The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-16

hghhmaAc Nun - AtttCG-lhc "Aia-
ter Fad"
From the New York Times.
Generally speaking. Ct is safe to as
sert that there IS much Misrepresentation
about the way In which whales are sought
for and captured Pictorial Biographies
are largely responsible for mislnformation
on the subject Down at the Ship News
ohice at the Battery Is one Of these mis-
leading books. a dog-earod time-worn.
much-soiled. entirely dusty and generally
worthless publication, which strayed into
the Office SO long ago that no one can tell
when or whence It came
Many seafaring folk frequent the Ship
News Office. and into It there strolled last
week one whose career as a plain merchant
seaman, now abandoned for the more
stormy one OF literature. had been diversi-
fed with some whaling voyages In the
Pacific. The visitor turned the leaves
% the geography until he found on one be-
grimed page the picture OF a harpooner.
with weapon poised, ready for fling at a
whale. which was represented as standing
on it's head and bidding defiance to'every-
thing in the heavens above and the waters
beneath.
phios of that sport ought to be suppressed.
Then he told about whale hunting as was
whale hunting, and a reporter for 1.-THE
NeW York Times, who was there. became
interested
''There-she-blow he says is the way
that landsmen who know all about whal-
ing from reading Biographies and story
books would make the hail. But those
who seek the whale In his deep-sea lair
instead Of In books tell about the sighting
n wilt N
infection impossible to reproduce I'm
print: "Oh, --. b-l-o-wesp'
1T was IN the old whaling bark Ohio.
Capt. Ellis" said the narrator, that
made my FIRST whaling voyage. That was
back In 1856 IL Is Pacific and arctic whal-
ing that am speaking Of
when cruising in those waters in
search of whales, a whaler always keeps
three men aloft during the day time. An
officer Of the ship, and that functionary
Of a whaling expedition known as the
steerer' take their places in the cro'nest,
on the main, and another lookout Is sent
10 the fOretopgallant crosstreos All
three OF the lookouts are furnished with
marine glasses, and throughout their tour
Of duty aloft they carefully scan the hori-
ION IN all directions.
There may be days and days, with new
er @ cry from aloft, and then, on a sudden.
will be heard the welcome hail to tho deck
OF on, ---, b-l-O-wesr The cry electri-
fiea q crew as does Sail, hoF from cruis-
er'a masthead when an enemy Is the quest.
and makes an examination Of the spouter
through his glass. In the Pacific and Arc
Tic waters there are two kinds of whales
that he WANTS, and three kinds that he
will have nothing to do with The species
he wants Is the bowhcad and sperm. The
ones he docs not want are the finback.
humpback and sulphur bottom. These
may have other names, but they are not
known by any other to whalers.
The captain is enabled to tell what
manner OF whale II Is by the nature OF
by the full bushy sort Of fountain which
81 projects into the air IL the spouts are
at frequent intervals, and If the water Is
thrown high ia slender jet the captain
says nothing that is nice, descends from
his perch, and the vessel plods along her
way.
But, If the stream is low and much dis
persed, there rs q bracing around Of yards
and a clearing away Of whale boats All
hands are called on deck, and four Of the
five boats are manned and sent in pursuit
OF the whale. One boat is always kept in
reserve In case Of emergency but only
enough men are kept on board to trim
sail and work ship.
The boats set sail as soon as thoy have
showed clear OF the SHIPS side. and then
the real excitement OF Il all begins ] wlll
tell you by and by where IL ends. And
VIII tell you now where the main nonsense
OF this picture les" He pointed 20 the
misused and despised geography.
Whales have a most acute hearing
and the swish Of the boat THROUGH the
water, even when propelled by silent can
vas IS often enough to frighten "a whale
and then he rs Off Ike "A locomotive. Now
as for oars and roWiOcks such as are rep
resented in this and most other pictures OF
whale capturing exploits that Is all rank
ahsurdHy. The splash OF an oar would
send a whale 10 the right about before
y9& could get within quarter OF q mile
OF him. They pre- harder to creep 1p upon
than are the Wild deer Of the forest
Therefore the noiseless san Is used n
there is any breeze. and VI there IS not
paddles such US the North American In
dian uses IN propelling his canoe are got
out and the boat pushed toward the levia-
THAN by cautious dips. Care is taken
never to splash water, and the men move
about In the boat In stockinged feet
"A boat Is never steered near q whales
head or near his tail A blow from his
tail would smash a boat into kndling wood
and his jaws are generally big enough TO
break a filbert Care, therefore, is taken
to steer clear OF the dangerous extremi-
ties. and to sneak alongside the monsters
vast body.
1.-THE steerer. meanwhile has taken his
station In the bow OF the boat, the officer
in charge being at the steering oar. The
boat ncars the big bulk Of flesh, and when
near enough TO strike, the steerer hurts
the missile which he has held poised IN
air, and aims to strike the whale Just abaft
tho fin"
The harpoon you are speaking Of"
queried the reporter.
well. It Is "A gun and harpoon com
D.uSQ. IN Lne eld OF q snort wooden smart
a detachable iron harpoon Is fitted. on
the head Of the same shaft Is fitted a dyna-
mite gun, pointed at the end, but not de-
tachable from the shaft Harpoon and
gun cut into the flesh al the same time
A sharp jerlS backward detaches the har-
pooh, which remains fast in the whale
and at the same time explodes the dyna-
mite cartridge.
IF the stGerer's aim has been true the
Grew have nothing more to do except to
back water quickly and watch the mon
ster's dying agonies. That sometimes
happens, but most often the whale Is
only maddened by the wound, and. plung-
ing under the surface with a maelstrOm
swirl WITCH half swamps his puny enemy
starts away with the speed OF an express
Then comes the excitement and the
danger. The line which Is fastened TO the
harpocn spins out 50 fast that the wood
work smokes where II PUSHES over the side,
and Heaven save amy one who becomes
entangled IN the clipping coils The whip
ping rings would cut a man IN two or
amputate leg or am arm quicker than
cleayer could divide an apple.
1.-THE line does not pay out without re-
sistance, and enough Of the whales rush
ing gait is impaired TO the boat TO make
the water foam and sputtcr as the craft
dashea along. The stcerer. hatchet I'm
hand, stands ready 20 cut the line should
the whale not stop before il all runs out.
Tho last fathom d called the bitter end
and when that is reached the hatchet
falls. otherwise lna whaieship wOuid
drag the boat under water.