New-York tribune., 1894-01-07
GONE. A HARLEM WHALE S1Ohf.
REHOEOHAM W. WILLOCGHBY SAYS He
SAW ONE
lie TELLS REMARTlABLE TALE OF = LEVIA-
THAN OFF EAST oNE.HuNDEED-AND-
TWGNTY.FIFTu.ST.

TWENrY-FIfrHSf
A whale was seen in Harlem River at an early
hour yesterday morning of Onc-hundred-and-tweH-
ty-ffth-st: at least there are several people up
there who are willing 10 make affidavit TO that
assertion. There are many strange things seen IN
the early hours Of the day In Harlem, but this
whale AZ present is the talk of that part or the
city. The first 10 see the whale was Reno
boham W. Wiloughby. grpman on the one
hundred and twenty yffth-st. cable road In years
long gone by Rehoboham was a whaler and hailed
from New Bedford. Mass. where all Thoroughbred
whalers come FROM and what he doesn't know
about whales is not worth knowing. He has fre-
quently told his fellow -grpmen about some wha!es
he has seen and everyone agrees hat he can tell
some wonderful things about them In fact what
he has said about whales. fish. sea serpents ana
the wonders OF the deep so far exceeds anything
ever before heard in the region north OF One-hun-
dred-and-tenth-st. that he has come to be an
authority the subject
These being the antecedents and weight Of au-
thorlty of Kehoboham W. Wioughby Oh whales
when he suddenly dropped his grip a. his car ap-
preached the Harlem River In One-hundred-and-
twenty-hfth-st., early yesterday morning Jumped
into the street and wildly toward the river
shouting. my job for harpoon" the railroad men
knew that he meant what he said. And sure
enough, there whale speeding down the
Harlem River. lashing the water with his or her
tail Gor with all his nautical acunen Rehoboham
confesses that he could not determine the GENDER,
while the, waves caused by the whales movement
swashed far up on the river banks ana threatened
10 swamp cana-boats and even steamers. so Re-
hoboham vouches. A local steamboat was coming
up the stream the time, and in order 10 avoid
1t the whale put its tail hard 70 starboard the
extra friction causing terrible commOtOn IN
the water and for a moment a collision was eX-
pccte,i; but by keeping steady nerve and a
straight eye the pilot OF the steamboat avoided the
evlathan. and averted a terrible catastrophe-so
RehoDOham says.
4 Tribune reporter saw RehOboham last night at
One e-hund Observation-Disclosures and the Harlem
River. He was surrounded by an eager crowd OF
people, still looking for the reappeaiance or the
whale. He assured the reporter that he had peen
drinking nothing stronger than tea all the week
look-a-here. young feller said the expert on whales
"If yer want ter know 1t, come purity near know
ing what I'm takn' about when II comes TO sea
sarpents and whales | cakerlate I've ben in the
business going nigh twenty year and / don't
take no sass from nobody, see? No. / warn't
drunk If my nose do give me away. Yes sir. that
ere whale c,ean sixty-foOter or you can call
me liar.
"Wfat? How much did It weigh? Wal, now. gosh
all fish hooks, how in thunder and lightning do
yer expect me to tell how much the burned cretur
weighed when 1t didn't have no scales on II no,
how? II it had been mackerel could have told
yer easy.
"Eh? Knocl, the Brooklyn Bridge down? Wal,
amt sure but what 1t might. Yer see, If one o
them big creturs should take notion to lean agin
one CT them stone towers ana % sh1uH % 1d fsfcb
down the whole 'tarnal business, towers, bridge
what? The whale that swallowed Jonah? Wal,
span o life and amt 50 sartain but what thls
ere feer may have been the same Identical creur,
but mark my words. young feer. you're gettin to
Grrned handy at the whale yarns yerself. Now.
ain't sartain whether this be the whale that
swallowed Jonah the Jonah that swallowed the
whale but I'm mighty saGa hqger na' whales si tham
this ere one saw to-day-when 1t comes to a
matter of telling about EN-"