The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-15
NOV THEY KILL WHALES.
Ingenious substitute for tie Harpoon-Io
mite Bombs and TogEie Irons.

Il
mite Bombs and ToeEIe Irons.
Not the least interesting of the articles
disgorged by the whaler Of to-day are
the weapons with which the bluboer-
hunters sIay the leviathans Of the deep.
Whalers who keep pace with the times
use neither the old harpoons nor the
heavy bomb throwing gun that succeed
ed II. 4 combination OF both enters into
| the latter-day weapon, and it's use re-
quires such muscle, nerve and accurate
Judgment that something of the glory
and emoiuments of the ancient harpooner
are once more attached TO the success
full boatheader.
Two weapons are employed in killing.
Whalers call the first one a "darting-
gun" IL is a queer-looking contrivance,
mounted on a wooden shaft from eight
TO ten feet long, and bearing more re-
semblance to a clumsy three-tlned FORK
with the tines Of unequal size and length,
than anything else. The central line is
the gun. and the others are respectively
the harpoon and the trigger. But the har-
poon is not called a harpOOn; it is
"togg1e-ron," slender iron spike some
two and half feet in length, with a
loon near the butt to which the whale
line proper is made fast. Half a dozen
inches from the point hinge is set in
by a rivet When closed for penetrat
ing this hinge presents sharp, cutting
edge and a gradual slope that offers no
impeachment to the irons movement
through the blubber.
The slightest resistance from the rear,
such as a pull on the line, opens this
hinge or togele- joint to right angles, and
the lower end Of the hinge presents a
surface that holds the
iron from being Withdrawn save by tear
ing a 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 fol-
lowed in event the bomb fails TO do its
/ work.
The central tine Of the huge fork is
the gun proper, and a queer-lOoking gun
II is A copper cylinder, an inch and an
inch and a half in diameter. firmly fast
ened to a little square metal box on The
end Of the shaft, is all that is visible of
! the mechanism, and there is nothing TO
suggest gun about either cylinder or box.
There is "A little door set in the box, how
ever 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 but 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 a brass rail-
road spike without a head than an imple-
ment OF destruction. II is slightly lar
ger than a railroad spike, however, and
is charged with tonite. 1t is usually
strong enough to create fatal commOtion
in the interior Of the largest whale ahoat.
An understanding of the simple method
Of the cumbersome affair is not a matter
of difficulty The bow is the location of
the whaler who plays the part Of the
harpooner OF old His object Is 10 bury
his ponderous weapon just back Of the fin.
Twenty-Five feet is considered a long cast,
but there are a few much sought after
giants who can add ten feet TO this dis
lance without losing any Of their accuracy
OF aim. The keen toggle IRON pushed by
the weight Of the other hamper, pene-
trates 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 guns" penetration amounts to just
sufficient TO steady it before the third tine
or trigger performs its part. This trig-
ger is a blunt iron rod Of just sufficient
! length to come i'm violent contact, end
on, with the whales hide when the copper
! cylinder serving as a gun-barrel Is di-
rected fairly against the target. The
| pressure on the rod touches off the trig
/ ger; this explodes the powder charge and
the powder charge speeds the bomb after
| the toggle-iron into the whales vitals,
the hve-second fuse burning as it Is
| dragged through the outlying blubber.
The damage up to date is trifing, speak
i ipo from xyhaI 40 stapdDOint- but when
! the explosion of tOnite occurs in his inner
| consciousness, It is usually sufficient 10
! put any thoughts Of future existence out
| Of his head. Not always though. The
| bomb may not go near vital spot, or the
| fuse may not ignite the tonite, and there
| is an anxious minute or two while the
monster goes below, impelled by the shock
| OF his wounds. If he comes up in
FURRY" as whalemen call the death a9-
ony, we'll and good, but if there is an in
telligent vigor in his movements, betoken-
/ ing a desire for revenge or escape, there
| is another bomb waiting for him. This
| one is from a twenty-four pound gun, Tor
| which the head killer in the bow has eX-
changed his darting-gun. This latter, by
the way. is all covered but the bomb.
/ The powder charge rids 1t Of the bomb,
and the toggle iron and the gun and the
trigger remain fixed to the wooded shaft,
! which IL connected VIII llit DDdN ~ Il
| few fathoms OF light line.
The real whale line is fast TO the toggle-
iron, buried deep in the monsters rat,
and It goes whrring out Of its tub to
| such limitless lengths that there is no pos
sibility Of the whales dragging the boat
down with him. 1t is a line. but tough,
and a whale could tow boat around by
it all day without fear of its breaking.
The guns reserved for the finishing pomo
| are Of two patterns. one Is an extremely
heavy affair, bordering on being young
! cannon. and is mounted on a swivel In the
bow. while the other is a large edition OF
the cutoff shotgun, with cushion OF
! rubber In the stock 10 save the shoulder
/ of the man who fires il. The bombs are
Of the the same character as those used
in the hend-propelling darting-Sun. but
| are larger and more symmetrical In shape,
and are feathered with rubber arrow
| fashion. to insure their voyage end on.
4 bomb costs about $l.75. loaded, and
the whalemen don't care If 1t takes half
a dozen OF them 10 kill. If they only get
the bowhead The bowhead's jaw con-
tains 1.25O pounds of bone on an average,
so that there is profit over the cost of
an extra bomb or two. especially when
| hone is In demand at s. per pound.
| FlT1L ACCIDENT.