The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-06-09

force. The whales Of which we have been
speaking were 4S and S. feet in length, and
We're each more than twice as large around
as Jumbo. AS they lay on the beach,
score of men busy with their carcasses, and
the little boat which had brought them to
their death lying in the offing, the scene was
full OF life and novelty.
THE OIL FACTORY.
When Left Erikson, the Norseman, who
first discovered America, landed on Cape
Cod, 500 years before Columbus, it was very
likely in Herring cove that he planted the
Keel OF his boat as monument of his jour
neylngs. A factory for trying out oil now
stands there, little way back from the
beach, and it is to this point that all whales
captured hereabouts are now brought to be
stripped.
A valuable part of all whales is the blub-
Der or the fat, with which the entire body
is coated. This in the COW whale just cut
in, was actually fifteen inches thick, and
as the old whalemen who supervised the
work declared was as rich as any they had
ever found. With sharp spades it is cut off
in squares, called ''horse pieces.n Then
men with hooks draw the blocks of grease
to the railway leading up to the factory.
The carcase itself is not used, and when,
after two days hard work, it has been
stripped of its fat, it is allowed to go out
with the tide. The enormous tail-one of
these measured IS feet 2 inches from tip to
TIPS covered with blubber like the rest,
and SO are the two fins which are the cor
relates of the forelegs of other mammals.
Thus far Ed Smiths whales have not
differed in description from the common
humpback. The oil of the right whale,
pure and colorless as spring water, is, to be
sure, more valuable in commerce, but the
great glory of this capture lies in the whale
bone, with which the right whales mouth
is furnished.
Sperm whales, the monsters of deep water,
are the richest prizes of the ocean, yielding
spermaceti from their brain cases, ivory
from their lower jaws rich, yellow oil from
their sides, and (when diseased) the almost
priceless ambergris from their entrails.
Next in value comes the right whale, the in
habitant of the Arctic, in whose mouth
whalebOne is substituted for ivory. The
upper jaw is furnished with this substance,
great pile of which lies high on the beach
at Herring Cove. 1t is perhaps ten inches
across whore it joins the jaw, and reminds
one more Of a great comb with tangled hair
attached than anything else. The teeth"
are closely set, and are three feet and more
long, tapering to point and terminating
in rope-like filaments While the sperm
whale feeds on squid at the
bottom of the ocean, the right
whale speeds along with open mouth,
engulfng huge quantities of water and
greater or less quantities of the animal
cules and small fish, on which it subssts.
When his cavernous mouth is full he closes
it, blows out the water through his spout
holes and with the aid of his tongue swal-
lows the little creatures which have be-
come enmeshed in the curious attachment
of his upper jaw. The value of whalebone
is now less than 81 per pound, and it being
scarce at present it is fair to presume that
the lucky crew of the Smart will realize at
least s., 600 from this source alone. The
bull whale-the one which gave the crew
such tussle-will yield sixty barrels of
oil, and the COW being with young, and
consequently fatter, will produce 100 bar
rels, so that at the ruling price there will be
some 81, 400 worth in all. and the seven
men will share at least S., 900.
Everyone who has the means, and the
time and the skill is hunting now for the
remainder of the school. The day after the
Smith boys lucky strike, Capt. StickneY
chased big fellow from Highland light to
Thatcher's Island (seventy-five miles, and
back without getting him. The little
steamer did her best, and got near enough
twice TO fire at the creature, but for once
steam could not excel, and his lordship,
after leading his pursuers an all-day chase,
made good his escape. 1t was four days
later that his dead body was found 100
miles away, and 1t has just been towed in
by fishing boat. The affection which
these monsters display toward their kind is
relied upon to bring the remainder of the
school back again to Cape Waters. Indeed,
| there are indications that at least one
whale has been in Provincetown harbor
since the capture, probably searching for
companion. Some years ago whel
a COW had been captured and towed
into the town, her mate spouted the harbor
| a week, sometimes rolling into sight
within stones throw of the wharves, but
while thus affectionate, he was so shy that
| all efforts TO approach him were vain, and
| he fiually gave up mis- search and departed.
A constant watch is being kept for spout
| ings, and it may be that more good fortune
| is at hand for the hardy and honest whale
men of Provincetown. Tue little steamer
is cruising off the cape continually. Her
movements are so noiseless that she can APP
proach sometimes within ten feet of a
sleeping whale and shoot a bomb into a
vital part before he wakes. Cap
tain Stickney usually has two or
| three passen ers with him, and they
enjoy the sport hugely. One day last sum
| mer the steamer was mistaken for a whale
| by a great swordfish. The latter, thinking
he had an unusually good chance at natural
| enemy, drove up from below with all his
might. But he had miscalculated. His
sword actually pierced the wooden sheathing
of the steamers bottom, and then broke
| short off. Those on board could not tell
| what had happened until they saw the sword
| fish. stunned by the blow, lying alongside.
| An iron was put in, and he was towed
ashore, where his $50 pounds of delicious
meat brought a fancy price. The steamer
went on the railway, and the sword was
pulled from her bottom only with difficulty.