The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-06-23
THE KILLER WHALE.
A Elood- Thirsty Monster OF tho
North Sea.
Submarine Butchers Who Dcvour Hum-
bery of Their Own Families and
Regard Man na "a Tooth
sorno NJ Moreol.


bery Of Their Own Families and
Regard Man na Tooth
sonc Morsoi.
Tho shaYls Of the tower latitudes Is
still often honored with such names as
the ''sea tiger or the terror of the
ocean" The Spit.bcrgcn fishermen
would find more appropriate use for
the latter epithet. Seals. porpoiscs and
even white whales have been known to
spring out of the water and run ashore
TO avoid the attacks of creature
which. In proportion to Its size, Is Ger
tainly the most vorocious of all marine
beasts of prey It Is the orca or killer
whale, torca glndiator). q close relation
Of the dclphiaid,a. but as superior in
strength to the southern porpoisc as
length Of twenty-five feet and its jaws
are bristling with teeth from four 70
six inches long and us sharp os dirk
knife Single specimens have been seen
Of thirty Capt Ross says thirty-fvc)
feet and fully able to devour sea lion
with few quick snaps
Its digestive power, says the Chicago
Herald. is prcporuoncd to the tr"Den-
dous efficacy Of It's jaws. Prof. Eschricht
examined specimen that had been
killed In shallow water. and found in
It's stomach thirteen porpoiscs and four
teen seals, and the 'Gtrocious Elutton,-
he adds. seemed to have got chokcd in
the attempt TO swallow q Gftooath."
since its gullct proved TO bc obs:ructcd
by an intcrtwisted mass Of seal bones
Capt WiclSs describes the battle be
tween Baleen whale and swarm OF
orcas that jcrlsed the big monster about
as pack OF dogs would worry fat
SOW. They few at its Ganks, snapped
big pieces out OF its lips, nnd finally
hauled 1t under, while surge Of blood
stained fam t.5rc,::c .hc contamination
Of the :l:..:.a:l..55 h.ichery.
''Thesc demons will r,.:rsuc their
largest relatives and pursue them like
raging hounds" says DR.. James Murie.
who founds his study OF the whale fa,n-
lily en- ycars of personal observation.
"In one instance they assaulted u Cali
fornia gray whale and her young. The
orcas killed the latter and sprang on
the mother, tearing away large pieces,
which they greethly devoured Ocos
have becn known to attack white
painted herring boat, mist;l.sing it for
bcluga, and they will not hesitate to
Lay hold of harpooned whales and drag
them perforce under water
The orca is also known es the Green
land grnmpus, and good deal Of con-
troversy about its murderous propensi-
ties has been caused by the Fact that
some writer's have oonfoundod it with
its small relative, known ns Rino's
grnmpus tphocena griscal, d compare
lively harmless creature, found along
the east shores OF the Atlantic, from St
Helena TO Scotland, while the orca ia
seldom sccn south.of the fortieth par.
allel. and is found n shoals only near
Spitzbergcn and tho ea1a coast O.
Greenland
Compared with thot marine werewolf
even the shark is rather sluggish
brute, though he is apt to offset his lack
of speed by cunning and patience. The
white shark of the tropics will hang
about wharves for days and haunt bath
ing places, rarely betraying his pres
ence by premature gambols- Near Sin.
gapore boats manned with laaccrs nnd
kettlcdrums cruise about the docks be
fore bathers venture to enter the water
and in the harbor Of Havana man va.
nipped up q year ago under circun
stances which seem to prove that ordi
nary precautions do not always avai
against the cunning of q veteran 'Snal
eater
A stout mcstino, employed In down
town livery stable, came to the beact
with couple Of horses. and after let
ting them splash about in the shallow
water for . minute or two rode II
deeper TO give them chance TO cool OF
A number Of promenaders on the beaci
were watching the horses. when sud
denly. 10 their horror. they saw big
shark rise out ofthe water, ,sciso the rid
cr's leg and draw him down before h,
had time 10 utter more than single
shrek. The water near the scene o
the tragedy was not more than wais
deep, but the whole thing was done b
| quickly that attempts ct rescue wer
unavailing, though the witnesses in
stantly rushed into the wate.. swinging
their sticks and yelling awey will
| might and main.
Like most sluggish creatures sharks
are extremely tenacious OF life Tor
toiscs Of several species will live fo1
hours after being behcaded, but show
the effects Of the operation BY sitting
almost perfectly still or slowly moving
their forele9s as II trying 10 ward of
an unseen foe. Decapitated sharks. OF
the other hand. will continue TO use al
their tail muscles with destructiv,
force, md in the water have beer
known to swim sbout as II nothing un