Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-03-26
STRANGE THINGS At SEA.
The story of the Cloud-Cradied Frog
Suggests Another Marine Inciders.
CMorning oregonian)

(MOTnlng OregOnldn)
A remarkable story about the American
ship Iroquois picking a live frog of a
cloud in midocean excited murmur or
comment along the water front yester-
day, and, had the story come 10 port with
almost any other man but Captain Taylor
It might have been doubted. Taylor's re-
puta ton for veracity is well established
IN Portland, so the strange story was
taken without a grain OF salt, and with
only a few drinks of whiskey. An unusual
tale Of the sea always brings to mind
another, and the frog story or the lro-
duois was no exception.
There's strange things happen on
board ship. sometimes" said Al Belts
the well-known river pilot, "and scrapins
frogs off the clouds with a topmast Is
not the strangest. l remember an
occurrence on board the old clipper
Plumdun, which was SO remarkable that
/ am frequently accused of handling the
truth in a careless manner when | relate
It. The Plumduft was enroute from CAL
cutta for the Columbia in ballast, and
I was first mate under Captain Timber
toes. Among other livestock aboard was
a Maltese cat. The cat behaved very
well for the first week or two, but when
we got over on the equator she made
the night hideous with her incessant
yowling. Old Timbertoes had the govt,
and did not sleep well anyway, and this
nhiction nearly made him crazy. SO one
night he came out. and finding the cat
IN a good, convenient position, kicked
her over into the sounding sea.
The only witness to the deed was a
Lascar sailor at the wheel. and, when
he told the rest Of the crew we almost
had a rnutiny on our hands, as they
prophesed all sorts of bad luck would
happen TO tho ship. Nothing came oil
Il, however. and as we were I'm good bal
last trim we came flying along In rafting
shape, and about 80 days after leaving
the Ganges our mud-hook went down In
Astoria harbor. In due season the Gus
om-house boat came out and when the
officers clambered aboard Denny Cur
ran. the boatman, Stacked away on his
lanyard and his boat dropped around
under the stern. moment later we
heard a yell and Denny was coming up
the ladder hand over hand as though
the devil was after him, and in his boat
making united chorus of meows, was
our old Maltese cat and five half-grown
kittens.
"When Denny recovered his breath he
stated that, az his boat swung around
under the stern, the animals immediate
! ly sprang off the top OF the rudder, and
| the unusual sight nearly frightened MN
70 death. We then went back and made
an examination Of the rudder. and round
that with her claws the abandoned cal
| had scratched n cavity out Of the top oil
the rudder. and, while tho Lascar sailors
had been mourning her death, she was
engaged IN rearing a family. The rud-
der being high out Of water, Of course
prevented her getting wet very OFTEN
and a number Of fish bones still reposins
in the cavity indicated the diet which
had kept her alive. She was taken
ashore, and / think Scott Johnson, the
Astoria stevedore. has some of her de,
scendants yet, and to this day they Will
eat nothing but sea fish"