The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-08-08
WHALE AND THR ASHER.
The Enormous Fins of the Latter
Too Much for the Big Fish.

The Enormous Fins of the Latter
Too Much for the Big Fish.
The steamer Northern Light, which
arrived this morning from Shields,
brings to port the latest fish story.
Capt. Parton of the Northern Light
is bold and fearless mariner, who
has sailed the Western ocean for
many a year. The Northern Light
plies between this port and Rotterdam.
She sailed from that port on June p,
calling at Shields to repleniSh the coal
bunkers and resumed her voyage on
the 9th. The ship made a northern
passage, passing through the Pent-
land Firth, which separates the main
land from the Orkney Isles. Nothing
unusual occurred to break the mono
tony Of a dull voyage across the North
Atlantic until July l, about p. NJ,
when about 2oO miles west of Rock
Hall. The weather at the time was
fine and clear, with a smooth sea. The
officers had just returned to the deck
from below, having finished their
evening meal, when an officer on the
watch suddenly drew the attention of
Capt. Parton to a great disturbance on
the sea, about nine miles ahead, on
the weather bow. A general rush was
made for the binoculars to investigate
the. cause Of the commOtion, when 4
large whale was sighted, apparently
in deadly conflict with some marine
monster, which appeared to be revolv-
ing over the whales back. Within a
short time the Northern Light was
abeam, Of the marine contest, which
was plainly visible to the naked eye.
1t proved to be a fight to the death
between the whale and an enormous
fish called the thrasher.
| The fish is the deadly enemy Of the
whale, and when these levia thans of
the deep meet a fight to the death is
the result. The thrasher usually
comes off best, and never ceases until
the whale is dead, a mass Of floating
blubber and bone. The near approach
of the steamer to witness the duel did
not in the least deter the thrasher
from delivering its two large fins or
| horns with tremendous force on the
whales neck, which, at every blow,
tried to get out of his way by diving.
and at times jumping almost out Of
the water in his frantic efforts to avoid
the enemy, the whale meantime
spouting on coming to the surface, and
throwing upward such en- immense
body of water that the conflict could
not be seen for several seconds at a
time: The battle ragged furiously.
Meanwhile the Northern Light drifted
slowly ahead, and as time would not
permit those on board to witness the
finish, the steamer proceeded on her
course, but fol- some time afterward
they could be seen a long distance
astern still fighting furiously. The
thrasher with his enormous fins,
which it could move like the arms Of
a man, appeared above the sea quite
twenty feet in a vertical position. be-
fore striking a blow on the whales
back. The estimated length Of the
whale was fully 12O feet, while that
Of the thrasher was about eighty feet
The chief engineer Of the Northern
Light made a pen and ink sketch of
the battle on the spot, and fully veri-
fies the truth of the captains story
He concluded his yarn by saying that
if the whale in which Jonah spent
three days and three nights was as
large as this one. Jonah had good &C,
Enthusiastically Eagle.