The state herald., 1894-03-09
SEA MONSTERS ~ a Flonr.


Cl0TC0 HkTUKkkD0 IN WalUu OEo8B ana
Whales somstimss Engage.
Hank Welsh. who has followed
whaling for many years. was lucky
enough to be one Of crew beyond
the gulf Of the Holy Cross last
spring that came upon large whale
in distress, surrounded by three
monster Dress. or billers, which had
him winded and badly wounded. Tho
story was thus told to San Francisco
Chronicle man by Welsh.
"We saw big broadhead half q
mile away to windward. and no kept
a-jumping SO hard that we knew he
was in trouble. When we got closer
we saw some thrashers or billors
afoul Of him, and the water for an
acre or two around was bloody. Tho
orcss were pretty big ones and
vicious, especially one which was
fully twenty feet long. and when tho
whale went down q few
fathoms this old boy rushed
sow. '4"r him and give 1t
s Is Kim hard. yaa 80. a whale can
stay under ,Sbout huff ill hour, sne
he ,taH 90 down. 400 OF 500 iatiionis
without minding tic pfSssars, but no
can't do ., single submarine trick
ahead Of an orca These orcas some.
times chase q whole so hard that
when he hits the bottom he breaks
his jawbone. Well. this old orca
followed the whale so savagely that
ho did not stay down over five min.
utes at time, and whom he came up
he was jumped by the other two,
which kept watch on him like two
hungry, wolves. When he saw tho
forocious gcnss-nvN eeemed TO lose
heart. for they were two quick for
him. l think he was Just about
worn out, or downhearted, or some.
thing, for no anchored for d second.
This gave tho big orca chance to
slide up and catch him by the under
lip and bite piece out. The old
fellow dashed and Owed. but down
went another orca after him.
when the whale came up tho orca
had him by the lip. and the third ono
caught him by the tongue. Now u
whales tongue is six feet long and
weighs as much as q man. The way
the orcas jcrked It all out OF him
piece by piece and then ate of his
lower lip In spite OF all he could do
beat all tho fights under the sun.
How that whale did suffer till we got
up and let u dynamite bomb into
him. When Bill Peters lanced him
he seemed to enjoy 1t, for he turned
over and died easily"
1t seems to DO agreed among all
whalers that no fight ever seen
equals the awful combats which
these sea monsters WACO against one
another with unnagging ferocity.
The orca is the only grampus or
-bloOded animal OF tho ocean
that constantly prcys upon warm.
blooded creatures OF his own kind,
preferably the whale the largest OF
his species. The orca's habits arc
predatory and his strength and
ferocity are remarkable.
1.-The orcas often travel with
swordflsh. said Captain Thompson,
an old whaler, land | have sometimes
seen a whole school in combat with
four or five orcas and a few sword
fish. When tho swordfsh get under
whale and the orcas commence to
tear his under lip and tongue, which
are choice morsels for them, ho
seems to know his days arc number
ed. ! don't know how long whale
can live after these savage creatures
attack him, blu: our crows have found
several carcasses Of whales which
had bled to death from tho wounds
thus inflicted by their enemies. /
have also seen broken backed orcas
which had been struck by a whales
nukasw