Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-04-27

MILLING w HALEs BY CANNON The in
yentve genius of America has of late
years been directed very largely toward
improved modes Of capturing fish. in
which. not satisfied with the comparative
" 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 fishery. which for so long
a time has been carried on by means of
the harpoon. has. as is well known late.
ly been prosecuted BY firing explosive sub
stances into the body Of the animal with
shoulder-gun 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
finback whales of the Norwegian coast.
These animals have hitherto been but lit
tie disturbed by whalers. as. although of
enormous size Cfroin sixty TO ninety feet).
they possess comparatively little blubbcr.
and are so active. as to be rarely. if ever,
successfully attacked by the harpoon.
A recent writer in Land and Water re-
counts n late visit to the establishment Of
Herr Foycn. in the Varanger Fiord.
where, from small island, the fishery is
prosecuted by means of two small steam
ers of about seventy tons each. The spe-
cial apparatus employed consists of har-
poon. inclosins in its head half pound Of
sunpowder. and with joiuted or hinged
barbs containing some percussion-pcwder
between them When the whale is with
in gnnshot. this harpoon. attached tn the
end of a long cord coiled around drum.
is fired into the animal from a cannon
about the size Of four-pouuder. As the
flukes penetrate the side Of the whale thew
are naturally brought together or pressed
down toward the shaft. and in so doing
ignite the pcrcussion-powdcr. which sets
fire to the gunpowdcr. causing an explo-
sion in the body of the animal that usual
ly produces mortal wound. The whale,
nj course, starts of under the stimulus Of
| the pain. and the rope is carried ou. for
time, being uncoilcd from the drum pre-
ciscly like 6shing-line from the reel Of
a fishing rod. the steamer following after
40 as to prevent any undue strain. line
cessary second discharge takes place,
! which almost invarisbiy produces death.
The steamer then tows the animal back
to the station. where the blutber i. taken
off in long strip by means Of properly
constructed apparatus. after which the
flesh is removed in n somewhat similar
manner. and finally the bones are separa-
ted and hauled out 1t is the intention of
the proprietor to prepare a fertilizer by
drying the fesh and reducing it to pow
der. and brisk trade has already sprung
up in Germany in this article The bones
are likewise to be ground aud utilized in
various WAYS; 50 that tho entire animal
.-biubber. aesh. aud boncs-win be put
TO economical purposes. The ca.casses of
over thirty whales are heaped up on the
island at the time of the visit referred to,
forming red hill of very considerable
magnitude, visible at great dis,ance.-
The proprietor stated that the factory
would not answer its expectations unless
fifty whales could be taken every sum
mer. II 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 season. -Edi-
tors Scientific Record. in Nurper's -las-
a-i"e for Nay.