The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-14
SHIP sunk BY A WHALE
STORY OF THE STRANGE ACCIDENT
TO THE BARK KATHLEEN.
Vessel Was Rammed and sunk on
Masters Wife Reaches Her Home.
" WILSON DfgruxDeo %.
Dalftmcg0. IA

Kathleen. of this port, which was rammed
and sunk by a monster whale last st. Pat
ricks day.
Those who were on the Kathleen. as well
as the crew OF the boat which was chasing
the whale. say that II was pure accident.
and that the whale was not Infatuated nor
of the so-called "hghtin " type.
But two instances of the loss of ships
under similar circumstances are recorded
in the annals of whaling. The Essex was
attacked by belhgerent whale in the At
lantic ocean in November, 1919, and sunk,
and in 1850 the Ann Alexander met a similar
fate on the "offshore' whaling grounds in
the South Atlantic.
Only twelve of the crew of the whaler
were on the Kathleen when the accident &C.
Cured. The others were in the whaleboats
chasing whales. and three had been killed
during the afternoon, one of which was
fast to the Kathleen when she sunk.
Captain and Mrs. Jenkins returned TO
their pleasant home in South Dartmouth
this week. and they have been visited by all
their neighbors and whaling friends to hear
the yarn from their own lips. Captain Jen-
kins told his story before the Board of
Trade one night this week and the MEM
bers of that organization decided TO send
resolutions and a gift, perhaps fine pair
of marine glasses, to Capt. Ernest Dalton,
of the English tramp steamer Borderer.
who rescued Captain and Mrs Jenkins and
three boat crews of the Kathleen.
Mrs. Jenkins was not a green sailor on
this voyage, for she had been TO sea be-
fore. AS ii is not possible to sail on
whaler as a passenger she was enrolled on
the ships papers as assistant navigator.
This is not a meaningless designation in
her case, for she is valuable helper to her
husband in taking sights and in calculat-
ing latitude and longitude. She is inter
ested in the science of navigation, and,
moreover, it furnished a duty which re-
lieved the monotony of the life aboard ship
and which was consequently a pleasure.
She admits that she is not a fearless
woman, and during storms she is often
timid and nervous. She went through the
experience st. Patrick's day with the
same calmness that characterized the ac-
tons OF the entire crew, and, as her hus-
it is safe to say she is ready also.
I'VE were very fortunate in coming out
of this experience as we'll as we did" said
Mrs. Jenkins to a Globe representative. 1T
was lucky for us that Mr.. Nichols the
mate. was near the ship, for all the whale
boats, except two spare ones dashed over
Kathleen began TO fill. 1t would have taken
some time to loosen one of these and drop
it overheard. Then, again, the sea was
calm, and the night we spent in the whale
boats was fine and moonlit
st. Patrick's day was a perfect whal-
ing day. and we had just killed three
whales. 1t was the first whaling of any
account that we had had and every
thing promised a fine days work with
four dead whales alongside at shutdown.
Mr. Nichols had brought small one to
low that ended the Kathleen's career.
After short chase the whaleboat and
the whale rubbed together a short distance
from the ship. The boatheader darted a
missed the whale. and he came on toward
the Kathleen, Which lay about one hundred
yards away.
CHARGED THE SHIP.
1.-THE monster plowed directly for the
ship. and apparently tried to shoot under
her keel But he did not dip low
enough he struck the vessel somewhere be-
low the water line on the starboard quar-
ter.
Il sitting in the cabin reading AT
the time, and 1 thought nothing of the
sudden shock for an instant. Then l heard
Captain Jenkins ask the cooper, who was
looking over the side as the whale bumped
US. Do you think the whale hurt the ship?
| NO, L don't THINK so, replied the
cooper. L did not hear anything crack
Captain Jenkins then called to Mr.. Mich
OILS to come alongside, as the whale had
hit the ship and he did not know how
much damage had been done. j don't
think Mr.. Nichols was very anxious 10
give up the chase, but he came over the
side in a minute. One of the men from the
boat went to the forecastle, and he came
back on deck quickly with the information
that the ship was making water fast
Then Captain Jenkins began to make
plans for leaving the ship. He gave or
GERS for the signal flags to be hoisted
which constitute a standing order for crews
TO return to the ship quickly as pos
sible, whether fast TO a whale or not. They
came. Some of the men manned the pumps
while others were sent below to get sup
| ply OF bareback and water
Il went TO the cabin to get a few
things, and heard the captain say. 'Don't
take anything except some clothes to keeI
| you warm / found a shawl, two dress
skirts and golf cape, and then | saw
| Bingo. fine gray parrot, which we had
on board. l turned TO ask my husband
! If l could take MIN along, but / saw he
was too busy gathering charts and things
/ anyway, for il we had TO leave him il would
be just well to leave him on deck as ii
\ the cabin.
But he was taken into the boat. and
/ although a number OF reporters have pu
words into Bngo's mouth. he did not utter
a sound when he taken OF. He
! is gentlemanly Dlrd, and does not swear
"Bingo is a good deal like a child: wheT
you want him TO show of he won't. He
was too frightened TO say anything. but n,
talked like a photograph the next day
| when were safe aboard the Borderer
| My husband said afterward that he thought
when he saw Bingo in the boat If wors,
| came to worse We could eat b!ns.
| I'VE started 10 pick up the other three
boats, which were several miles away, anC
| Mr.. Veira and Mr.. Reynolds. who were IL
| charge of two of them. were fast TO whales
! We had not gone far when some one shout
/ ed, There she goes and turning. / saw
/ the last of the Kathleen. She rolled dowr
! easily, until her sails and masts struck tn,
| water and there she remained, with onl,
the port side of her hull showing
Nobody knows how big hole the whal
made, but IL was hardly more than twent-
minutes after the whale struck her befor
she filled with water and rolled over
HOW THEY JARED.
The accident happened about 4:30 O'Clock
and il was sunset before We had gathere,
the boats tog sther divided our stock o
bread and water and equalized the crews o
the boats. We headed toward the Barba
does and sailed all night.
MIR. Veira carried all sail and i'm tn
morning he was out OF sight. He and eigh
|