The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1879-07-08

"A Couple Captured ON - Coast Of LAR
bralOr.

IS mEs RCkCuCs YIbpflCbUIH III JIG 5A4Wdfluiu3
sent out an expedition Of thirteen men for
the coast of Labrador. : few weeks ago, with
a view Of capturing a whale. Last Monday
he received the joyful news by telegraph that
the expedition had been successful and that
they had caught two white whales and would
at once return with their precious trophies.
Yesterday morning the whales arrived by
rail, in a special car from Montreal, and while
one was sent to Coney Island Aquarium, the
other was placed in the big seal tank Of the
Aquarium Of this city, where it was privately
viewed by representatives of the press and a
few other invited guests. The whale (Which
is a mere baby, being only twelve feet tong
and IN other respects Of equally delicate and
~infantile proporrions) moved about the tank
in a very languid fashion as though he were
thoroughly tired and exhausted after his ia
tiguing journey. eds
He was captured a week ago last Saturday
in the usual manner. At the lowest tide Mr..
Reiche's men went ont some distance from
the coast and drove a series of heavy stakes
within eighteen inches or two feet of each
other into the sand, thus forming a great pen
or whale trap, the gate to which was raised
fifteen feet high. One of the stakes was duly
baited with some of the whales fatorite food
and at high tide the whales foated in, the
gate was dropped and as soon as the water
ebbed they were stranded and virtually cap
tured. There is a difference of seven or
eight feet between high tide and low tide on
that part ofthe coast Of Labrador and the on
ly difficulty is to get the whale into the deal
box which has been prepared for him. Be-
ing out of water the whale is comparatively
harmless. The present baby, weighing a tri-
fe less than a thousand pounds, was finally
overcome and lifted into a box which had
been held in readiness for him. This box
was Is feet long and Al feet wide and was
thickly lined with seaweed at the bottom as
| well as On the sides, so that he should not
| hurt himself if he was shifted from one side
10 1.-THE other.
Mr.. Reiche's little baby was then conveyed
by steamer to Montreal, and thence by rail
in a special car to New York, the journey oc-
cupying a full week. During the entire
journey it was necessary to throw water over
him everY minute or two, in order to keep
his blowhole thoroughly moist. On the ar
rival of the whales in this city one was placed
in his box on a truck, to be conveyed to the
Coney Island Aquarium, while the other was
removed to the Aquarium in this city. There
the most thrilling anxiety prevailed. WheH
the box was lifted down from the truck the
whale gave a peculiar low squeal, just like
that of a pig. The box was moved to the
tank and there tipped over and the whale was
rolled into the great basin formerly used fol
the seals, which had been filed up with fresh
water. He e straight to the bottom and
remained there apparently motionless fol
about ten seconds. Then he rose again
blew out the air, breathed and again sanl
with &, sickly flap of his tail, which PROVED
that he was at least alive. Whether he viii
live it is hard to say. The whale is twelv.
feet long, five feet thick and four feet wide
and is a pretty specimen Of his kind, hi
back cleaning with silver sheen and his tai
being of the most heroic and formidable
proportions.-N. Y. Herald.