The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-11-11
HOW THEY KILL WHALES.
Ingenious sub.tnute Tor tho Harpoon
Tonic Bombs and Io:gle Irons.


bcr.huntcrs slay tho leviathans OF the
deep. Wha!crs who keep pace with
the times use neither the old harpoons
nor :he heavy bomb-throwing gun that
succeeded It. A combination OF both
enters into the latter-day weapon, and
its usc requires such muscle, nerve, and
accurate judgment that something OF
the glory and emoluments Of the anci-
cnt harpooner are once more attached
10 the successful boatheader.
Two weapons are employed III killing.
WhalPrs call tho first one darling
gun" IL is queer-looliing continuance,
mounted on a wooden shaft from eight
to ten feet long, and bearing mo;o re-
semhlance TO n clumsy threc-tined fork
with the tines Of unequal size and
length, than anything el!e. TIE cen-
trai tine is the gun, and the Others are
respectively the harpoon and the trig-
ger But the harpoon is not called
harpoon; il is "toGg,e-iron," slender
iron spike some two and hall feet in
length, with loop near the butt to
which the whale-Iine proper is made
last. Half dozen inches from the
point hinge is set i'll by rivet When
closed for penetrating this hinge pre-
seuts sharp, cutting edge and grad
ual slope that offers no impeachment to
tho irons movement through the blub-
Der.
The slightest resistance from the rear.
such as a pull on the line, opens this
hinge or toggle, joint to right angles,
and the lower end OF the hinge presents
broad concaye surface that holds the
iron from being Withdrawn save by
tearing path out through the flesh
equal to the length OF the hinge, some
five inches. This iron penetrates much
deeper than any other portion OF the
"gun," and by it the whale is held in
leash and followed in event tho bono
fails to do its work.
The central tine of the huge fork is
the gun proper, and a queer looking gun
it is. A copper cylinder, an inch and
half in diameter, firmly fastened to
little square metal box on the end OF
the shalt, is all that is visible of the
mechanism, and there is nothing to
suggest gun about either cylinder or
box. There is little door set in the
box, however, and when that is opened
lock and trigger are disclosed, which
connects with the third tine. On the
inside OF the box the trigger fires an
ounce Of powder in the butt OF the
cylinder, and this propels the bomb
from the mouth OF the cylinder at the
same time that it ignites a five-second
fuse leading to the chamber OF the
bomb.
The bomb looks more like q brass
railroad spike without head than an
implement OF destruction. 1t is slightly
larger than railroad spike, however,
and is charged with tonite. 1t is usual
ly strong cnough to create fatal COM
motion In the interior Of the largest
whale afoat
An understanding of the simple
method OF the cumbersome affair is not
matter OF difficulty. The bow is the
location of the whaler who PLAYS the
part Of the harpooner OF old. His OBJ.
iect is to bury his ponderous weapon
lust back of the fin. twenty-five feet is
considered long cast, but there are a
few much sought alter giants who can
add ten feet to this distance without
losing any Of their accuracy OF aim.
The keen toggle iron, pushed by the
weight Of the other hamper, penetrates
the soft blubber TO a depth OF four or
five feet before it releases itself from
the loose rings used to hold it to the
head OF the wooden shaft
The gums" penetration amounts to
Just sufficient to steady it before the
third tine or trigger performs its part.
This trigger ia blunt iron rod OF Just
sufficient length to come in violent
contact, end on, with the whales hide
when the copper cylinder serving as a
gun-barrel is directed fairly against the
target. Thepressure on the rod touches
of the tiger; this explodes the powder
charge and the powder charge speeds
tho bemD after the toggle.iron into the
whales vitals, the tive-second fuse
burning rs it dragged through the out
lying blubber.
Tho damage up to date is triaing,
| speaking from q whales standpoint, but
when the explosion of tonite occurs in
his inner consciousness. it is usually
sufficient to put any thoughts OF future
existence out OF his head. Not always,
though. The bomb may not 90 near u
vital spot. or the fuse may not ignite
tho tonite, and there is an anxious min
ute or two while the monster goes be-
low, impelled by the shock OF his
wounds. II he comes up in furry"
as whaemen call the death agony. well
and good, but il there is an intelligent
yigor in his movements, betokening q
desire for revenge or escape, there is
another bomb waiting for him. This
ono is from twenty-four-pound gun,
Tor which the head killer in the bow
has exchanged his dariing.gun. This
latter, by the way, is all recovered but
| tho bomb. The powder charge rids it
Of the bomb aud tho togrlo iron, and
the gun and the trigger rcmain fixed
| to the wooden shaft. which iscnnnected
with tho boat BY few fathoms OF light
line.
The real whale lire is last to the toy
gie-irOn, barred deep in tho monsters
fat, and Il goes whirring out OF its tub
TO nuch lilniilcss lengths that there is
no possibility ui the whales dragging
tho bnat down with him. II is light
line, bu; tough, aud whale could low
boat around oy 1t all DAY Without fear
OF It's hroaEing.
The guns rcsor cd for the finishing
bomb are OF two pntters. One Is an ex-
tremely heavy affair, bordering on be-
ing yonns cannon, and is counted on
a swivel in the bow. while the other is
large edition o; tho cutoff shotgun,
with cushion OF rubber in the stock to
save the shoulder Of the man who fires
it. The bombs arc OF the same char
acter as those used in tho hand-pro-
PEELED darling gun, but are larger and
| ,nnrn innIrn irirnl in shnnn mud nrn