Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-26

closely cried out exuItingly, "here he
comesP'l
"stand by to take in the linel'' yelled the
mate. "Hesve away, boys, ana pull
hardp' -,
And the men pulled away with will on
the Stacking line, while the mate ana tne
harpooner kept a sharp lookoNt TOT me
rising whale, who must soon come 70 tne
surface.
The rope, of such great length and soaked
with water, was heavy as lead, but we all
were glad to have something to pull at the
cold having made itself felt severely, Wnlle
we had been sailing and waiting.
Suddenly there was q tremendous commo-
tion of the water not hundred boat-lengths
off our port beam, and the whale again ap-
peared, shooting half of his body out OF the
sea in his eagerness for air. He had re-
mained IL minutes under water, and was,
therefore, completely tagged out.
TWO MEN GO OVERHEARD.
''To your oars! To your oarsT' cried the
mate, and in less time than it takes to say it
we were speeding toward the painting and
exhausted monster, while the harpooner and
the bow oarsman each caught lance and
held it poised ready to plunge the keen steel
into the body of the giant.
"Ease her off-Nowl give it to himl-
Back water!'
A volley of oaths followed these COM
mands, given in rapid succession by the
mate, as the boat was half sucked under
water in the whirlpool created by the
whales descent. The two men in the bow
were thrown overheard, just as they had
thrust their lances deep into the soft, fabby
bark of the whale. The mate had missed the
stroke, which ought to have swung the
boats head away from that dangerous spot,
by sudden swell lifting the stern high up
into the air. However, this was only
minor accident of the whale-chase. As long
as the boat isn't smashed to pieces and half
of the men killed, nothing serious has hap
pened.
Five minutes after everything was in
ship-shape again. The men overheard had
only had bath, not a luxury in the open
sea of that latitude it is true; but then, they
were hardy, brawny fellows, not used to
getting colds.
A BOMB FIRED AT THE WHALE.
The whale couldn't stay down loug this
time. He was much weakened by the loss
of blood, and our line went out slowly, He
came up 500 yards ahead of the boat, spout
ing blood. But the battle was not half won yet.
It would probably take good many more
lance trusts to finish him if we did not sue
ceed in getting she'll from the bomb-gun
into his body. This gun is very large
bore rife, loaded with a Pinch she'll con-
tanning nitro-glycerine. The shell has
pointed head of steel, from which protrudes
a needle. When the shell is shot into a
whale and the needle strikes a bone it re-
bounds and explodes a cap, which in its
turn explodes the nitro-glycerine. Using
this weapon is the surest and quickest way
to kill whale but it cannot always be de-
pended upon, as the charge often misses fire.
The mate had signaled to the other
boats to come up closer, In case anything
should happen to US, and they were drawing
around our boat, while we were again ap-
preaching the whale.
THE MONSTER CONQUERED.
The huge beast lay quite still. The
only sign of life he gave was the fountain of
mingled blood and water surging at every
respiration from his enormous head with
great force, but only reaching height of
80 feet, when it was scattered into spray
cloud of reddish hue by the brisklY blowing
wind.
The whale made no move until he felt the
keen lances. As they struck him the shell
loaded with nitro-glycerine was fred into
his body, and low, muf1ed sound told US
that it had done its work. Then the monster
showed fight, but before he could turn his
ponderous body, SO as to reach the boat with
his tail, we had quickly pulled out of
harms way.
The fearful spectacle that now offered
itself to our eyes words are too weak to
describe. The whale was mortally wounded,
and for two hours his gigantic body writhed
in the sgonies of death ere the end came.
HIS LAST TERRIBLE STRUGGLES.
He was blowing out his lifeblood in
stream six inches thick, and the sea for hun
dreds of yards about him was colored deep
red. Sometimes he would almost stand on
his head wriggling his tail high in the air,
as if striking at his tormenterS. Then he
would leap out of the water, and in falling
back create swell that nearly capsized our
boat several times. Then again he dived
down into the sea to seek relief from the ex-
cruciatlng pain, occasiOned BY the explosion
of the shell in his body, but only to come up
again inside of half minute gasping for
air, and drive up another fountain OF dark
red blood with hollow snort that sounded |
like the blowing of 6 thousand trumpets.
At last the dying throes of the huge beast |
grew weaker. No more blood issued from
the spout hole, and only slightly colored
water flowed from it. Then came one more
terrific convulsion. and slowly the monarch
of the Arctic Ocean turned his white belly
to the sky. CARL WILHELM.