucket whaling ship Essex sunk in the middle of
195 years ago today, on November 20th, 1820, the Nantucket whaling ship Essex sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after being repeatedly attacked by an enormous sperm whale. The crew was able to escape on small whaleboats with supplies from the sinking ship, but were stranded at sea 2000 miles from South America. Fearing rumors of cannibals living on nearby islands, the whalers attempted to voyage to Chile, which took three months. Along the way several men died of starvation, and others requested to be left on a deserted island for hope of faster rescue. By the time they were rescued, only eight crew members were left alive, several having ironically survived by eating the bodies of their fallen companions.Essex’s first mate, Owen Chase, soon published a book detailing the ordeal, and years later his son lent a copy to a young Herman Melville, who was inspired to write a story, Moby Dick, of the all-encompassing revenge a survivor might have felt. In fact, Essex captain George Pollard’s next ship of command also sunk, and, considering himself to be a Jonah, he retired to his hometown of Nantucket where he lived as a night watchman. Both he and Chase were known to hoard food for the rest of their lives. -- source link
#history#19th century