New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-20

The inventive genius of America has of late
years been directed very largely toward i'm
proved modes of capturing fish, in which, not
satisfied with the comparatively rude methods
OF hooks and lines, spears, and even nets, an
effort Is made to destroy them in a much more
Wholesale manner Even the whale-fshery,
which for so long time has been carried on by
means of the harpoon, has, as is well-known,
lately been prosecuted by firing explosive sub
stances into the body of the animal with shout
derguns or with cannon, and thus disabling it
very quickly. This method has been adopted
by many whalers in the Greenland seas, and
has been especially applied of late TO the taking
OF the large hn-back whales of the Norwegian
coast. These animals have hitherto been but
little disturbed by whalers, as, although of
enormous size, from sixty to ninety feet thew
possess comparatively little blubber, and are 80
active as to be rarely, if ever, successfully at
tackled by the harpoon.
a recent writer in Lane and Water recounts
a visit to the establishment of Herr Foyen, in
the Naranger Fiord, where, from q small
island, the fishery is prosecuted by means of
two small steamers OF about seventy tons each
The special apparatus employed consists of
harpoon, inclosing in its head half pound of
gunpowder, and with iointed or hinged barbs
containing some percussion powder betw cen
them When the whale is within gunshot this
harpOon, attached to the end of a long cord
cooled around n drum, is fired into the animal
from cannon about the size of four FOUNDER
As the fiukes penetrate the side of the whale
they are naturally brought together or pressed
down toward the shaft, and in so doing ignite
the percussion powder which sets fire TO the
gunpowder causing an explosion in the body
OF the animal that usually produces a mortal
wound. The whale, of course, starts off under
the stimulus of the main and the rome 10 carr;ad
out for time, being uncoiled from the drum
precisely like fishing line from the reel of a
fishing rod, the steamer following after so as
to prevent any undue strain. If necessary a
second discharge takes place, which almost
invariably produces death.
The steamer then lows the animal back To
the station, where the blnbber is taken off i'm a
long strip by means of properly constructed
apparatus, after which the flesh is removed in
somewhat similar manner, and finally the
bones are separated and hauled out 1t is the
intention oil the proprietor to prepare a fertil-
izer by drying the flesh and reducing il to
powder, and a brisk trade has already sprung
up IN Germany in this article. The bones are
likewise to be ground and utilized in various
ways; so that the entire Standardization.
flesh, and bOnes-wil be put to economical
purposes. The carcasses of over thirty whales
were heaped up on the island at the time of the
visit referred to, forming red hill of very con-
siderable magnitude, visible at great distance.
The proprietor stated that the factory would
not answer Its expectations unless fifty whales
could be taken every summer 1t was thought,
however, that there would be comparatively
little difficulty in securing this number and in
fact, as we learn from later advices, over sixty
In all were captured during the seasou.--Har-
per s Magazine for Udg,