The Washington herald., 1907-03-31
Modern JOnah's Adventure
a Flight of Imagination.
BIBLE ExPos1ToRs IMPOSED ON
Interesting Narrative of James
BartIey, an English sailor, who
Told of Being swallowed by "a
Whale, Now Admitted TO BE Fish
stOry-Aeeepted by TheoIogians.


Dispatch. Only this hoax was designed
scientific. but most strongly to the re-
! iigiOus investigator
This is the famous BARLEY whale
story, in which James BARLEY. an Eng
( lsh sailor, claimed to have been swal-
lowed by a whale. and 10 have survived
after staying day and night IN the
creatures stomach. This has heretofore
/ been accepted as a remarkable modern
/ confederation of the Biblical story OF
Jonah
! II has been seriously incorporated into
one OF the most dignifed and exhaustive
works, Hastings Dictionary Of the
Bible" an encyclopedia of several vol
umes. with the subjects treated by the
ablest authorities. The article on the
Book Of Jonah" into which the Bart
ley whale story is quoted. is by Prot
F. G. Konig, a distinguished German
authority, who has also written a book
on the same subject
No ordinary fish story was that of
James BARLEY. sailor Il would have
managed to stand alone through its own
| ingenuity. but when advanced As proof of
the truth Of the Bible story it Immediately
became famous BARLEY claimed TO have
been swallowed by a whale. and 10 have
remained in its stomach day and night
which was only half as long as Jonah's
sojourn. but still quite a creditable per-
formance for one who made no claim TO
the miraculous as factor in sustaining
his life.
BartIey's Whale story.
When BARLEY was finally rescued after
the whale had been cut up by It's eaptors
his companions BARLEY was unconscious.
but still alive says the chronicler He
had gone out. according TO his story. with
the Whaler Star Of the East IN 1891. In
February Of that year two whale boats
were launched with an equipment OF men
TO pursue a superb whale that was OBJ |
served at some distance" The account
published at that time continues:
The huge creature was harpooned and /
wounded to death. While it was writhing /
in its last agonies one Of the whale boats
vas struck by its tail and shattered in /
pieces.
The sailors who were In it were
thrown into the water: all but two were
saved shortly afterward by the other 1
boats. The body OF one was recovered. !
but that Of the other, a man named James /
BARLEY, could not be found
W hen the monster had ceased moving 4
and its death was certain II was hoisted 4
alongside the ship and the work of cut /
ting II up began. A day and a night 4
was devoted TO this task When Il was
ended the stomach Of the whale was
opened. What was the surprise Of the /
IA lfrre
rade, unconscious, but aliver'
AS published in the French scientific 4
journal Cosmos at that time. the story
details the fact that Bartley's com
panions had much difficulty in reyiving 4
aim. For several DAYS he was delirious
and could not speak an ineligible I
word"
Recovered in a Hospital.
Not TIL three weeks had elansed did he
recover his reason to the extent that he
was able to narrate his Impressions. And
for long time he was obliged 10 undergo
treatment in a London hospital, and there
his story was related. As told in his own
words it is highly interesting.
I remember very we'll" he said. "tbe
moment when the whale threw me into
the air. Then was swallowed and found
myself inclosed in a firm. slippery chan
mel. whose contractions forced me con
tinually downward. This lasted only an
instant
Then I found myself in very large
sack and by feeling about 1 realized
that l had been swallowed by a whale
ana that / was in his stomach 7 could
still breathe, though with difficulty.
had a feeling of insupportable heat. and
II seemed as If l We're being boiled alive A"
Like Jonah, BARLEY was greatly fright
ened by his situation. and although he
does not mention having worded a psalm
prayer. as did the prophet OF old. he kent
MS wits about him to such a degree that
his impressions were considered of the
highest value to Biblical and scientinc
students.
Feared He Would Perish.
The horrible thought that was
doomed to perish in the whales belly tor
tured me" he said TO the interviewer VIII,
sought him in the English hospital. "Mv Il
agony was intensified by the calm ana
silence that reigned about me. Finally I 1
lost the consciousness of my friebtfuI
Here ended the story as told by BartIev
But the investigator went further and
found that Barley was reputed to he one
Oh the hardest whalemen then in service. !
Ana IN spite OF his experiences he finally Z
and his general health was not
affected I
His skin, however, it was related b,, =
those who watched the progress of his
ease, became very dark. as though il had !
been tanned by the action of the vastri,
o EETfar Fefe
tempt to assimilate him. I
BARLEY quoted the captain of tbe Star I
II the East as corrOborating his story n 6
was spread broadcast and attracted much
tttention among commentators on the
BIBLICAL story of Jonah. Specifically. if
vas quoted from German scientific ma
per into Hastings Dictionary Of the 6
Bible. by Prof E. c. Konig. author Of
he exhaustive article in that publication {
IN Jonah and his experiences, reliability !
and character.
story Run Down, II
The Star OF the East was at sea sf the
ime BARLEY related his story. and her
captain could not be seen 10 eorroborate I
'r contradict the incident But now.
lfter more than fifteen years. the Ex- t
'ository Times, of Edinburgh. has gone ?
o the trouble of tracing the Star of the y
East, and finds it sailed from Auckland
New Zealand. December q. 1890. for New y
York n
It was hardly probable that even 5
teamer could have gotten into wbalfns, y
waters by February, the date ser nv
5artiey as the time of his adventure. But
he case against him is now decided h,
ne evidence Of the captains wife.
My husband asked me to write ,, she
avs. in Ieffar n fh.. tr,.r.nri....... -