The Van Buren press., 1894-12-01
EARLY WHALING INDUSTRY:
Some of Those Who First Went Out from
New England.


The earliest records indicate that
one William Hamilton was the first
person who killed whales on the New
England coast. He was born in Scot
land in 1643, and, coming to this
country in the early part of his life,
took up his residence at Cape Cod,
where he was prosecuted by the inhab-
itants for killing whales, as one who
dealt with the evil spirit. Whaling
was afterwards carried on by a Mr..
Paddock, who went to Nantucket
about the middle of 1850 for the pur;
pose of instructing the English in the
art of whaling in boats from the shore,
which business continued good and
profitable till the year 1850, when it
scarcity of whales. In IT'S whales
were pursued on the ocean in small
sloops and schooners of from thirty to
fifty tons; the blubber was brought
home and tried or boiled in tryhouses.
A few years later vessels of larger bur-
deh were employed, and the oil boiled
out in try works at sea.
In 1775, the year of Burke's great
speech, Nantucket had 15O vessels and
employed in them 1900 men on
whaling voyages, who took annually
about 10000 barrels of oil. There,
therefore, were the men who
drew forth Burke's encomium. In 1894
the ship Commerce, owned in East
Haddam, sailed from New London
on whaling voyage She made
two voyages, and arrived on her
last trip July 6, 179s, after a cruise of
fifteen months, with a full cargo OF
oil. She was then put into the mer-
chant service. This was not unusual,
as witnessed by the ship Criterion,
from Brazil Ba nks, May 4, 1898, with
400 barrels of oil, $4,000 pounds OF
bone, and 500 sealsk ms. The Gazette
says: The Criterion, owned by Gen.
Williams, sailed armed for Bilboa;
from New London, September II, 179s,
Capt. S. Clay"
In 1895, April Is, the following no.
tice appeared in the New London Ga
zette: "All persons who wish to be
interested in a whaling company, to be
established in this place, are requested
to meet at Miners tavern at o'clock
p. M, on Monday, the Goth inst, to
consider on the most proper means to
promote said establishment" Evil
IDENTIFY the response to this call was in
sufficient, as it led to no material re-
suit. The next effort was from Nor
wich. In 1779 a company was there
formed for prosecuting the sealing and
whaling business. They fitted the fol-
lowing vessels, viz: Ship Susannah
and schooner Oneco, which sailed from
New London in October, 1879. The
ship Miantonomah sailed in April,
1s0O, and the ship Mars. This ener-
getic attempt was worthy of bet
ter fate than fell to its lot. The
Susannah was wrecked ON the Brazil
Banks, and the three other vessels
were seized and confscated by the
Spanish authorities at Valparaiso.
In 1905 another trial was made from
New London. A whaling company
was formed mainly through the efforts
of DR.. II. p. Lee, whose memory should
be cherished as the brave physician
who was faithful to his profession and
his post when all others fed during
the scourge of yellow fever which pre-
vailed there in 179s. The company
purchased and fitted up the ship Dau-
phin, built at Pautucl1et Bridge, by
Capt. John Barber, with especial refer
ence to the whaling business. She
sailed for the Brazil Banks, September
8, 1905, and returned with her cargo of
oil, June IA, 1906. The ship Leonidos
was bought, and the two vessels sailed
in August, 1906, and returned in 1907
with full cargoes. The company add
ed another vessel to its list-the ship
Lydia-and the three sailed for the
coast of Patagonia. They all returned
in 1908 with good catches, but only the
Leonidos is reported as sailing again
that year. Then followed the embargo,
non-intercourse, and war. From this
period the shadows darkened until all
our commerce was entirely broken up.
New London Telegraph