The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1866-04-22
Whale Captured off Wilmington.
North CnrnEfno

North Carolina.
The Wilmington Journal gives the
following facts relative to the capture
of a whale below that city:
The whale recently captured is of the
fin-back species, and was first seen
about sunrise on Tuesday, March Goth,
and soon after grounded on an oyster
rock near SmithVille. He got clear,
and started up the channel agita.
ting the water more than an ordinary
steamboat He shortly afterwards ran
aground again, this time opposite the
residence of Mrs Stuart Mr.. Warren,
a gentleman in Smithville, fred az him
while in this position; but he appeared
perfectly regardless of the shot, and
extricsting himself again, started up
the channel. A small schooner, named
the Planet, then started in pursuit,
and found him stuck on Shows marsh,
opposite Fort Fisher; but on coming up
with him it was discovered that he had
again succeeded in extricating himself
and was making directly for the
schooner. This movement on the part
of the whale caused great deal of
CONSERVATION among the crew of the
vessel, which was Immediately faced
about and all haste was made from the
scene of action; but on proceeding q
short distance they observed that the
whale, who was probably as badly
frightened as the crew, had also
changed his course, and was making
all speed in an opposite direction, and
was in a short time seen to run ashore
near the place where he had just got
off
A small boat was sent to reconnoitre
his position. Finding him fast aground,
and the tide falling, the schooner pro
ceeded to Smithville to get the assist
ance of the sloop Flash, and also to OBJ
tain the services of a gentleman resi-
ding in Smithville, who has had several
years experience in the whaling bust
ness. .----.--
On their return, the tide having fall
en- considerably, the huge monster was
discovered to be almost entirely out of
the water. The first object was to kill
him; accordingly hole was cut in his
side, and the old whaler ran his sword
in until his arm was almost entirely
embedded in his body. His heart was
eventually pierced, but even then it
was nearly two hours before he had
ceased TO breathe. In his fury he could
throw a stream of water six inches in
diameter fully hundred feet high.
His dimensions were sscertained to be
as follows. fifty-six feet long, and
twenty-sevea feet in circumference.
The head is about one-third of the en-
tire length. The jaws are sixteen feet
long on either side, and nine feet wide
across the thrSat This tail is about
twelve feet wide, and serves him as q
weapon. He is only about half grown,
and weighs thirty-six tons, or seventy
two thousand pounds
To give some idea Of his immense
weight, it IS stated that even after the
upper jaw and skull were cut away, it
was impossible, owing to the immense
weight, to get the under Jaw on the
deck of the schooner, so it must re-
main in the water until the flesh decays
before the bone can be saved.
The carcass would have made sixty
/ barrels of oil, if facilities could have
been obtsined for cutting and tying up
the blubber. As il is, only about TWEEN
ty-6ve barrels, or eight hundred gal
Ions, have been saved