1. A brief hurdle

The year 1866 was characterized by a stranger Special Event-ment, by a phenomenon
inexplicable and unexplained that na-die undoubtedly been able to forget. Not to mention the
rumors which agitated populations ports and overharvesting quoting the
inhabitants of the interior of continents, the mysterious phenomenon raised a particular
excitement among the men of the sea. Merchants, ship owners, ship captains, skippers and
masters of Europe and America, officials Navy all countries and after
them the go-Governments of the different States of the two continents, the ma-nifestaron
greater concern.
For some time, indeed, several ships-bian was found in their paths
with "an enormous thing," a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent,
infinitely greater and faster than a whale.
The facts regarding these appearances as enshrined in various logbooks,
They coincided with considerable accuracy in relation to the structure of the object or being in
question at the exceptional speed of its movements, its surprising power
locomotion and particu-lar vitality that seemed endowed. From being a cetacean,
volume exceeded all those specimens of this genus had classified
science until then. Neither Cuvier nor Lacepède or not Quatrefages had Dumeril
admitted the existence of such a monster, unless I have seen with his own eyes
wise.
The average of the observations in Diff-ing circumstances? Once
discarded both timid assessments assigned to that object length
two hundred feet, as very exaggerated against him wide and a mile
length of three? evidence to show that that be great, if true its existence,
your-peraba with excess all dimensions hitherto supported by ichthyologists.
But there; It was undeniable and the act itself. And given that inclination to
wonderful that exists in the hom-bre, it understands emotion produced by the
sobrenatu-ral appearance. It was necessary to renounce the temptation to recall-the kingdom of
fables.
Indeed, the July 20, 1866, the steamer Governor Higginson, of the Calcutta and
Burnach Steam Navigation Company, he had met this moving mass five miles
east of the coast of Australia. Captain Baker thought, to suddenly being in the presence of
an unknown obstacle, and was preparing to determine their exact location when he could watch two
columns of water, projected by the unexplained objec-to, soar through the air whistling
up to one hundred fifty feet. Forced was thus not be concluded that the obstacle someti-do
intermittent expansions to a geyser, the Governor Higginson had found a
aquatic mammal, desco-nocido until then, that expelled by their spiracles
columns of water mixed with air and steam.
It also noted this fact on 23 July of the same year, in the Pacific, on the
Christopher Columbus, of the West India and Pacific Steam Navigation Company ,. By
consi-fore, the extraordinary cetacean could move from one place to another with a
amazing speed, since, three days apart only, the Governor Higginson
and the Christopher Columbus had observed it at two points separated by a map
distance of more than seven hundred le-guides marítimas1 [L1].
Fifteen days later, two thousand miles away, the Helvetia, of the Compagnie Nationale, and
Shannon, of the Royal Mail, sailing in the opposite direction for the Atlantic area
com-pinned between Europe and the United States, said mu-tuamente the monster 420
15'de 35'de north latitude and 600 longitude west of Greenwich meridianode. In that
obser-vation simultaneous believed to evaluate the minimum length of the mammal at more than
three hundred and fifty feet ingleses2 [L2], as the Shannon and Helvetia were
infe-riores dimensions, even though both would measure one hundred meters of the breakwater to stern.
Now the largest whales, which have fre-sites of the Aleutian Islands,
the Kulammak and Umgullick not exceed fifty-six meters lon-gitud if
that reach such a dimension.
These successive reports; New observations effected-days aboard the transatlantic Le
Pereire, a collision between the monster and the Etna, the Iseman line; Act one raised by
the officers of the French frigate La Normandie; It is a very serious fact-study by the
Staff Commodore Fitz? james aboard the Lord Clyde, caused a deep
feeling in public opinion. In countries li-gero mood took a joke
phenomenon but in serious, practical countries, England, America, Germany,
It caused a great concern.
