The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-31
TIE BOSS WHALE.
Facts and Faucies About the Stran.
ger in New York.
A Sea Monster gixty-flve Feet Long
and Twenty in Diameter.
IN. Y. Herald.l

street yesterday morning, and by o'clock in
the afternoon most OF the business In that
peighborhood was suspended. The cause Of
the excitement Was the arrival Of whale
sixty.tive feet long and from hfteen to twenty
feet in diameter.
The whale was caught In Cape God Bay on
Thursday last by a party OF fishermen, led
by Capt. Iavanier, IN old whaler. When
hrst sighted there were two Of them, and
their spouting was the signal for the hoist
Ing Of the barrels upon the e. slsnai poles ior
fishermen that Ash were In sight. or the
numerous crews that started In pursuit, La
vanier and his men were the first to put an
iron into the monster, and according to
whaling usage, thus acquired q valid title to
the fish. The pursuers used what is known
ns the bomb b-lance, an instrument In the shank
Of which Is placed a fultatnating powder
which explodes after the weapon enters the
strument and the marks OF the wounds
Il ii."' Is Said said that the % death stras.
giles Of the monster were terrific, the
foam by the lashings Of It's ponderous tail, the
noise Ok which could be heard ut Porvincs-
town, nearly two miles distant. The entrails
were removed and watar.tight barrels put 10
to give the body greater bnoyaney.. Then 1t
was towed to New York. The head 70 nearly
twenty feet In length, or about one third the
| total length, and the mouth measured fifteen
feet from jaw to jaw and eight feet Ia width
large enough to admit . ships long boat,
crew and I'll. The body tapers from A.. tne le
extend horiz ,ntally. The girtb OF the great
fish at It's largest point, just back Of the head,
| Is forty feet.
A man who has never seen whale can
have little idea Of its helplessness on land. 1t
Ia as awkward 80 locomotive In a mill pond.
The back Of the stanton street whale shOne
| like polished ebony. Its sides were lighter,
while It's immense belly was like Egyptian
ivory, with massive wrinkles below the Jaws,
running back at least twenty feet. The mouth
yawned like the vault OF q ravfshed savings
| bank. and the sculptured tail embodied the
outlines OF the tiukes on a White Star propel-
ler. The flesh was % hard as vulcanized rub.
where wounds had brought blood to the sur
face The Captain explained to the visitors
that the whale was not so large as before
they cut him open and removed the contents
OF bis Internal revenue V department: e,: . I'VE ".
Watches s"s 'Hsa'l nor lpawnbrokers t,ckets." The
eyes are small, and placed far back In the
head, 80 as to leave room for the whale's
nose, ike the chin whiskers on a China.
man. II he had fur like q seal the market
would be ruined. Whales breathe through
the tops OF their heads, and the water they
spout OUT prevents I[lctlOu, consequently
they never snore when sleeping. II they
did. thunder would be at o discount. The
tail is forked, flexible and formidable, and
with It the whale is able to prevent shark
and flies from disturbing the slumber Of his
young. Whales never laugh, even when IL
school. The stomach is bulkheaded inte
from three to six water-tight compart
ments, SO that he does not sink wher
, sent-minded, and sailors and fish do no,
get mixed when swallowed. AS u ruiz
their teeth are scarce, but they carry $50t
worth OF whalebone In their mouths
These bones terminate In kind OF scrub
bing-brush fringe, which strains food. ane
swallowing sharks end steamboats, ana
other things that might derange theil
liver and spoil the quality OF their oil. Int
flesh Of q whale Is red, substantial ant
vigorous, but 1t ID not 80 delicate as venison
nor 80 palatable % woodcock. but u will 9
warm. The circus canvas did good service
until about 8 O'Clock, when the wind blew 9
hard that there was imminent danger OF Tn
/ fabric being swept away. At this interesting
i juncture fifteen or twenty brine-soaked tar
: began rigging up q derrick over the whale
head to draw up the upper jaw by pully AM
tackle. After much delay a line was fastene'
to the whales nose and the crew laid hold
4 the rope. But the jaw would not move o.
inch. A policeman smiled. the boys anick
cred, and every time the wind blew w. Tn
I canvas the long-haired girls on the doc
much labor the whales jaw was Dried open
few inches, then some strong planks were lI
I serted, and new batch OF visitors lent han
until the jaws we're four feet apart. What
! mouth A yawls crew might have eeate
themselves therein. The cavern suggeste
: Jonah, and straightway lively discussion
were opened as to the truth OF the Bible nal
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