The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-05-13
Whaling Outside the Heads.

Inc 1aCC CnaC WHITES aDUuuu Ill DULL
Gent numbers immediately outside this
harbor-between the Farallones and
Golden Gate-to warrant the establish
ment of whaling industry of some i'm
portance is not generally known, the
idea generally being entertained that our
waters are too far south to become the
resort of schools of whales, and that
only an occasional fish, separated from
his companions in the north, strays into
latitude so far from his supposed hab-
itat-thc Northern ocean. Considera.
BILE numbers of whales can be found at
all seasons Of the year in the ocean ad-
jacent to this port, and within dis
lance that can be easily traversed in a
day. Between the first of May and the
first of October is the most favorable
season for fishing, on account of the
calm weather generally prevailing.
When fishing in rough weather, there is
always some liability of losing the fish
by breaking the line or by cutting loose
when the vessel is endangered. The
abundance of whales on this coast is &C.
counted for by the fact that whales
migrate southwark along the coast
in Winter, returning northward
during the Summer and are
constantly in motion. The varie-
ties of whales which may be caught
in this vicinity are the sulphur bottom,
which is about 80 feet long, the largest
in the world, and weighs in the neigh
borhood of 200 tons, yielding small
quantity of valuable bone, but being
rich in oil; the humpback, weighing 100
tons; the California grays, 80 tons, and
fnbacks and blackfsh form the re-
mainder. Sperm whales, which are
valuable on account of the large guam
tity of spermaceti which they yield, are
but rarely found in our waters, and
prove valuable addition to a vessels
catch. Captain Thomas Whitelaw is
now constructing little screw steamer,
65 feet long, l6 wide and 9 deep, with
which he intends to inaugurate the bus
mess of whaling outside the Heads
She will be completely decked over, so
that sea can 90 completely over her
without doing any damage. She is
built very strongly, and is deeper than
ordinary, so that she can be drawn some
distance into the water by q whale, to
which she may be made fast without
danger. She will be fitted with two
compound engines-four cylinders. She
can carry coal enough for run of
thirty days, which will be stored in the
after part, and with the weight of her
machinery is expected to keep her pro-
peller submerged, to avoid the 'beat-
ing" caused by the blades when the
vessel pitches, which can be heard by
a whale a considerable distance, and
frightens him off, The cabin will be in
the forward part, and will be occupied
by the crew of five men. The vessel
will be launched in about two weeks,
and is expected to have speed of nine
knots an hour Her large coal capacity
is to enable her to take an Arctic trip if
required. The mode of killing whales
adopted is by the whaling rocket, or
bomb lance, which can be discharged
from the vessel, which method possesses
considerable advantages over the cd
style of hunting whales in a boat and
with the hand lance. The expectations
are that an average Of ten fish will be
caught each month. When a whale Is
dispatched, the steamer will tow him
into port, and land him at the reduction
works, where the carcass will be treated
to an improved process, by which every
portion will be utilized. When whale
is caught at sea, the blubber is stripped
of, and the bones removed, after which
the carcass is set adrift, and floats
around until completely devourcd by
sharks and birds Under the process to be
tried by Captain Whitelaw, the fish will
be cut into sections, and without dis
eliminating between blubber, flesh or
bones, will be placed in large steam
tight tanks made of boiler plates, in o
which steam at high pressure and tenn
perature will be intr oduced, which will
have the effect Of completely digesting
the mass and separating the oil, which
will then be drawn Off The process
will be completed in about eight hours,
when the residue of flesh and bones will
be taken out, dried, and afterwards
ground together to produce fertilizer.
The bones are valuable for this purpose
ON account of the phosphate of lime