The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-04-09

All had heard of mocha Dick" but all
thought him dead By o'clock the three
whaleIs were up and had heard the story,
but ''Mocha Dick" hail disappeared an
hour before. 1t was agreed to separate
and search fog him, and that ii he were
found all three ships should take part IN
the attack and share in the credit of rid
ding the deep OF such q terror. They did
not have to hunt for the fellow, however
While the captains were planning he sud
denly showed up about a mile to wind
ward After his usual fashion he came to
the surface under such Roadway that he
seemed to stand upright on the tip OF his
fukes before he fell over on his side with
crash like the fall of great building. He
wallowed about for a time, and then
sIued around head to the whalers and re-
manned perfectly quiet. He seemed to be
asking what they were going to do about
it, and the query was answered by the fall
of boat from each vessel.
These had only pulled away when three
more were lowered TO support them. Lots
had been cast as to which boat should have
the first show, and the honor had fallen to
the Yankee Her boat took circuit to
approach the whale from behind, while the
other two lay on their oars to wait. The
whale seemed for time to be asleep, but
all of sudden settled away so quick that
every one was dumfounded. He was
about to try his old dodge OF coming up
under boat, and each one of them was
pulled away from the spot and sharp
watch kept for signs of his preaching.
1t was twenty minutes before Mocha
Dick showed up again. He had hoped to
catch boat, but all were too lively for
him, and while he lay wallowing in the
seas his fall had created the mate Of the
Yankee put a harpoon into him. The old
fighter bumped up as the iron went In,
and for five minutes seemed to have been
struck dead. Then he made a rush for the
Scotchmans boat. ran right over it, and
slued about for the Englshman. 1t was
pulling away from him when he rushed
again, caught it with swing of his long
under jaw, and the onlookers beheld
spectacle none of them ever forgot. The
whale lifted his great head clear out of
water with the boat i'll his mouth. and at
one bite made natchwood of it and pulp
of two of the crew who had been unable to
tumble out The crews of the two boats
were now floating on the oars. and the
whale pivoted and dashed the sea with his
fiukes to destroy them. In this manner he
killed two men, but one of the reserve
boats came up in gallant style and rescued
the others.
The Yankees boat was the only one fast
to Jne whale, and after vainly trying to
seize or smash it Mocha Dick" suddenly
started for the wreck of the coaster, which
was floating two miles away. He made a
straight course and the three captains
were agreed that his speed, when fairly un-
der way, was not less than thirty miles an
hour AS he struck the wreck he bore it
down, and it rose behind him bottom side
up. To prevent collision the boat had to
cut her line, and the whale soon sounded
and was lost to sight. The boat started
back, but had not yet reached the ships
when the fighting leviathan preached I'M
der the bows of the Scotchman and carried
away jibboom and bowsprit with a smash.
He had planned to come up under the ship,
but had missed it. AS he fell upon his side
and rolled over on an even keel, so to speak,
he made rush for the Yankees boat. He
was so close on that all the crew went over
board, and he picked the light craft up and
chewed it as horse does his oats.
Had it been calm Mocha Dick" might
have sunk the feet. Luckily the breeze
men from the Yankees boat could be
picked up the three crafts set all sail and
beat an inglorious retreat, leaving the
whale hunting about for more victims.
From first to last Mocha Dick" had nine
teen harpoons put into him. He stove
fourteen boats and caused the death of
over thirty men. He stove three whaling
vessels so badly that they were nearly lost,
h. Eyonrh
chairman and an Australian trader. He
was encountered in every ocean and on
every known feeding ground. He was
killed off the Brazilian banks in August,
1859, by Swedish whaler, which gathered
him in with scarcely any trouble, but it has
always been believed that poor old mocha
Dick" was dying of old age. He measured
JIG feet long; his girth was 81 feet; his jaw
was 25 feet 6 inches long. Eight of his
teeth were broken off and all others badly
worn down. His big head was mass of
scars, and he had apparently lost the sight
of his right eye.