Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-04-27
In a Whales Stomach.

One morning the lookout sighted a
whale about three miles away on
the starboard quarter. Two boats
were manned. In short time one
of the boats was near enough to en-
able the harpooner to send spear
into the whale, which proved to be
an exceedingly large one. With the
shaft in its 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 towards the
spot where he had been harpooned
The second boat waited for him and
when but short distance away
from him he rose to the surface
AS soon as his back showed above
the surface of the water the har
pooner in the second boat drove
another spear into him. The pain
apparently crazed the whale, for il
thrashed about and it was feared
that the boats would be swampet
and the crews drowned.
Finally the whale swan away
dragging the two boats after him
He went about three miles an,
sounded or sank, and his where
abouts could not be exactly told
The lines attached to the harpoon
were slack, and the harpooners be
gan slowly to drag them in and col
them in the tubs. AS soon as the
were tautened the whale arose to TIN
surface and beat about with his tai
in the madest fashion. The boat
attempted to get beyond the reacl
of the animal, which was apparent
ly in its death agonies, and one o
them succeeded, but the other wa
less fortunate. The whale strucl
it with his nose and upset it. TIL
men were thrown into the water
and before the other boat could pic
them up one man was drowned an,
James BARLEY had disappeared.
When the whale became quiet from
exhaustion the waters were searched
for Barley; but he could not b.
found, and, under the impression
that he had been struck by TIN
whales tail and sunk to the bottom
the survivors rowed back to tn
ship. The whale was dead, and il
a few hours the great body was ly
ing by the ships side, and the mel
were busy with axes and spades
cutting through the flesh to secur
the fat. They worked all day and
part of the night. They resumes
operations the next forenoon, an
were soon down to the stomach
which was to be hoisted to the deck
The workmen were startled, Will
laboring to clear it and to faster
the chain about it, to discover some
thing doubled up in it that CAV
spasmodic sights of life. The vas
pouch was hoisted to the deck an,
cut open, and inside was found TIN
missing sailor doubled up and un
conscious. He was laid out on tn,
deck and treated to a bath Of Sc;
water, which soon revived him; blu
his mind was not clear, and he wa
placed in the captains quarters
where he remained for fortnight
a raving lunatic. He was CAREFUL.
treated by the captain and officers o
the ship, and he finally began to &c
possession of his senses.
At the end of the week he ha,
entirely recovered from the shocl
and resumed his duties. During TIN
brief sojourn in the whales belly
Bartley's skin, where it was expose'
to the action of the gastric juices
underwent a striking change. Hi
face and hands were bleached to
deathly whiteness and the skin wa
wrinkled, giving the man the ap
pearance of having been par-boiled
BARLEY affirms that he would pro
badly have lived inside his house o
flesh until he starved, for he los
his senses through fright, and no
through lack Of air. He says tina
he remembers the sensation of bein,
lifted into the air by the nose of TIL
whale and of falling into the water
then there was fearful rushin,
sound, which he believed to be tn
beating of the water by the whale
tail; then he was encompassed by
fearful darkness, and he felt him
self slipping along a smooth passag
of some sort that seemed to NOV
and carry him forward. This sen
sation lasted but an instant, then h
felt that he had more room. Hi
felt about him and his hands cam'