Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-05-14
Wreck of Whaler Kathleen
RECALLS INCIDENT
OF Hawaii's Whaling Days

Dispatches received in the last
steamer from the Coast gave a short
resume of the loss OF the New Bedford
whaling bark Kathleen. The ship was
wrecked by bull whale and furnished
one of the most remarkable incidents
in the recent annals of whaling. The
story OF the wreck as told by Third
Mate Reynolds to New York report.
er follows:
The Kathleen. which is a vessel Of
2OG tons. one of the Baltimore packets
builC fifty.eight years ago. sailed from
New Bedford. where she was owned,
on October 90, 1901, in search OF
sperm whales. She had been In port
less than month, having arrived
there on September &c under a jury
rig. She had been dismasted in a
gale off Bermuda on September 6. She
had no sooner cleared from New Bed.
ford than she encountered a gale that
kept her matches battened down for
twenty days. The vessel put into the
Cape Verde islands and shipped
enough Portuguese sailors to bring the
total of those on board up to thirty
nine. including Captain jenkins wife.
Captain Jenkins then steered for the
east coast Of Brazil. The fishing was
poor there; nothing was caught. Cap.
tain Jenkins cruised to the eastward
OF the Windward Islands. On March
II, about noon, the lookout sighted an
immense school Of whales. There ap.
peared to be about three hundred of
them. Four boats were lowered and
put in command of De Vera, First
Mate Nichols. Reynolds and the soc
ond mate, Morris Murray. Captain
Jenkins. his wife. a steward and the
cabin boy remained on board.
Three Boats Fast to Whales.
OF the four boats. three got fast TO
whales almost Immediately. Murray s
boat was the exception, and he began
a chase of a whale. Nichols capture
was a COW and he towed 1t alongside
the vessel on the port side. The tao
kles were made ready. and had been
run under the body OF the whale when
Captain Jenkins shouted to Nichols:
There's a big bull close alongside;
better go after him"
The afternoon was well along by
this time, but Nichols and his men set
out. The bull was only short dis.
lance from the vessel, and a harpoon
was soon protruding from his side. He
sounded Immediately, but soon came
up again. He then started straight for
the bark. He fairly tore through the
water The boat travelled so fast that
line was paid out. II rushed over the
thwarts at such a speed that the fric'
ton set the wood on fire. and the rope
was cut. The whale rammed the
kathleen just abaft OF amidships
smashing a hole in her as If he had
been the ram OF a gunboat. The lark
began to Ill Immediately. The whale
disappeared beneath the waves, and
was seen no more.
Nichols observed what had occurred
to the Kathleen, got out the oars and
made for her. She was already ca
reenlng. Captain jenkins and the otn.
ers on board haT got together some
bread and water'by the time the whale.
boat came alongside, and these were
put in. Mrs. Jenkins was anxious to
save her parrot, which was a good
talker, and the bird was hunting up
and taken aboard also. 1t was said by
a member of the crew that the parrot
uttered something like, "T'll be - ii
| ever 90 a.whalng again" as he was
put into the boat.
Sinks In Half an Hour.
Leaving the Kathleen, which sank
inside Of thirty minutes after she was
rammed, Captain jenkins ordered the