The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-03-10
our WhaIe Fishery.

The discovery of oil in the Western
part OF Pennsylvania and elsewhere
throughout this country, valuable as it
has been, is and may be, has by no
means done away with the Importance
of that whale fishery which was among
the most valuable of our commercial
pursuits, and will always remain So
We say nothing against the petroleum
trade in commencing the whale bust
ness, and nothing adverse to the latter
in commencing the former. They are
the compliments of one another, and 1t
is to be hoped that rivalry will stimu-
late both, rather than retrench either.
1t is certain that neither is a full equiv
alent for the other, and that we have to
look to the prosecution of both for our
largest returns.
The whale fishery of this country, al
ways exceeding that of any other, was
seriously injured by the depredations
of British pirates during the rebellion,
and vet there is now q better average
yield than on the last year. The pirates
destroyed 46 vessels, with 5,l92 bbls. OF
sperm and 5000 bbls, of whale oil-1O,-
eight vessels destroyed by wrecking.-
The losses by piracy amount to some
s., ,OOO, 900. The total stock of sperm on
hand is $500 bbls.; of whale II, l5O bbls.;
of bone 193, 200 pounds. The North Pa
cific fleet numbered % vessels besides
those burned by the Shenandoah-TSi in
all the month OF July last. The catch
there averaged 6S4 bbls., an increase of
l14 bbls. on 1868. If the vessels destroy
ed by the Shenandoah are omitted, the
average was rs bbls.
We see by the Honolulu AdVeTttSer,
of December 9th, that the total catch
reported at Hawaii and San francisco
a 02n hnrrnlg nf nil ami RTN- -INHl
pounds of bone, giving to the So Arctic
vessels an average of 664 barrels of oil
and 1922 pounds of bone, against 455
barrels and 6,SlS pounds last year. The
Ochotsk vessels this year have averaged
SD barrels and 1O,5O0 pounds of bone,
against SOL barrels and l., $50 pounds in
1884. AS whale oil now brings 81 40
and whalebone 81 %, the result is high
ly favorable, and must lead to larger
fleets the next year. The stock of sperm
oil on hand is small, and nearly the
whole will be needed by government to
supply lighthouses. The increase of
cotton production in the South, and of
manufacturing in general, Will make
draft on this; while Great Britain Will
want $4,000 barrels to keep. her ma
chinery running. This country will
want 80 600 barrels, and only enough to
supply one nation will be provided.
The general success of the Arctic fleet
in the year past is said 10 have been
good. One ship returned $50 bbls. in
six months; of which S25 bbls. were
sperm. The current year is Likely to
see few ships sent out. All that can be
will be sent; but our mercantile marine
is not what it used to be. There are
few ships to return; some ten right
whalers and only two or three sperm
ers.
These facts are sufficient to show
that although petroleum is daily grow.
in use and favor, it does not abolish
the use of whale oil, and that the latter
important branch of industry will be
continued without Congressional aid.
As we no longer require blockade
ulong the coast, and as new ships are
building for the Atlantic and Pacific
trade; as in fact the whole of our mari
time interests hre increasing, and as the
whale fishery is one of their chief afiiu-
ents, we have need TO turn attention to
it. 1t has not suffered as was to have
been expected from the combined in
tluence of the war and the discovery of
petroleum. Since these have not in
jured it, we may hope for its future
growth; that it will employ as many
ships, and train as many sailors, de-
mand as much capital and return as
large revenues as in those past years
when IL fed the mercantile marine of
the nation, and when it was proposed
to foster it by legislation. 1t is, as IL
always must be, an important interest,
and we are glad to see that it hns been
so well supported. Petroleum lessons
its Importance but will never destroy
it.-PhiLddelphiG North american.