Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-23
KILLsNa wmALEs nY CANNON.

Inc inventive genius OF America has
of late years been directed very largely
toward improved modes of capturing
fish, in which not satisfied with the com
paratiyely rude methods of hooks and
lines, spears, and even nets, an effort is
made to destroy them in much more
wholesale manner. Even the whale fish
cry, which for 50 long a time has been
carried on by means of the barpoon, has,
as is well known, lately been prosecuted
by firing explosive substances into the
body of the animal with shoulder gus
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 fn-back whales
of the Norwegian coast. These animals
have hitherto been bit little disturbed by
whalers, as, although of an enormous
size from sixty to ninety feet, } they pos
sess comparatively little blubber, and are
so active IS to be rarely, if ever, success
fully attacked by the harpOOn.
A recent writer in Land and Water
recounts late visit to the establishment
of Herr Foyen, in the Varanger Fiord,
where, from u small island, the fishery
is prosecuted by means of two small
steamers of about seventy tons each.
The special apparatus employed consists
of harpoOn, inclOsiug in its head half
pound of guDpowder, and with jointed OF
hinged barbs containing some percussion
powder between them. When the whale
is within gunshot, this harpoOD, attached
to the end of long cord COiled around
drum, is fired into the animal from can
non about the size of four FOUNDER.
As the flukes penetrate the side of the
whale, they are naturally brought to-
gether or pressed down toward the shaft,
and in so doing ignite the percussion
powder, which sets fire to the gunpOW
der. causing an explosion ia the body of
the animal that usually produces q NOR
tai wound The whale, of course, starts
off under stimulus of the pain, and the
rope is carried out for q time, being IN
coiled from the drum precisely ike a
fishing.lre from the reel of fishing
rod, the steamer following after so as TO
prevent any undue strain. If necessary,
a second discharge takes place, which al
most invariably produces death.
The steamer then tows the animal back
to the station, where the blubber is taken
off in long strips by means of properly
constructed sp paratus, after which the
flesh is removed in a somewhat similar
manner, and finally the bones are sepa-
rated and hauled ous. 1t is the intention
of the proprietor to prepare fertilizer
by drying the flesh ard reducing it to
powder, and q brisk trade has already
sprung up in Germany in this article
The bones are likewise to be ground ard
utilized in various ways; so that the fen
tire animal blubber, flesh and bones
will be put to economical uses. The
csrcasses of over thirty whales were
heaped up on the island at the time of
the visit referred 10, forming red hill OF
very considerable magnitude, visible al
a great distance. The proprietor stated
that the factory would not answer its ex-
pectaions unless fifty whales could be
taken every summer. 1t was thought,
however, that there would be compare
lively little difficulty in securing thi
number; and in fact, as we learn from
later advices, over sixty in all were cap
tured during the seasOn.-EdItOr's Scien-
tifc Record, in HaypeT'S Magazine for
Moy.
The Humboldt Iqder, Of-April Il.
says: "R s. Mathews, the night operator
for the Memphis and Louisville telegraph
line, was arrested last Monday on the
charge Of stealing money from Mr. 2. Il.
Hawks, and gloves, ETC., from Mr.. VIII
son. He was tried before Esquire Will
liauss,4 who required a bond of g, 900, in
default Of which be was committed to
fail tosawait the next term Of the Circuit
Court at this place" -
The Bank of Bristol has declared a