Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-07-20
A WHALE HUNT,
Exciting Adventure with n Pacific Ocean
Leyiathan-D Destructive Whale Boom.

Exciting Adventure with Pacific Ocean
Destructive Whale Boom.
A Santa Cruz correspondent of the Alta
California writes: The quartermaster of
the Aggie returned from cruise to Mon
terey this morning and is glowing with
the consciousness of his bravery in par
ticipating in a whale hunt that resulted in
a capture. The Monterey Whaling com.
pany is about the Oldest institution of the
kind on the coast. The business office,
stOre-room and eating and sleeping apart.
ments of the company are in white
adobe building in the western suburbs,
and half mile further south is high
cliff, whereon is located the company's
lookout. He is armed with powerful
glass, and a tall mast is rugged with
halliards for hosting signal when game
is sighted.
The hunting tools consisted Of three of
the regulation double-pointed boats in
use by whalers the world over, five long
oars to each boat, 200 fathoms Of line
smoothly coiled in the tubs in the bow,
and two guns TO each boat The larger
OF the two has the proportions of young
canon, and Is mounted on a pivot. The
missile discharged from 1t is a steel bar
four feet in length, and provided with a
folding barb that opens out when the har-
poon buries itself in the whales interior
This takes the place of the old-time har.
pooh, and is much more certain and
effective. The lighter gun is fired from
the shoulder, and looks like q large
sized fowling-piece. 1t has an inch and
half bore. 1t is used to put the
finishing touches on the whale after the
harpoon has made him fast, and the
method Is to fire an explosive bomb into
a vital spot. The bomb is an inch and
half in diameter by eighteen inches long,
the butt-end being winged with rubber
tips, after the manner in which an arrow
is feathered, to secure guiding power. 1t
was early morning when the whale signal
fiuttered to the top of the staff OF the
mast on the cliff, and, having previously
obtained permission to Join the hunt with
Capt. Mariana, the quartermaster was
speedily seated in the stern-sheets,
awaiting the signal to move off. This
was soon given, and six miles to the
northwest the three boats came up with
their game, which proved to be an un.
usually large specimen Of the California
gray variety.
The gigantic fish rolled lazily about on
the top of the water, all unconscious of
impending danger, and did not even
deign TO notice the approach of the boats
that came up on either side and behind
her. A hundred feet away the men lay
on their oars, and Capt. Mariana sighted
over his swivel gun. The men bent over
their oars, with every muscle ready to
pull or back water at the slightest hostile
movement on the part of the enemy. 1t
a mn hoN
awful suspense to the green hand, but
suddenly the captain had a fair mark
presented and pressed the trigger. The
boat quivered under the shock accompa-
nying the report, and the eye could plainly
catch the flash of the harpoon as it
| cleaved the air and buried itself out of
| sight somewhere in the right shoulder.
Attached to the steel missile was the ma
| nilla line coiled in the bow, aud 1t bore
the appearance of flash of brown light
ming as 1t zigzagged through the air after
its powerful motor. The whale hardly
seemed to comprehend the trouble that
had overtaken her at first, and it was
fully half minute before she emitted an
angry snort and started for the bottom at
rate that made the line smoke and emit
sparks as 1t ran over the bows. Both the
captain and the boat.steerer peered I'M
easily into the clear depths as the line
stopped running out, and minute later
the former shouted: "Back all! Back
hard!" The five ashen blades bent and
quvered with the strain put on them, but
II was none too much, as the boat was
scarcely dozen feet away when the
huge bulk Of the Infatuated whale rose to
the surface and spouted twin columns OF
prime high In the air, a bucket or two
seeking the oack of the reporters neck
Tor resting place as 1t descended. Be.
fore the animated waterspout could re.
| peat the dose the boat was out OF range,
both OF the ire-extinguishing apparatus
and the terrible tiukes that soon COM
menced to thrash the water into foam.
Her contortions were so violent
that the captain could not get In a
shot with his bomb-gun, which he raised
and lowered half dozen times withou,
pulling the trigger. Finally the fuke.
quit Their thrashing, and like fash the
leviathan dashed away at terrific rate,
ourying the boats bow between two walls
OF water fully eighteen inches high, bu,
the speed was such that scarcely drol
entered the boat. This gait was kept ur
ior good ten minutes, and then the
speed commenced to slacken, and the
| wounded monster swan easily and
Quietly on top OF the water. The living
lug came 10 total standstill at last, and
pulhng around TO broadside position
'ne captain was given his opportunity.
Inc second explosion was followed by
tne whistling Of the rubber winged bomb
wnich buried Itself ia the great mass oi
ollnoer with a dull kercbug. Scarcely
n uauaal NHa. a n -