Frontview depiction of the Netherland steamer Waesland, bound to New York from Antwerp, striking a sleeping whale. As the steamer's iron bows strike the whale's body midlength, water spouts from its moutth as its tail lifts above water.
Caption accompnying image: "The Netherland steamer Waesland, 3,500 tons, when on its way from Antwerp to New York, reported that at noon on the second day a whale was seen floating on the water directly in the vessel's course. No attmept was made to avoid the animal, as the natural impression was that it would get out of the way of its own accord. it declined to move, however, being fast asleep, most likely, and the steamer's sharp iron bows struck full and fair about midway of its length. There was a perceptible shock to the vessel and an immediate checking of the progress. Passengers and deckhands ran forward to see what was the cause of the trouble and found that the whale was fully 80 ft. long, had been cut half way in two, and lay dead and fast, caught on the bows. It was necessary to stop the ship and back off to disengage the caracass, which when freed drifted astern. None of the officers of the ship had ever witnessed as imilar occurrence, although it is by no means an unheard of one. Ships have struck sleeping whalesbefore, and on several occassions have suffered damage from the collision."
