Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-11
WHALE ON AN OYSTER BED.
The I."r&cst Eisls Tint vvns Ever Killed 10
Rnrllmn Buy.
From tho New York Nrn Mar O0

A WHALE ON AN OYSTER BED.
The I."rxc-, Fi-., TIM, wa. Ever Killed In
Rnriimn buy.
From the New York sun, May 70.
The fishing season has opened earlier
than usual this year at South Amboy.
and tho piscatory inhabitants are con
graduating themselves on SO suspicious
commencement rs the capture of an
enormous whale. Lust Friday morning
John Spain saw, short distance from
tho shore, what appeared to him to he a
sloop bottom upward. Tho water WINS
not more than five feet deep, and the
supposed boat had grounded on an
oyster-bed. While Spain was specu-
lating as to the probable fate Of the
crew. the object began to movo per-
ceptibly, and several Jets of water were
thrown into the mir. Tho astonished
observer had never seen a lcvinthnn,
but had read about them in connection
with Jonah, and seen pictures of them
tossing largo boats forty feot in tho air
with a slash Of their tails, and he be-
lieved tho creature before him to be
very like whale.
John rushed. to tho house of Capt.
Roberts and surprised that mariner be-
yond measure by assuring him that
there was whale in tho Oyster bed.
A single glance at tho dark, glistening
mass, rising four feet out Of tho water,
! assured the experienced Captain that
the creature was indeed q leviathan of
large dimensions, harda ground. Arm
ing himself with = gun, a Ratchet, and
considerable quantit of powder and
bal, he jumped into boat and started
upon one of tho mostremarkablo fishing
excursions within the range of hisex-
pcrience. Arrived within few yards
Of the monster, he took a steady aim
and planted ball under his fin. The
bullet sank beneath the skin and jet
of blood spurted out, but for all the
effect produced upon the whale the On
terprising Captain might us we'll have
fired into the trunk Of tree. How
ever, he tried second shot and third,
and continued to practice upon the cren-
ture until its sides looked like target
after q German shooting festival. He
thinks he finally would have slain it
had his ammunition and daylight hold
out, but in the absence of any more
lead he seized his trusty Ratchet md
prepared to renew the contest at close
quarters.
Again and again, that murderous blade
sank deep into the side of the monster,
and every stroke was followed by re-
sponsive spasm. It was warm work,
and though the Captain has few equals
with oyster-tongs, after he had cut
hole in the creatures side about four
teen inches long by eight wide and a
foot deep, he was glad to rest. Tho
whale was apparently rs fresh rs ever, and
showed no signs of going into his final
furry, though he evinced m ovcrwhelm-
ing desire to get off the oyster-bed.
Meanwhile Bloodgood, having heard
of the event, had not been idle. He had
gone to Samuel Ney, the village black
smith, and made him blow up his fire
and manufacture stout iron spear ten
feet inlength. With this formidable
weapon hot from the forge, he was now
seen approaching the shore accompa-
MED by Ney. Capt. Roberts saw them
coming md renewed his onset upon the
whale, enlarging the hole severalinches,
but failing to kill the creature.
The blacksmith evinced IN amount of
cool diseernment in the face of danger
not unworthy of his French namesake
of martial renown. He directed Blood
good to spear the whale in the hole
made by the Captains hatchet. The
hint was acted upon, and feet of iron
sank into the whales blubber. The
struggle was not long in doubt after
that. With the skill Of Arctic voyagers.
tho three men kept ont of reach of the
monster in his dying " furry" and in
ten minutes he was dead whale. Not
all the row-boats in South Amboy
could have towed him off th9oyster-bed,
but steamtug fastened hawser to
him and dragged him ashore, where
the united efforts of tho inhabitants
hauled him out of the water.
There were divers conflicting theories
as to the cause of his inland excursion.
Many old fishermen, who by virtue of
their calling were supposed to know all
about whales, though none Of them had
ever seen one, cherished q pleasant fic-
ton that the creature being, essentially
q denizen of the briny ocean, getting
accidently into the river, had become
blinded and bewildered with the un-
wonted effects of the fresh water, and
moved on blindly to its fate without
knowing where it was going to. Others
assigned sickness as the cause it's COM
ing into the river, saying that these crea-
lures always went into shallow water
when they felt themselves dying, and
this theory was somewhat borne out by
the fact that the creatures snout was
covered with parasites, which are said to
attack whales when they are on the
point of death.
In coming up the river, the whale
must have kept in comparatively mar
row channel, the water of theRaritan be-
ing very shallow at some distance from
the banks. Had it been high tide, there
isa strong probability that it would have
passed up to New Brunswick, a distance
of seventeen miles.
The whale was found to measure 49,
feet in length, 8 feet through the body,
and thirty feet in circumference. The
head was 10 feet long, and the tail IA
feet. The gills, from which the whale
bone is produced, were 81 feet long.
On Saturday the crowds coming from
far and near to view the carcass, inspir-
cd the captors with the idea of making
a paying speculation of the exhibition,
and it was accordingly enclosed, and q
small price charged for admission. On
Sunday the throng was SO great that
every boat procurable was pressed into
the service ut Perth Amboy and along
the New Jersey coast. Numerous sloops
wera chartered for the occasion, and
hundreds were unable to obtain boats.
The total sum realized was $3O8, and
double this amount would have been
taken had all who desired to sec the
whale been able to do so. Moreover,
the peculiar rank and overpowering
odor which arose from the carcass as
the oil oozed from the holes made with
the hatchet, deferred many from ap-
proaching it. It increased in density
on Monday, under the effects of the hot
sun and on Tuesday many of the most
respectable inhabitants of tho little
settlement near where it was landed
talked about making hasty departure,
and lamented that it had ever founder
ed up the river. Before night it was
all cut up and the blubber sent to the
opposite side of the river to be tried
out. Much of the oil WAS lost, but it is
estimated ut least twenty barrels re-
main, which Will realize about $3.50. The
whalebone is worth 800. The skeleton
is to be presented to the Now Bruins
wick College.
When the remains were being taken
to the field to be buried. two yoke Of
oxen were hardly able to drag the upper
part of the head, and one yoke wore
fully employed in removing the snout.