Everywhere, in large cities, the monster became fashionable. It was the subject of
songs in cafes, joking in newspapers and representation in theaters. The
Press found in him the chance to practice wit and Sensació-ism. In its pages,
poor news reapare-cer was all imaginary creatures and giant, from the
white whale, the terrible "Moby Dick" of hi-perbóreas regions to the excessive
Kraken whose tentacles can embrace a ship of five hundred tons and carry-Selo to
the depths of the ocean. They even reproduced the news of ancient times,
the views of Aristotle and Pliny-TVs admitting the existence of such mons-truos, the
Norwegian stories of Bishop Pontoppidan, the rela-tions Paul Heggede and reports
Harrington, whose good faith can not be called into question by claiming to have seen, being a
board the Castillan, in 1857, the huge container being-which until then had not frequented
other seas than the old Constitutionnel.
All this led to the interminable controversy between the credulous and unbelievers, in the
societies and publishes scientific ation. The "monster question" inflamed the
encouragement. Journalists imbued with the scientific spirit, struggling with professing
wit, they poured waves of ink during the memorable campaign; some came
in-even to pour two or three drops of blood, in passing, in its ardor, the sea serpent
the most offensive customizations.
For six months the war continued with diver-sos sets. A background articles
Brazilian Geographic Institute, the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin, the
Asso-ciation British, the Smithsonian Institute of Washing-ton, to discussions of The
Indian Archipelago, the Cosmos of the Abbe Mittheilungen Moigno and Petermann, and
the Cro-niques of major scientific publications in France and other countries replicated the
press vulgar displays of an in-genius inexhaustible. His inspired writers, parodying
Linnaeus phrase quoting opponents of mons-Truo, remained in effect that
"Nature-dra engen not fools," and adjured their contemporaries not to inflict
lie to nature and, consequently, to reject the existence of the Kraken, the
sea ​​snakes, of "Moby Dick" and other lucubrations of delirious sailors-tes. By
Finally, in an article from a newspaper feared sati-rich, the most popular of its editors,
Summoning all elements, precipitated, as Hippolytus, against the monster, you
dealt a final blow and ended with him-he gave me a universal laughter. Wit
He had defeated science.
The question seemed buried and during the first months of 1867, with no apparent
resu-cited possibilities, when new facts came to public attention.
Facts revealed that it was not as a scientific problem to solve, but
a serious real danger to avoid. The question thus acquired a very different as-respect. The
monster again establish itself as islet, rock, rock, but a fleeting, indefinable obstacle,
ungraspable.
The March 5, 1867, the Moravian, of the Montreal Ocean Company, browsing during
night 270 30 'latitude and 720 15' longitude, struck on the starboard side with a rock not
is-nalada by any map in those places. Driven by the combined force of wind and
its four horsepower, the ship sailing at a speed of thirteen knots.
After the crash, it certainly was not for the high quality of his helmet,
Moravian would have gone down with the Two hundred thirty seven passengers had
embarked in Canada.
The accident happened around five in the morning, when it began to dawn the
day. The guar-day official rushed aft and scanned the sea with the most
attention, seeing nothing but a strong eddy about three cables away from the boat,
as if the layers quidas Li had been violently beaten. They were taken accurately
the location coordinates and the Moravian conti-nued its course without apparent damage. Had
collided with an underwater rock or had been hit by a re-residual, huge object
a shipwreck? He could not be known, but to examine the ship in the dock was observed carenero
that part of the keel had been shattered.
Despite the extreme gravity of the fact, perhaps it would do pass-forgotten like so many others if
would not have been reproduced under identical conditions, three weeks later. But in this
time the nationality of the ship victim of this new approach and reputation
company that owned the ship gave the event a huge impact.
