The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-19
WHALERS AND WHALING.
pFAoTS AND RIG URES ABoUr 4 RE-
J.. TITING dMERICAN INDUSIRP.

y a. ~ Looking In AQaiH-Prr~cnt StHiistics
: aud Prospects The ships. Men. aud Risks.
NEW BEDFORD, Nov. FIFTY ycnrs ngo
Rhe centre OF the whaling business Of New Eng
land wa Mt Nantu ket. Then II moved ~ Mar
kba's VINEYARD, and finally. IN 1853, It crossed
TO the mainland and settled at New Bedford
From 1873 to 1853 were the palmy DAYS Of this
hndustry. ana during that time the whaling nest
calling from New Bedford numbered nearly 4OO
lvesseis
J The panic Of 1857 and The discovery Of pctro
peum together made sad in-olds into the busi-
moss, and II was already sun ring when tho civil
lvar broke out. For time u was almost wholly
lsvlpcd out nv tho rcbel cruisers. Not only uHon
lthe Atlantic were the unluckv whalers bounced
upon by the priv tecrs i,inc the stars AMI bars,
but the shenandoah went up TO the North Pa
cinc and PLAYED havoc among them there Since
Iebe claims for vessels thus destroyed have been
kpaid, New Bedford and its suburbs Fairhaven
and D.rtmouth, recover about &2.0OO.OC0
when tho trade was thus depressed. large
number II the older hiliDg vessels remaining
wore sold by their owners to tho Government
and having boon den vita stone wore sclttled
and sunk ~ distractions IN tue barbor ~
: kharlestcn, =. c. Other Whaling vessels wers
j eoid into the merchant service. The old time
Meet was thus thinncd out, and no new vessels
were buzz TO Ike the place OF those DESTROYED.
excepting two at New Bedford and one IT,
Maine, since 1851.
Experirnce d-monsirltel at length that while
ipetrOleUil had In great mshsuro suppIihtod
whale Oii a. a cheap Illuminating medium. 1t
could not compete win suerm oil as iutri-
Gator. ard Tor certain uses SIN infcrilr ~
Hight producer t. the oil OF the tixlt VII lie.
'Anotner impetus t. a reVivl OF tn Industry
was found IL the increaHin9 demand anu
lcroasing supply Of whaivbuue, Tor witch 10
good subs it.tc has been discovered. So, u der
the Ina snct of these encouragement q, re-
newed ACTIVITY was m infested among the
whal trs 49, out 1870 and since tnon oacn year has
ibiinosS d growth.
She Nufi P,cihc neet were closed In pv the Ice
IN the A etc sea. lhsy uad gone In ncnr tue
land soDth OF Point BtrrOw. aud tbs ici driited
~ mou, ~ hl-h about tnen' completely smut
ting on u cscA. e.. Ihty we're abandoned by
their crew., and during the winter were all
ground pieces oy tue Ice, with the ex option
OF one, ,ae Miueiya Of Nov bedford, wncu 10
soino m, tafious way lived through until spring,
sud was ,heh Iesc,ed Nv ,he DIX hioreuce Of
Ban Fra cisco. Tom " illi ms, IN tster. Tho Min
erva nus since been sold into the merchant ser
lustcal Il discouraeine the hardy whalemen
chs Ere ~ @i,.stct only seemed To incito them
IRON "a, merch1ni service, aud fitted out rs
wheieis. irrang"uirnts perfected for the ship
menf h"m ot their likes 81 oil anu bone from
all par Of the w"rl !. AID in .tOved app rdtus
lntroiu' J. Gr.dAiiiy, On, srsly, tn bdsi-
mess r.. yer from the severe blow. untll 1t
was IN e'cn better conaition ia n before. Ihis
yoar. l. over, anoiner cslamuy overlook tue
Nortn j. 'hc hcet. Oniy recently Intelligence
has torr -Ned Of tn@ totc.u abandonment
oil l. OF vessels Ia tns ice. at a p.int n.r,h
and east u Point u ROW, crushed hopelsssly
Fniun- ti.c pace Ice, aud the rescue Of their
crows bj tuaI same Dllu az ,iiner. iom Williams.
