The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-28
ARCTIC WHALING.
A CONsUL's ACCOUNT OF AN Ex-
CITING PURSUIT.
The Arctic Flotilla Cruising for
Monsters Of the D.ep-The
Deadly Harpoon Gun
Cod Fishing.

went OUT OF MS way 10 SLuuy ECduul-
navian people and conditions of life, and
in his report to the State Department,
tells at length of his interesting tour. In
the extreme north of Norway, he says,
is found an extensive Arctic iotilla,
ships which prosecute their search for
whales, seals and fish even to the coasts
of Spitzbergen and Nova Zembla. Neat,
compact, powerful vessels they are,
sometimes of iron, with steam power,
made for short cruises after whales in the
waters of the vicinity. Some of them are
of wood, rugged as sailers, with steam
auxiliary and screw propeller set in a
frame so that it may be hoisted out of
the water when not in use, or lowered
into position with little or no trouble
upon the failure of the wind at an im-
portant point or at the beginning of
chase for whale. The length of the
voyages made by these, together with
the small room which can be afforded
for the storage of coal, all possible space
being required for the blubber wells or
vats, make the use of steam impracti-
cable, save on occasions of great i'm
portance.
One feature of many of the whaling
vessels, and one which attracts the great.
est interest, is the harpoou gun, an i'm
plcment invented some years ago by Mr..
Sven Foyn, o retired captain, whose
name is known in whaling circles the
world over. 1t was this invention which
first made possible the capture of the
larger aud more powerful species of
whale, an animal formerly Stunned by
all the boats which did not care to be
sent to the bottom at once The gun or
cannon when used is fixed to the vessel
itself, such vessels as carry it having
neither bowspr.t nor jib-stay. A clear,
roomy platform extends wei out over
the bow in order to give the gunner full
swing to all sides. Above the centre of
this the gun is fixed on ball and socket
or universal swivel, which allows it free
and easy play. while being furnished
with pistol grip, the gunner has full
and rapid command of it. In front of
the platform o shelf of iron, having
somewhat downward slant, is hinged for
the support of the strong line coiled in
such manner as to permit it to pay out
with the least resistance or chance of en-.
tanglement. In stormy weather this coil
is taken inboard and the iron shelf turned
up in front of the gun as a sort of proi
lection. The harpoon used is entirely
of iron, the shaft being spread and fat
tened at the inner end to fit the bore of
the gun. About two-thlrds of the way
down the shaft is a grommet, to
which the line is attached, playing
lengthwise in q slot aud bound be-
fore firing, at its lower end, together
with the hinged barbs, which are folded
back along the shaft in resistance to the
springs, which tend to keep them ex-
panded. In the outer end of the har-
poon bored cavity is filed with a piece
of rubber tubing enclosing a small glass
test tube filled with an acid explosive,
while to the end is screwed sharp conf
cal metal shell containing the explosive
charge which causes death to the whale.
The charge used in discharging the
harpoon is common gunpowder, pat up
in bags the size of base ball, this being
fred by various devices in the shape of
hammers and caps or quilts filled with
Illuminating powder and touched of by
the jerk Of q string. The one great
drawback of this apparatus is the length
of time required to prepare it for action,
nothing less than half IN hour sutticing
to get It into trim between one shot and
another, so that in case of miss much
valuable time and often good shot or
two are lost, circumstances which too
often mean one, two or three days more
cruising without sight of another whale.
The range of the gun, owing to the
small charge, the heavy projectile and
the resistance offered by the line, is not
great-say what is ordinarily known as
pistol shot.
While cruising the gunner remains
aloft in the Sorrows nest" or barrel
fastened to the maintop-mast as look
out. Immediately upon the cry, "There
she blows" or IA school in sight, ne
descends, takes his position at the gun,
the steamer is headed round and the
chase begins, during which the gunner
remains at his post for hours, only snatch
ing what food he can, brought by the
steward. At night steam is let down and
the vessel drifts with the waves, but as
long as daylight lasts the gunner stands
alert at his post. On the approach OF the
steamer the whale, now sounding, now
blowing, comes sporting about its bows,
but ONE within range the gunner jerks
his weapon round quickly and fires, and
in an instant the strong harpoon is fast in
the animals back or side-that is, always
providing the apparatus does not snap or
miss fire. or the harpoon does not fall
short or. long. Immediately the levlathan
Sounds" and the line rattles from the
coil at a terrible rate until having gone
far enough down the whale again rises
to the surface, where he may get to the
end of his rope, or the line may have been
slackened from the ship. In either case
the first strain on the line breaks the frail
bindings which hold the grommet and
the ends of the barbs, and these latter,
forced apart by their springs, meet at their
lower ends, which project slightly be-
yond their pivots, in such q manner as to
pinch and crush the glas, tube in the
end cavity, thus forcing the acid into
contact with the rubber and exploding
the charge contained in the conical
shell or cap at the end. Should this eX-
plo:ive not prove fatal to the animal,
the whale may tow the vessel at a fear
full speed for miles into the sea, but some.
times Il boat is sent out to lance him, and
in course Of time he is himself towing
alongside the steamer, tail foremost,
minus his fins, on the way tc one of the
numerous oil refueries and guano
factories along the coast.
The cod fishing in this extreme North
ern latitude is of even more Importance