Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-06-17
Angling for whales.

The fact that whales abound I'm suificlen
numbers Immediately outside the harbOr o.
San Francisco-between the Farallones anC
the Golden Gate-tO warrant the establish.
ment of whaling industry of some import
ance, is not generally known, the idea gen
orally entertained being that those waters
are too far south TO become the resort oi
schools of whales, and that only an occa-
sional fish, separated from his companions
In the north, strays into a latitude 80 faI
from his supposed habitat-the Indian
Ocean. Considerable numbers of whales
can be found at all seasons of the year In
the ocean dIacent TO that port, and within
"A distance that can he easily traversed In q
day. Between the LIST of May and the LIST
OF October is the most favorable season for
fshing, 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 that coast is
accounted for by the fact that whales mi
crate southwark along the coast in winter,
returning northward during the summer,
and are constantly in motion. The varieties
of whales which may be caught in that VI
cinity are the sulphur bottom, which is
about 1870 feet long, the largest in the
world, and weighs in the neighborhOOd of
200 tons, yielding small quantity of valu-
able bone, but being rich in oil the hump
back, weighing 100 tons, the California
grays, eighty tons, and the finbacks and
| blackfish form the remainder. Sperm
whales, which are valuable on account of
the large quantity of spermaceti which they
yield, are but rarely found in those waters,
and prove valuable addition TO vessels
catch. Capt. Thomas Whitelaw is now
constructing little screw steamer, sixty
FIVE feet long, sixteen wide and nine deep,
with which he intends TO inaugurate the
business of whaling outside the Heads.
She will be completely decked over, so that
sea can 60 completely over her without
causing damage. She is built very strong
ly, and is deeper than ordinary, SO that she
can be drawn some distance into the water
bv 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 a run of
thirty days, which will be stored In the
after part, and with the weight of her ma
chinery is expected to keep hsr propeller
submerged, to avoid the ''beating" caused
by the blades when the vessel pitches, which
can be heard by a whale 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,
aud is expected to have a speed of nine
knots an hour. Her large coal capacity is
TO enable her to take an Arctic trip if re-
quired. The mode of killing whales adopt
cd by this vessel is by The whaling rocket
or bomb-lance, which can be discharged
from the vessel, which method possesses
considerable advantages over the old style
of hunting whales In boat and with the
Iand-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 car
cIss will be treated by an improved process
by which every portion Will be utilized.
When whale is caught at sea the blubber
is stripped off, and the bone removed, after
which the carcass is set adrift, and floats
around until completely devoured by sharks
and birds. Under the process TO be tried
by Capt. Whilelaw the 1ish will be cut into
sections, and without discriminating be-
tween blubber, flesh or bones, will be
placed in large steam-tight tanks made of
boiler plates, into which steam at high
pressure and temperature will be intro
duced, which will have the effect of CON-
pletely digestIng the mass and separating
the Oil, which will be then 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 pro luce fertilizer.
The bones are valuable for this purpose on
account Of the phosphate of lme which
they will yield. Three ''trys" can be made
In a day, and as three digesters have been
conslructed-each capable of containing
ten-foOt seclIon of whale-a large tlsh
can be reduced in about two days. An
Arctic whale yields from 100 TO $500
pounds OF bone, worth $2.75 pound by
the cargo at New Bedford. Each whale
also yields from 100 to $50 barrels of oil,
worth $40 per barrel.