The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-08-19
Swallowed by a Whale.

ooar1 nan VINO IS ferilDie JoEahs
having existed in whales belly thirty
six hours.
The mans statement IS yoUched 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 New
Bedford, where he was born thirty-eight
years ago. He has made two voyages
from this point on the star Of the East,
and notwithstanding his exciting expeE-
ience during his last trip he says that he
viii ship for another voyage as soon as
an opportunity to do so offers itself
The strang story told by him Is. in sub
stance, 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 sight
ed a Whale about three milesaway on the
starboard quarter Two beats were man
ned and put chase TO the prey
In a 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. VITA
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 be
turned and came back almost directly
toward the spot where he had been hap
pooned.
The second boat waited for him, and
when but a 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
threshed about fearfdlly, and i. was fear
ed that the boats would be swamped and
the crews drowned. Finally the whale
swan away, dragging the two boats after
him. lie 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 70 the surface and beat about
with his tail in the maddest fashion.
The boats attempted TO ges beyond the
reach Of the animal, which was apprent-
ly in its death agonies, and one of them
succeeded, but the other was less fortu-
nate. The whale struck it with his nose
and upset it. The men were thrown into
the water, and before the crew of the
other boat could pick them up one man
was drowned and James BARLEY had dis
appeared When the whale became
quiet from exhaustion the waters were
searched for Barley, but he could not be
found, and under the impression that he
had been struck by the whales tail and
sank to the bottom, the survivors rOwed
back to the ship.
The whale was dead and in a 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 ali
day and part Of the night They resum-
ed operations the next forenoon, and
were soon down to the deck. The work
men were startled while laboring to clear
it and to fasten the chain about it 10 dis
cover something doubled up in it that
gave spasmodic signs Of life.
The vast pouch was hoisted TO the
deck and cut open, and inside xas found
the missing sailor doubled up and un-
conscious. He was laid ont on the deck
and treated to bath Of sea water, which
soon revived him, but his mind was not
clear and he was placed in the captains
quarters, where he remained two weeks
a raving lunatic. lie was carefully treat
ed by the captain and officers fthe ship,
and be finally began to get possession Of
his senses. At the end Of the third week
he had entirely recovered from the shock
and resumed his duties.
During his briefsojoum in the whales
belly Bartley's skin, wheresit was expos
ed to the action Of the gastric juices un-
derwent a striking change. His face and
hands were bleached to deathly white
ness and the skin was wrinkled, giving
the man the appearance Of having been
parbolied-
Barley affirms that he would probably
have lived inside his house Of flesh until
he starved, for he lost his senses through
fright, and not through lack Of air He
says that he remembers the sensation Of
of being lifted into the air by the nose
Of the whale and Of falling into the
water, then there was a fearful rushing
sound, which he believed to be the beat
ing of the water by the whales tail; then
ne was encompassed by a fearful dark
ness, and he felt himself slipping along a
smooth passage Of some sort, that seemed
to move and carry him forward. This
sensation lasted butan instant, then be
felt that be had more room. He felt
about him, and his hands came in con
tact with yielding, Shiny substance that
seemed TO shrink from his touch.
1t finally dawned upon him that he
had been swallowed by the whale, and
he was overcome with horror at the sit
uation. He could breath easily, but the
heat was terrible. 1t was not Of scorch-
ing, sitting nature, but it seemed 20 open
the pores Of his skin and 70 draw ont his
vitality. He became very weak and grew
sick at his stomach. lie knew that there
was no hope Of escape from his strange
prison. Death stared him in the face,
and he tried to look at it bravely, but the
awful quiet, the fearful darkness, the
horrible knowledge Of his environments
and the terrible heat, finally oycrcama
him, and he must have tainted, for lie
next remembered being in the captains
cabin.
Barley is not a man Of timid nature
but he says that it was many weeks be-
fore he could pass a night without hayiag
his sleep disturbed with haIr7wing reams
of angry whales and the horr1rs Of his
fearful prison.
The skin on the face and hands Of
BARLEY has never recovered is natural