The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-05-23


New Bedford, reached this
port to-day on the steamship
Madlana from West Indian ports. The
tale OF wreck which they brought
equals any in the annals OF those ven
turous New England mariners who
made famous history years ago In their
pursuit Of the biggest fish Of the sea.
Their vessel was wrecked by n whale
they had started and harpooned. They
and their comrades had TO take to the
open ocean In small boats SO far as
Is known, the whole ships company
has reached land. Captain Jenkins and
his wife, two officers and most Of the
crew got to Pernambuco late last
month.
The survivors who came here to-day
were Chief Bowman Manuel Viero and
seven seamen. They tossed on the
sea In an open boat for eleven days be-
fore making land. Tney reached Do
mlnlca on March % The Madlana
touched at that port on April II and
took them on board.
Not only were these men following
n calling that Is so historic that most
persons have TO be reminded that 1t
Is not extinct, but they were following
It I'm vessel that had considerable
title 10 antiquity. The Kathleen was
built In Philadelphia fifty-eight years
ago, and was perhaps by this time
hardly fitted to cope with the onset OF
the ponderous levlathan that sent her
TO the bottom some 400 miles east Of
the Barbados. J. and w. II. Wing,
OF New Bedford, owned her She was
n small vessel, only 300 tons register
not very tough proposition for a
whale.
The whale that sunk the Kathleen
struck the bark in the beam and
crushed In her side. Water poured in
so rapidly that It was evident that the
old bark was doomed to go down
speedily, and such Of the company as
were still aboard her FASTENED TO get
into the boats that had started the
whale and to get out the other boats
on board. They had hardly gotten
away before the Kathleen went down.
The boats kept together for forty
eight hours. but were separated on
March 10 I'm n storm There were
thirty persons. all told, aboard the
Kathleen when she was wrecked. and
all of them have been accounted for
now. Captain Jenkins and his wife
and several OF the large party that
reached Pernambuco were brought
north on the steamship Pydna, which
arrived outside Philadelphia yesterday.
Their stories have not been told as yet,
however, for the Pydna was quaran-
tined at Recdy Island. The rest Of the
Pernambuco party had to walt for
another northbound vessel. The Pydna
took all that she could accommodate.
Viero's story. as told by him after
landing, was this:
"We had struck school Of whales
on the morning OF March II. and had
killed three. One was tied up alongside
and five barrels of oil had already been
taken out OF him. Two others were
being towed toward the ship. 1t was
about > o'clock In the afternoon when
my boat started buster, twenty
eight barrel fellow. He sounded. and
we went after him. | got him on the
rise with harpoon, and got him good
He sounded again. but he came up
quickly
"As he came up he saw the ship. and
he made for her like n torpedo boat
The line on the harpoon went through
the cleats like blue smoke. and he
looked like black streak. | had to
cut the line to save ourselves. The
Kathleen was only quarter of n
mile away. and he hit her just little
aft OF amidships. He just stove her
whole side in, and the ship went over
on her beam ends. The whale gave 1t
n slap with his tail and sounded That
was the last we saw of him.
THE Kathleen wen, Gown in about
thirty minutes. The captain had got
everybody Off by that time.
Il don't know how the other boats
did. but | had small casl OF water
and twelve pounds of biscuit aboard.
| gave everybody little drink of water
and a piece Of biscuit at g o'clock in
the morning, and at o'clock at night.
We had small jury rig, and by row
ing and sailing. we made Dominica in
eleven days. don't want another trip
Ike it, We We're pretty close to star.
walton and dying of thirst Our food
and water was all but gone when we
got ashore. What wa had had. had
only kept us alive SO that we could
suffer. The American Consul took care
of us at Dominica"
Niero is a big. raw.boned mulatto.
His companions were most OF them
lankees.-New York sun.