Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1902-05-03
WRECKED BY A WHALE
Remarkable Adventures of the
49, Kathleen's Crew.
ALL SAVED. INCLUDING A PARROT

Mate Tells How a Big Bull Whale
Charged and Sank the Bark In
Midocean-One-four of the Party
Lived For Eleven Days In Open
Boat.
Hobart R. Reynolds, mate Of the
whaling bark Kathleen, wrecked by a
whale a thousand miles east of Bar.
bados on March II, tells a thrilling
story of the event, which compelled the
crew to take to boats to be picked up
later by three different vessels, landing
the sailors recently in New York city
and in Philadelphia, says the New
York Evening World. Three hundred
whales were sighted on St. Patrick S
day, and all hands except Captain Jen-
kins, his wife, the stewards and the
cabin boy started in pursuit. -Four
boats were soon fast to the monsters.
The first boat, under command Of Chief
Bowman Manuel de Viar1a, towed it's
whale alongside the Kathleen and
made fast. Then bull whale was seen
a mile away, and the boat went in pur-
quit.
"The bull was soon reached, and a
harpoon was planted in it's head" says
Mate Reynolds. 1.-THE animal sounded,
but not very deep, and then started
straight for the Kathleen. The bull
travelled so fast that the line, singing
through the groove, set the bow of the
whaleboat on fire. At full speed the
maddened whale charged into the
Kathleen amidships on the starboard
side. The whole side of the bark was
crushed in, and she began to fill.
"Viaria chopped the line. and his men
pulled for the side. Meanwhile the cap
tain, steward and cabin boy had hur-
riedly tossed some biscuit and a break
er Of water on deck, while Mrs. Jen-
kins fetched her parrot, which had SAIL
ed with her for eight years. AS Via
ria's boat came alongside the woman,
the captain, parrot, steward and boy
had just time to drop in the provisions
and themselves before the Kathleen,
with the dead bull made fast to her
port bulwark. sank.
1.-THE first that 1 personally knew that
anything had happened was when, tow
ing my catch in the darkness, sighted
q boat under sail and was hailed from
it.
"'1s that you, ReynoldsY Yes, SIR
Are you fast? Yes, SIR Cut loose.
The Kathleen has been sunk. This is
Captain Jenkins"
1.-THE captain picked up Murray and
Nichols, the fourth mate, both OF
whom soon came up, and all four boats
were in bunch. First the people were
so distributed that there were ten souls
in each boat. In the captains boat
there were eight men, Captain and Mrs.
Jenkins and the parrot.
"The captain gave each boat twenty
pounds Of hard tack and four and
half gallons Of water in open buckets
When daylight came, there was not
sail or a boat in sight of us. tried to
drink some Of the water. 1t was salty.
A breeze springing up in the night had
dashed the spray over the gunwale and
made the fresh water brackish.
II set course west by north, Barba-
dos, bearing $50 miles, as near as ]
could judge, in that direction. We start
ed away on that course and after sail
ing half a mile overhauled another
boat, which proved to be the captains.
He divided with me what fresh water
he had left The two of US logged along
in each others company until a. M,
when the captain sighted smoke,
which proved to be that Of the collier
Borderer from Baltimore for Coronel,
Chile. She took US aboard.
"T have got two more boats drifting
around here,' said Captain Jenkins. All
right said Captain Dalton. T'u look
for them
"He picked up the third boat after a
little, but although the Borderer circled
around in widening circles for forty
miles she could not find Viaria, and we
went on to Pernambuco."
II lost the rest of the boats" said
Viaria, because had agreed with
Captain Jenkins to exchange signal
flashes. Once in the night I saw the
captains fash and thought I was fall
ing behind. l then cracked on so fast
that l outsailed the feet and, having
only eighteen pounds Of bread and four
and one-haR gallons Of water, conclud-
ed l had no time to waste. SO l crowd
I'd on for Barbados eleven nights and
lays.
"Every morning and night 1 served |
70 each man about a tablespoonful Of |
water and half a biscuit. It was hot at |
the last, and we had continually to
II |