The morning call., 1894-11-10
A SECOND JONAH.
The Very Latest of Fish
Stories.
TOLD BY A WHALER'S CREW.
How Andrew Clark Disappeared
Very Suddenly
TOLD BY A WHALER'S CREW
WITH A PORTION OF HIS BOAT
Being a Yarn Narrated as True by
Men Who Belong to the
BelVedere.

When Andrew Clark shipped on the
whaling steamer Belveder9 last Decembe
none OF his shipmates thought he would
ever become Jonah. The Belyedere
arrived yesterday, 16 days from Fox
Island. but Clark was not on board of her.
Those who claimed to have a memory of
him on the vessel say that his bones and
flesh went to fattea large sperm whale
that cavorted about in the southern whal-
ing grounds, looking for little sport with
q whalebOat.
The sailors of the Belvedere, likewise
her officers. tell the story of Clark's de-
mise as true, but there is something about
a sailor that makes man suspicious when
he is spinning yarns. The Belvedere's
men are apparently sincere. and fearing
that the ships records might be produced
to substantlate their statements no effort
will be made herewith to dsprove their
testimony.
Andrew Clark went a-whaling. Unlike
Simple Simon, he was not content TO
search for levtathans within the precincts
of his mothers dishpail. He actually ap-
piled for a berth on the Belvedere. made
friends with the boat-header, and COM
meEced TO calculate how much ''iay
money" be would have coming when he
dreamed that he would ever become a real
Jonah-in fact, the only Jonah since the
days of the original gentleman by that
name.
The Belyedere set out from this city with
| a pretty green crew. They were negroes,
Chinese. Germans. Italians and French
men, with an occasional natlve-born
American, to which select class Andrew
claimed to belong. A run was made TO
Honolulu, then south in search Of sperms,
but whales were as shy as mice and hard
TO locate.
One spring morning. when the able tars
and disabled land-lubbers were seated at
the board trying to enjoy large pieces of
tough corn beef and small pieces of tender
cabbage, made fragrant by virtue of ex-
IRENE age, some one shouted, whale no ~
Every man dropped his tin plate and fork
and started for the deck. Andrew got
there first.
! Being active, intelligent and handy with
an oar. the American was selected as one
| of crew 10 give chase. A boat was low
cred and manned. The bomb-gun was put
in place and away the fabric went
| Mr.. Whale was drifting laZily on the
smooth surface OF the water. He was
| asleep and had no idea that his enemy was
| near A dynamite bomb was placed in
the gun. the piece cooked, and-bang
! The whale was struck.
| No dying agonies followed. No tearing
| open Of the biubbery side. No flashing OF
waters into foam crimsoned with gore.
| The bomb had failed to explode. The
| whale started for the bottom of the sea,
! and after him spun out hundreds OF
| fathoms of line He rose again and
started off at furious rate with the boat
| in tow, when suddenly 1t occurred TO him
10 get ugly. Then he turned about and
came al the boat with mis- mouth open,
which aperture, according to the Belye-
dere's men, was at least 80 feet wide and
| as deep as the crater of VesuYius.
! just one mighty bite and the forward
! part of the whaleboat, Andrew Clark and
| all, was entrappsd in the immense cavity
a dive into the deep and the enraged III On-
! ster disappeared, sailor, piece OF boat and
all. Yet this was not the last seen of the
sperm. Several hours later. after the men
/ who had clung TO the disabled boat had
| been picked mp and returned TO the Belve-
| deTe the creature reapDeard evidently bent
| o u mischief.
| The whalemen knew that there was
an uneXploded dynamite bomb in the
whale and tried 10 steer clear Of any en-
counter with 1t. The whale would not
have it that way. He tried his level best
! to butt his nose against the steamers side
and cause an explosion. For five DAYS he
kept up these tactics and finally retired in
disgust.
II think we have brought in the crack
yarn of the season." said the Belvedere's
man as he mopped his forehead and tried
TO look wise.
The Belvedere captured only five whales
during her absence and returned with a
crew the members of which had very little
money coming to them. Some of the men
that landed during the day did not have
money enough with which to pay their
boatmen.
The California is the next vessel ex-
pected iu.