Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1891-08-05
AMODERNJON
4 Sailor Lires Ihfrty-Sir Hours ih a
WhdIe's Stomach.

after cruise of two and a-half years in
the South Atlantic waters. She had on
board man who is yeritable Jonah,
having existed in Il whales belly thirty
six hours.
The mans statement is vouched for by
the captain and crew of the vessel, and
to-day he is an object of great curiosity
among the sailors. The mans name is
James BARLEY, and he halls from Bedford,
where he was born thirty-eight years ago.
He has made two voyages from this port
OH the Star of the East, and notwith-
standing his last trip he says that he will
ship for another voyage as soon as an op-
portunity to do so offers itself.
The strange story told by him is, in
substance, as follows:
Last February the Star of the East
was in the vicinity of the Falkland
Islands searching for whales which were
very scarce. One morning the lookout
sighted whale about three miles away
on the starboard quarter. Two boats
were manned and put chase to the prey.
In short time one of the boats was
near enough TO enable the harpOoner to
send a spear into the whale, which prov
ed to be an exceedingly large one. With
the shaft in his side the animal sounded
and then sped away, dragging the boat
after him with terrible speed. He swan
straight away about FIVE miles, when he
turned and came back almost directly to-
ward the spot where he had been har
pooned. The second boat waited for him,
and when but n short distance away
from it he arose to the surface. AS soon
as his back showed above the surface of
the water the harpooner in the second
boat drove another spear into him. The
pain apparently crazed the whale, for it
thrashed about fearfully, and it was fear
ed that the boats would be swamped and
the crew drowned. Finally the whale
swan away dragging the two boats after
him. He went about three miles and
sounded or sank, and his whereabouts
could not be exactly told. The lines at
tached to the harpoons were slack and
the harpooners began to slowly draw
them in and coil them in the tubs. As
soon as they were taughtened the whale
arose to the surface and beat about with
his tail in the maddest fashion. The
boats attempted to get beyond the reach
of the animal, which was apparently in
its death agonies, and one Of them sue
ceeded, but the other was less fortunate.
The whale struck it with bis nose and
upset it. The men were thrown out into
the water, and before the crew of the 9th
er boat could pick them up one man was
drowned and James BARLEY had disap-
peared. When the whale became quiet
from exhaustion the waters were search
ed for BARLEY, but he could not be found,
and under the impression that he had
been struck by the whales tail and sunk
to the bottom, the survivors rowed back
to the ship. The whale was dead, and
in few hours the great body was lying
by the ships side and the men were busy
with axes and spades cutting through the
flesh to secure the fat. They worked all
day and and a part of the night. They
resumed operations the next forenoon
and were soon down to the stomach, which
was to be hosted to the deck. The
workmen were startled while the labor
ing to clear it and to fasten the chain
about it to discover something doubled
up in it that gave spasmodic signs of life.
The vast pouch was hoisted to the deck
and cut open, and inside was found the mis-
sing sailor doubled up and unconscious. He
was laid out on the deck and treated to
bath Of sea water, which soon revived him,
but his mind was not clear and be was placed
in the captains quarters where he remained
ed two weeks a raving lunatic. He was
carefully treated by the captain and officers
of the ship, and he finally began to get pos
session of his senses. At the end Of third
week he had entirely recovered from the
shock and resumed his duties.
During his brief sojourn in the whales
belly Bartley's skin, wherei it was exposed to
the action of the gastric juices, underwent
striking change. His face and hands we're
bleached to deathly whiteness and the
skin was wrinkled, giving the man the ap-
pearance of having been parboiled.
BARLEY affirms that he would probably
have lived inside his house Of flesh until
starved, for he lost his senses through fright
and not through lack of air. He says that
he remembers the sensation of being lifted
into the air by the nose Of the whale and Of
falling into the water, then there was fear
full rushing sound, which he believed to be
the beating Of water by the whales tail;
then he was encompassed by a fearful dark
nos and he felt himself Shining along a