The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-31
A CAT on AN ABANDONED BARK.
Men of the Potomac Who Rescued II
say That IL KILLED and Ate Flying

From the New York Times.

Fish.
From the New York Times.
A cat that needed all Of its nine lives to
enable it to pull through days of abandon
ment was landed at this port yesterday. It
was brought in by the tank steamer Poto-
mac. after spending twenty-one days in
solitude on the abandoned Norwegian bark
B.rgette.
The Potomac left London March 9. She
was three days out from the Thames when
the look out reported a strange craft on
the weather bow. The Potomac ran along
side of her and found the remains of the
Norwegian ensign flying from her gaf.
Her foretopmast, bowsprit, and rudder
were gone Her deck was awash, and
from the small portions of the masts that
were standing her sails had been blown
to ribbons.
The Potomac's whistle blew a PIERCING
blast. II was blowing great guns, ami
there was no response from the Birgette.
The Potomac ran to the leeward of the
bark. and First officer Dogbein, with four
men put of 10 her. and boarded her with
difficulty, and, not finding any indications
of life on board were about to put back
to their vessel, when officer Dogbein,
casting his eye aloft, discovered an ami
ciated looking cat peerlng over the cage
of the crows nest. He looked about for
means of reaching the cat but as there
was no rigging standing, and no one
cared to climb the mast, he was about
to leave the cat to her fate, when few
gently whispered meows smote upon MS
ear and awakened memories of home. lie
decided to have the cat or never again
board the Potomac. He called for Volun-
teers to save its life.
one of the sailors, who had spent some
years on a ranch, suggested that he be
allowed to lasso the cat But Dogbeln OBJ
iected to that method, saying that II
the cat were not choked, 1t would surely
be killed when 1t struck the deck. Another
of the men said that he would throw u
line over the gaff. and allow them to draw
him ND to the cat This was done but
the cat refused to be taken down IN
that way and eluded her would-be res
cuer. who returned to the deck, with a
wondrous tale.
He said that he cat was surrounded
with bones from fish that she had eaten
and then the question arose as 10 no"
she had obtained FISH up there AS theN
talked they watched the cat, and saw 1t
,ya1,e ire tail frantically bright OBJ
iect shot through the air. the cat struck
at it with it's paw. and it dropped to the
deck officer Dogbein picked 1t up ana
found that il was a flying fish.
Tbe officer and men were simply amazed
at what they had seen and determined at
all hazards to get the cat. The line was
thrown over the gaff again, and II Is de-
clared that the cat jumped upon 1t and
wrapped the end about the gaff, that 1t
then Jumped back to it's perch, took the
remains of a flying fish in its mouth
sprang upon the gaff, felt Of the line to see
that it was secure and slowly descended
to the deck.
II looked the men over. and, still holding
the fish, went to the man who had thrown
the line. rubbed against his legs, and pur-
red it's thanks. 1t was a poor-looking
specimen of a eat, but it was taken on
hoard the Potomac and brought to this
city. The FISH that the cat had in its
mouth was shown yesterday in corrobora-
ton of the story.
Whether the story is true or not, the cat
and the fish are both in evidence.
The bark was abandoned on Feb. q, the
crew being taken off by the steamship
Snowflake, and landed at Philadelphia on
March g. The cat was taken off March u,
so that it must have lived on flying fish
for twenty-one days. In an effort to dis
cover what Il did for water during all
those days of trial the reporter was sent
to the man who was drawn up to the
gait.
He solemnly declared that he saw a tin
pannikin dashed to the mast, and stated
his belief to be that the cat had placed
1t there to catch rainwater. There are
times when even a marine reporter will
show surprise at what he hears, and this
was one of them. The seaman apologized
for not having the pannikin to show to
| confirm his statement.
Capt Leitch of the Potomac declares
that the cat has been entered on the
/ ships articles as one of the crew, and
nothing can get it from his possession.