$50 $50 ''' ~ ''s ''''''" "''s' tue Ice PACK 0'
IL world appear to most landsmsn that the
lesson ui one SUCH terrible expsrience-haying
~ agaueun one vessel, sluniDie Tor miles over
rough tee. tlungs again ard az In through the
loose T. cs ice IN o the freezing water. leave
come des frozen on the way, lose everything but
the clothes on on-'s back, aud then work
bonew.Ii half arouud tue glJOe would
DO snoGsn to deter ssamen from so ar
ducts and dneeiOus pursuit. IL does
tbose hlrjsniDs and perils were uneasy aftel
ysachins norIs until tnoy were again enoat In
bhe same service. Owners, too. were 40 hi1Is
iisheMtcned as tnelr uien aud instead Of Of
sorting taelr capitl ana enersies to other
prompt 10 rsHt and send out new vessels to re-
plnoe those which were lost 1t is, indeed. be-
senst aiI lately to New Beaiord
since 1t ~ tend % revive here the shipDuiluing
years y 81, nrn VI swift Perry h.vs
already contractOd Tor Two new whaling vessels
Another - TO be built at Mat, apOlset, ana a
Fourth III me. Others are taKsd OF mere. and
tt h noJcu thai from tnis start viii spring
Prosperous uaae ia sbipbuilding at NO very us
Tue vessels specially constructed for whaling
are mucn better auaplcd to he work, a RUE,
shan tho-e altered over from merchantmen,
although some VI IN Latter have the requisite
form aLd sinLly requirs certain changes la
their 10 crn Il Irause .nents. Primarily, It Is
necessar, tuat wheler should have good deep
hold Oh ths water t1at sne may not too severe
" jeIk andtoll wuen tue operation vi stnpaing
hbluDueI itom " hale Is ~ progress. Then, all
her accDWmod tons for her iEen must be
Dow, ins 81 Of, as IN the merchant service, on
deck f,r mere plenty OF deck room Is an a5sO-
lutte me- e,sity. A wnIer need not he uest, uor
A. II nee 'ssar, to Lave geat stowsR room In her
hold, since, IS the business Is now conducted,
she can -hip her oil nome as fast as may be de-
sira5ic. A vessel winch might without muon
sevurity ~ Guar ctrrlz 81 US an "old tue " wlii
do as we'll 10 catca wales IRON IA any And IL
4 asloa.'ning how old acme Of THESE tubs get to
be. 1uvrt are wnaling vessels at New Bedford
which have been seventy Years III active service,
and are TN good. No wonder tho " life " Of d
Jsshaer Jas p4sssd inLo a provero. The careful
a III b
prcted space oeL~een their vuter anu inner
with ,%e presenyatcn Of toeiI t,m aSe 20 ana nd
piapking; hut much Is also due 10 tns Tact that
~ ooil /, co,ns'art,ye, isSs and a. road
chat tnors are no LOCAL str-ins. such are COM
mon with otnsr laain2s.
A. Present there are in the whaling busi-
asss ~ ri, xs SSsnl r, only so ye,:si. alto
ford ~ to PrVwnce,owu, " to New LON
don, to bos.oS. and the rect " other
points IA New Enai M and to san Francisco.
WITH the exception Of one when sails from New
York. of these. very large proporti.n re
now ensased IN ths cnase of the sperm whale.
cts, whi-h conhne then operations 10 the At
ssni,e ocsAn Toe la'eesi b-Iks wsieh 90 40 TO
OF the an, boNnead, aud numback whale, aud
OF walFns OH, seom 10 be gradually growing
investment !, scsTcey large enough to overoal-
Ancs tteIlsN. esp cislly sluce the oil t.ken Is
much iess ia value th.n mat OF the spsrm whale.
and the Principal he. cadence for large pIode
must D. upon the yie.0 Of bone. The two
entirely distiuct although they have M any .eI,-
eral point, Oh resemblance
The rye bal of from 80 To $50 tons bur
hen, "l.ci pnf- 80 tho tiEnt VII lie, each carry A
clptait, llur m itcs, Tour Ulatste rtrs. and a
crew twenty men-nvc to pull the oar, OF e4cu
OF tue t3us bots, Mhsn the WI ling gIOun IS
are ." D., where arc the "britt" or nalIne
Animalrl.e uQon which al whales. excep- the
sperm ed, and tue big fellows are signtc 1. the
boa, ~ lowered, enc, two or tBIee, as occasion
may rcq nc, and the chase nelins. la old times
ahis used TO DC very latiguiug part OF the Uusi
mess, Ia the mon hAd t. row. often many weary
miles. 10 90 81 lse enough to the whale for the
harpnOu"r 10 do his work. Now, however, nelt-
~ all wade boats are ltteI witn siils Tuis il
mot toe "uiS improvement. Instead OF. as form
CRY, dcicaulng upon "a Close auu hax 4raOus
Gght win the whale, gr'n, EIns are e rrIel,
some 1 FIR from the sh uider others liggei IA
Ithe bows 81 the boats. Ine foIner hurI iong,
sDoiniel lots into the cafcls5 VI this whale.
fhero - cXpIode h@e bombs. II accurately
aimed these XIII Instant and from a coupur -
4ively r1fe distance. me otheT. not onlj IRE
Explosive bombs, hut sort II lance, with d line
iattached, which makes iisi AZ the Same time.
&c u TIE lractlcs for the boat steersr to lr,t
kharpoon tho whale. then for the oliicer to cJue
10 wasd from tue stern of tho boat, cGInsin-