Publishes' 'The Loss of the Essex''

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The Nantucket Historical Association Publishes "The Loss of the Essex"

AN HISTORIC MANUSCRIPT, written a century ago by Thomas Nickerson, one of the survivors of the tragic loss of the whaleship Essex, of Nantucket, sunk by a whale in mid-Pacific, has been published by the Nantucket Historical Association in December, 1984. Prevailed upon by a professional writer to tell the story of his experiences, Nickerson completed his narrative in 1876. A century passed and then, through the interest of Mr. and Mrs. James M. Finch, of Hamden, Connecticut, the manuscript was presented to the Association two years ago, and now, through the process of editing by Mrs. Helen Winslow Chase and Edouard A. Stackpole, was prepared for publication.

Nickerson wrote his story fifty years after Owen Chase gave the first account of the whaleship being rammed by a giant bull sperm wh a l e . Nick e r so n 's n a r r a t i v e t e ll s i n d e tai l o f t he v o y a g e o f t he E s s e x from the time she sailed from Nantucket in 1819, the attack by the whale, and the incredible open boat voyage of one of the whaleboats which sailed for 89 days, through the Pacific before three of her crew were saved by passing ship. Only one other of the three whaleboats managed to make the long journey across the open sea and two of her crew were saved by another whaleship, and in this boat were Captain George Pollard, the master of the Essex and his shipmate, Charles Ramsdell.

All five of the survivors of the E s s e x tragedy returned to the sea, including Thomas Nickerson, the youngest crew member. Although he never lived to see his narrative published, Nickerson had prepared his manuscript with an awareness that some day it would appear in book form. He died on February 7,1883, and a century later his story brings to many readers one of the most remarkable adventures in the history of the sea.

As stated in the foreword, the recovery of the original manuscript is somewhat of a literary miracle. Fortunately, the professional writer who was supposed to revamp the narrative did not attempt it and, the story told by Thomas Nickerson emerges stronger than ever. As the last survivor of the ill-fated Essex, his story deserved to be published. It is a proper companion piece to Owen Chase's printed account. Both of these whalemen were in the same whaleboat and Nickerson gives full credit to Chase for guiding him to the completion of his own story of that great ordeal.

"His Head half out of water ... he again struck the ship."