Everyone knows the name of the famous English shipowner Cu-nard, industrial intelligent than
he founded, in 1840 a servi-cio ZIP between Liverpool and Halifax, with three boats ma-dera,
wheel, four hundred horsepower and with a tonnage of 1162
tons. Des-eight years after the company material looked it increased in four
six hundred fifty boats horses and twenty thousand eight-hundred tons, and two years
Later, two other vessels of greater power and tonnage. In 1853, the Company
Cunard, whose exclusive transport of mail had just renewed Serle added
on its fleet Arabia, Persia, China, the Scotia, the Java and Russia all
they very fast and larger, with the exception of Great Eas-tern, had furrowed
never the seas. Thus, in 1867, the company owned twelve ships, eight of them
wheel and four propeller.
The mention of such details is to show fm im-portant of this company
maritime transport, whose intelligent management is well known throughout the world.
No company was transoceanic navigation diri-gida with as much skill as
this; No business has been crowned by greater success. For twenty-six years ago,
the ships of the Cunard lines have crossed the Atlantic two thousand times without even a
once we have fallen trip, without ever a delay, without
He has never lost a letter, not a man or a bar-co. Therefore, despite the powerful
competition from the French lines, passengers still choose the Cunard, with
preference to any other, as evidenced by the findings with-documents
officers in recent years. That said, anyone amazed by the impact found
accident happened to one of his best ships.
The April 13, 1867, the Scotia was 150 12 'lon-gitud and 450 37' latitude,
bonancible sea and sailing with a favorable breeze. His speed was thirteen knots
forty-three hundredths, driven by its thousand horsepower. Its wheels beat the
water with a perfect regularity. His draft was six meters and sixty centimeters, and
Desplà-displacement six hundred twenty six thousand cubic meters.
At seventeen past four p.m., when passengers were picnicking
in the great hall, he is pro-duced a crash, insensitive, in fact, in the town of Scotia,
a little behind its wheel to port.
Scotia was not the one who had given the coup but which had received, and for a
more slashing or piercing that blunt instrument. The impact had seemed so
Light no one on board would have worried if they had gone to several bridge
Creek sailors shouting:
"We're sinking! We're sinking! ".
The passengers were frightened, but Captain Anderson hastened to
reassure them. Indeed, the danger could not be imminent. Divided into seven
compartments by bulkheads, the Scotia could resist unpunished-mind one-way
water.
Captain Anderson immediately went to the cove. He saw the fifth compartment
had been invaded by the sea, and that the speed of the invasion showed that the route of
water was considerable. Fortunately, the boilers were not in that compartment.
Have been staying in it-would give off instantly. Captain Anderson
immediately he ordered them to stop the machines. A sailor dived to examine the
breakdown. A few moments later he was proved the existence in the cas-co Ship
a hole about two meters wide. Impossible was blind as a leak
significant so that Scotia, with wheels means submerged due conti-nue and its
crossing. It was then three hundred miles from Cape Clear. With a delay of three days
which disturbed vi-tively to the people of Liverpool, he managed to arrive at the docks of the
company.
Once set Scotia in dry dock, engineers proceeded to examine his helmet.
Unable to believe his eyes saw two and a half meters below the li-line
floating a regular tear opened isosceles triangle. The
perforation of sheet offered a perfect sharpness; I had not done better one
drill-dora. Clearly, then, was that the drilling instrument that had occurred
should be a rare temple, and after being released with a force
prodigious, as he testified to the piercing of a sheet of four centimeters
thick, he had to be withdrawn itself by a movement of retraction
truly inexplicable.
Such was this last fact, which resulted in the back of the opinion apasionar
public. From that mo-ment, indeed, all marine accidents with no known cause
They were attributed to the monster. The fantastic animal bore the responsibility of all those
shipwrecks, whose number is unfortunately considerable, as the three thousand ships
anuabnente whose loss is recorded in the Bu-reau Veritas, the number of vessels or steam
Sailing given up for lost in the absence of any news amounts to no less than
two hundred.
Rightly or wrongly he accused the "monster" of such de-Disappearance. In revealing and each
Dangerous day communications between the different continents, the view is purple Republic
He spoke forcefully asking the seas, and once desembarazaran
any price, the formidable cetacean.