The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-03-13
THE MODERN JONAH.
The Account Bears Some Resemblance to
That In tho Bible, Though James Bart
ley Was Not So Long In the Whales
Belly as Jonah Was.

That In the Bible, Though James Bart
ley Was Not So Long In the Whales
Belly as Jonah Was.
John TownshenG Of 303 West Seventy
third street gives information that the
story Of the sailor, James BARLEY. sup
posed to have been swallowed by a whale
and rescued alive, was printed i'll detail
in The Mercury of South Yarmouth,
England, in October, 1891.
BARLEY sailed OH the Star of the East
and is supposed to have met with his
adventure in the vicinity Of the Falk-
land islands. MI. To%wnshcnd says the
story is a good seaman's yarn, whether
Il chooses to believe it or not.
According to tho story, which is told
in great detail, '.the ship sighted IA
whale one morning on her starboard
quarter. Two boats ~cre manned. and
in q short time one was near enough to
spear the whale, which was an unnsu-
ally large one. The fish made a terrific
fight Both beats got spears fastened in
it and were dragged some three miles.
FINALLY, when the whale came to
the surface, it managed to strike one of
the boats with It's nose. The boat Was
upset. One man was drowned, and an
other, named James BARLEY, disappear
ed. 1t was supposed at the time that he,
too, had been drowned.
"The whale gave up at last and was
taken back 20 the side of the ship. The
crew went 10 work with axes and spades
to secure the fat. They worked all day
and q part of the night and resumed
operations the next forenoon. They had
now reached the stomach and were
clearing it to hoist it on deck when
they were startled to notice something
inside of it which gave spasIaodic signs
Of life.
Tho vast pouch was hoisted to the
deck and cut open, and inside was found
the missing sailor. doubled up and un-
conscious.
HE was laid out on deck and treated
to a bath of sea water, which soon re-
yivcd him, but his mind was not clear,
and he was placed in the captains OUR
tiers, where he remained two weeks Z
raving lunatic. He was carefully treated
by the captain and officers of the ship.
and he finally began to get possession Of
his senses At the end Of the third week
he had entirely recovered from his shock
and resumed Lis duties.
During the brief %sojourn in the
whales belly Bartley's skin. where it
was exposed TO the action Of tic gastric
juices, underwent a striking change.
His face and hands were bleachcd 10 4
deathly whiteness, and the skin WIS
wrinkled, giving the m&n the appear
ancc of having Eecn rartciicd.
BARLEY affirmed that l. could prob
ably have lived inside Cf his house Of
flesh until he starved, for he lost lis
senses through fright and not through
lack Of air. He says that he remembers
the sensation Of being lifted into the eir
by the nose Ct tic whale and Of falling
into the water. Then there was z fear
full rushing sound, which he believed 20
be the beating Of the water by tho
whales tail. Then he was enccmpasscd
by a fearful darkness, and he felt him
self slipping along a smooth passage Of
some sort that seemed TO move and carry
him forward.
This sensation lasted but an instant.
Then he felt that he had more DOM.
He felt about him, and lis hands came
in contact with Il yielding, Shiny srh-
stance that seemed to shrink from his
touch. 1t finally d&wncd Oh him that he
had been swallowed Gy tho whale, and
he was G~yercCnle with horror at the sit
uation. He could breathe easily. but the
heat was terrible. 1t twas not III Il scorch-
ing, sitting nature, hut il seemed to
open the pores Of his skin and draw out
his vitality.
HE became very weak and grew sick
at the stomach. He Ensw that there
was no hope OF escape from his strange
prison. Death stared him i'll the face,
and he tried 10 look at it bravely, but
the awful quiet, the fearful darkness.
the horrible knowledge Of his environ
ment and the terrible heat finally ovcr-
came him. and he must have tainted,
for he next remembered being in the
captains cabin.
The account further says: THE
health of the man does not seem to have
been affected. He is in splendid spirits
and apparently enjoys all the blessings
of life that come in his way. The whal-
ing captains say they never knew a par
allel case. They say that it frequently
occurs that men are swallowed by
whales who become Infatuated by the
pain of the harpoon and attack the boats,
but they have never known a man to 20
through the ordeal that BARLEY did and
come out alive."-New York Times