Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-08-19
a Royal Water Battle

contestants were whale, > swO'Gfsh. and
ing il over the 6,h,s Of ,hs lay In great
atyie for the past iw5 wsekd. Measuring
forty feet il length, he vas earily the big
sos: f:h Ia she kettle, and scted according
| iy. Helore his Tay through fJhermen'd Gets
with the greatest inpnnity, bos erou'ly
| .trestsoiug small oosi when he cams Up to
blow, and generally carried on IN awaE-
ger manner aiorg the Hater fr0Ht. He had
the confidence OF q champion. fully aware
that 60 memal or suph;bap dsre knock
wavelet eff any portion Of his fcrty feet of
length
Late Weduesd.y afternoon leap, 1.-THE,
sevep-icot fish ceme padding bis wey into
he bay He hsd rakish eppearsnce, o
bad eye and 3 fierce appetite. But the most
extraordinary part of him wes bis promi-
nsnt nose; it endsd In long. hard, sharp
| houe, closey resembling 8 haueued cane.
| The peEc ner pushed his Wsy lszily along
the water front. When nearly opposite
Meigg's wharf his bad eye suddenly lit up,
and be stopped so suddenly that the water
clrled about him He bad observed the
whale rolling his heavy bulk and eri'yirg
the CONSERVATION be excited among the
| ID UASe6ukSIH Cu LILO lCIi ONHt Oau 4ssipoii boS
| stea ming past.
TIE whale Yves emuaing himself spouting
water into the air enG watching the frightit
| occesioned CO the boat when the strange
fish recovered from his eurprise. Then he
gathered himself together ard shot full tilt
st the whale, his sharp snout cutting the
water like streak of lightning. The shock
made the whale blink, end the grunt be
gave sent the fountain Of water from bis
suout at least ten feet higher. Young Ds-
yideoo, VINO wss standing 10 the pilot house
| OF the steamer watching the whale through
q glase, turned to Captain Mckenzie with a
gasp at the sight and declared that the
Ieviathan wss making ready to attack the
vessel.
"It's fight" announced McKensle, after
elanclng through the glsss aud rang the
bell for less speed. aud changed his course
so that the excited passengers could get
closer view o! 1t.
Meanwhile the sword6sh had darted back
from the spouter, aud went at him again
full speed. Every atom in the 40 feet Of
the whale, beef bone ard blubber, felt the
blow, and general commotion ensued. The
whale rolled over, and tried to get an eye
on its doughty little adversary, hut the lat
Ter slipped around the unwie dy bulk, and
got in flank prod before the spouter could
right himself. Then the water was churned
into foam as the whale beat arourd into po-
sition.
The passengers on the San Rafael now
realized that great fight Wss on. and they
all crowded to the port rail and began
whooping up the contestants n true rirg
| side Style.
Harry Larkin aud joe Sesvese, who we're
going up to camp In Russian Guch. made
wild rnsh for their ou,fl and got cut their
guns. The next minute the cheering cres
of the excited passengers were puoctuated
| by the pop, pop of LsEkin's and Sesvers'
WinchesterH as they joined In the fray. Capt.
| McKeuzie stopped this lead pumping before
any damage was done.
When the passengers turned from the gun
shooters to agein watch the wafer e sht they
saw another contestant In the ring IL was
fish about nine feet long, built very much
| like the sword6sh, bat not possessing the
| vcious-ooking ncse. Bn. the new combat
| ant had about as peculiar an adjunct He
| had tell that he welded like pile DIR ver
When the passengers on the steamer first
caught sight of the thrasher he shot into the
| cir and came down on the back OF the spou-
| ing whale with an awful tbud Some one
ehouted that the whale had been broken In
two By the blow, but just then the swordfsh
gave him punch from below and he rolled
| to the surface, sending the water flying ir
all directions. For ten minuses thereafter
only momentary glimpses OF the whale,
swordish and thresher were caught 10 the
churning wafer aud clouds Of spray.
The agile swordhsh all by himself had
made very lively fight for the whale. Soon
after the thrasher appeared things began to
look very glum for him. The lady passsn.
| Nnpaad tpoin
whale will juet eat up that impudent little
| iunny fish,"
lu fifteen minutes the boiling, e, Ing wa
ters began to subside, ard the fight could be
seen better. Plainly the whale was becom.
Ing tagged. Tie prods OF the swordfish ard
the thumpirg OF the thtashsr were proving
too much for him.
The whale sesl.zsa he was 6shlipg log.
ing battle long before the spectators did, for
be began sdging away. Try as he could.
though, he could rot shaks # the persistent
pair who we're bent en- his death.
Whichever way lie turned they were after
him, speariDg him in the sides aud pounding
him on the back. He rolled about, pounded
the air and wafer with his big tall, sank out
of sight and lifted himself in The air, hut
they chung to him. Finally, he gave up t.y-
Ing to catch them, and turned tail for the
Golden Gate. Swordfsh and thrasher stuck
to him like leeches. however, and fought
him every inch o; his way.
The passengers on the San Rafael watched
the fight until the boa. almost touched the
sausaiso sip At that Tine the whales ef.
forts were growing feebler aud feebler,. and
only slight rolling of the water end the
fash of the thrasher ss he shot into the air
marked their course.
a fishing boat passed the combatents nsor
the Gate. Il vas then growing dust snd
the whale was trying his very best TO ieloh
the open seq. He was nearly tagged Gu,
and simply rolled through the water, now
and then making spaemodic efforts to resch
one of bis fees They we're as plucky, per
] sistant and rinarnus "a a4ar and keut mer.