Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-11
A WHALE ON AN OYSTER BED.
The Largest Fish that was Ever Killed !
RNrIImn hay.
From tho New York Hun Nav ~


The Largest Fi~h ahnt was Ever Killed In
From tho New York Sun, May 70.
The fishing season has opened earlier
than usual this year at South Amboy,
and the piscatory inhabitants are con-
graduating themselves on so suspicious
u commencement as the capture of mn
enormous whale. Last Friday morning
John Spain saw, a short distance from
the shore. what appeared to him to be \
sloop bottom upward. Tho water was
not more than five foot deep, and the
supposed boat had grounded on an
oyster-bed. While Spain was specu-
lating rs to tho probable fate Of the
crew, the object began to movo per-
ceptibly, and several Jets of water were
thrown into tho air. Tho astonished
observer had never seen a leviathan,
but had read about them in connection
with Jonah, and seen pictures of them
tossing large boats forty feet in the mir
with a slash of their tails, and he be-
lieved tho creature before him to be
very like whale.
John rushed to the house of Capt.
Roberts and surprised that mariner be-
yond measure by assuring him that
there was whale in the Oyster bed.
A single glance at the dark, glistening
mass, rising four feet out Of the water,
assured the experienced Captain that
the creature WAS indeed leviathan of
large dimensions, harda ground. Arm
ing himself with gun, q hatchet, and
considerable quantit of powder and
ball, he jumped into boat and started
upon one of the mostremarkablo fishing
excursions within the range of hisex-
perience. Arrived within few yards
Of the monster, he took a steady aim
and planted q ball under his fin. The
bullet sank beneath the skin and a Jet
of blood spurted out, but for all the
effect produced upon tho whale the en-
tcrprising Captain might as we'll have
fired into the trunk Of tree. How
eyers he tried 9 second aAot aud q third,
ture until its sides looked like target
after German shooting festival. He
thinks he finally would have slain it
had his ammunition and daylight held
out, but in the absence of any more
lead he seized his trusty hatchet md
prepared to renew the contest at close
quarters.
Again and again, that murlerous blade
sank deep into the side of the monster,
and every stroke was followed by a re-
sponsive spasm. It was warm work,
and though the Captain has few equals
with oyster-tongs, after he had cut a
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 as fresh as over, and
showed no signs of going into his final
furry, though he evinced an overwhelm-
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 and renewed his onset upon the
whale, charging the hole several inches,
but failing to kill the creature.
The blacksmith evinced an 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 Ratchet. 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,
the three men kept ont of reach of the
monster in his dying I" furry" and in
ten minutes he was dead whale. Not
all the row-boats in South Ambov
could have towed him off thxoyster-bed,
but steamtug fastened q hawser to
him and dragged him ashore, where
the united efforts of the 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 a pleasant fic.
ton that the creature being, essentially
a 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 it's fate without
knowing where it was going to. Others
assigned sickness as the cause of its 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 tc
attack whales when they are on the
point of death.
In coming up the river, the whale
must have kept in a comparatively mar.
row channel, the water of theRaritan be.
ing very shallow ut seine distance from
the banks. Had it been high tide, there
is a strong probability that it would have
of seventeen miles.
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, mspir-
ed the captors with the idea of making
a paying speculation of the exhibition.
and it was accordingly enclosed, and a
small price charged for admission. On
Sunday the throng was SO great that
every boat procurable was pressed into
the service at 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 see the
whale been able to do 80. Moreover,
the peculiar rank and overpowering
odor which arose from the carcass as
the oil oozed from the holes made with
the Ratchet, deferred many from ap-
preaching 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
oil cut mp 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
whalebono is worth 500. 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 were
fully employed in removing the snout.