Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-07-15
A SWO2DFiSH KILLS A WHALE,
The Fight Seen by Many Specta ors at the
BaY of Monterey

DAY OI monterey.
Visitors to the Monterey were entertain
ed recently by the sight of duel between
an immense whale and a swordfsh, which
end fatally for the larger but more de-
fenseless monster of the deep. The whale
was first seen by party of bathers one
pleasant afternoon last week, and appear
ed to be e. oying himself by laziiy swim
ming about the bay and occasionally send
ing a shower of spray aloft like that thrown
up by powerful fountain. rhe presence
of the whale or some other cause seemed to
brighten the small fish that abound in these
waters, and great schools pressed closely
inshore, the water in places near the beach
being fairly alive with tbem, while the
surface was kept agitated by their leaping
into the air as though seeking to esca pc
from some invisible nemy
Tae whale followed the schools Of fish
inshore, when suddenly there was a tre-
mendous splasbing of the wat IT, the great
| manned was observed to move hurrsadty
hitler and thither. while the contorti5ns
of his body and his strange actions con .
WINGED the observers that he was enga. e
IL deadly combat With some other m on
ser of the deep. 1t was singular duel
and it lasted for some time N0thing but
the whale was visible, his enemy never
coming 10 the surf or within rage of
those who were watching the scene,
Finally the thrashing ceased, tae wafer
became calm, AID then the whale was seen
lying moAonless upon the surface of tbe
bay, as # dead This continued for ONE
tlme, but after about an hour he seemed TO
revive, and after ashing the water for
some time with his tail lie headed for the
outer bay, where he was SUBSEQUENTLY,
seen by the aid of glass to have resumed
his motioness cond ton.
The following morning several persons
searched the beach 10 see If the7 could find
any trace of the previous days comb It.
and they were rewarded by discovering the
dead body # the whale high and drv on
the rocks only short distance from
Monterey. Some old whalers who were
among the party of discovery were struck
with the peculiar manner in which the
manned was lying. TIE body was con
siderably above the low-water mark and
the fms were extended, giving the impres,
sion that the whale bad come ashore him
self and afterwards died It appears, ac-
cording to the testimony of those verse;
in such matters, that a whale diving in
the water ha- his fias close to his sides
and the position in which they wert
found lends cclor to the belief, That the
monster was still alive when il came
ashore
An examination of the body revealed The
existence Of several wounds on the under
side, which were of character such as
could only have baen inflicted by Il sword.
fish and are conclusive proof that it was
duel between these two denizens of tbs
deep that had been witnessed the previcu,
aftern DON.
The carcass measured seventy FIVE feel
in length, and the blubber was removed
and tried out. For several days the
stranded whale was the centre of attrac-
ton for the entire country round about
and many hundreds of residents ant
tourists visited it .-San Francisco Exam
iner.