The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-18
PHOTeaRAPHlNa A-WHAIE.
Hs Didn't Look Pleasant, but obliginEly
Spouted at the Right Moment.

Spouted at the Right Moment.
Whether certain whale that break
tasted. dIned, and supped every day. in
tbe Santa Catalina Channel, went out
one morning with the determination
Of being photographed ! really cannot
say; but the picture was certainly Ia
ken, says ST. Nicholas. Living in the
neighborhobd, the whale wis probably
familiar with the steamer that ploughed
daily through It's dining room; and II
Il was at all OF an observing whale, II
must have noticed on the morning in
question an unusual commotlon on the
deck OF the steamer, and this is what II
SAW. Fhy passengers we're croWutng
about the rail, and on the upper DECK
stood man and little girl, the former
holding square black box. into when
he looked earnestly. And II the whale
had come a little nearer this Is what
he might have heard; ~.
"Will he look pleasant?" asked the
little girl of her companion.
II hope so, he replied, glaneing rap
idly from the camera to the whale that
,sa . Then swimming a few hundred feet
away. -, Z. q
The passengers had first observed II a
mile OF. more distant, when the little glrl
said It was "dancing on Its tall. 1t hau
really lcaped out Of the water, ana LOT
4, few seconds exposed almost It's en-
tire bsck--Ynest astonishing spectacle
md then had fallen back into the sea
With a Numbering crash. Soon 1t game
to the surface again, and shooting a
cloud of vapOr into the air that slowly
floated away, at intervals disappeared
and reappeared until finally It came
alongside the steamer, swimming alons
within a short distance. It was tneh
that the fortunate possessor OF the cam
era secured a good position near tne
rail, and waited, as his little companion
had said, for the whale to iooK peas
ant p Looking pleasant In this instance,
,oaanf for the whale to show q large
norton Of It's body above water. 1t was
nnw swlmming Just below the surface
its huge black FORM, sixty or seventy
feet In length, distinctly visible, pro
PEELED by the undulatlng movement OF
Ire fail. Suddenly 1t rose, showing JUST
the portion, around the blow holes, anu
with a. loud pun the hot breath burst
Jnto the mfr. was condensed, and III
little cloud drifted away
HDidn't he look pleasant? asked sthe
little girl. earnestly.
mot quite pleasant enough, sala tne
photographer, as he peered into the tiny
window Of the camera that reflected the
sea in brilliant tluts. II could catchrthe
spout, but want to walt until he throws
his entire head out of water ana looks
really pleasant before touch the BUT
ton" -,o,
II was an exciting moment, as 9eyer,
"a FAR as known, had living whale, IN
tbe omen ocean, posed before camera,
m a photographer seen so huge an nni-
vol ohIiYInYIy swim along, allowing It's
picture to be taken.
little girl, as the. whale gradually came
neRTeT. ~
"He certainly does not seem very
timid," replied her companion; and as
he spoke, pun! came the spouting Ike
the escape Of steam, the vapor actu-
ally drifting aboard the steamer into
the faces OF the passengers.
The whale was now SO near that the
barnacles upon It's back could be seen,
and one man was sure that he saw It's
eve. Suddenly 1t sank, and all that
could be seen in the little window was
the dancing waves and the white sails
az nyrIadg OF veleliaS that covered the
surface, scuddIng along before the fresh
trade wind. Then, without warning, the
creature as suddenly rose again, show
Ing a large area OF It's back, sending
nj the same time.n cloud Of mlsty7Yupor
into the air us Its top or dorsnl fin ape
peared. The photographer saw 1t In the
little window, and evidently thinking
that the whale looked as pleasant as he
in all probability would, touched the
button, and, so far as Is known, took
the'ilrst photograph Of a living whale In
the open ocean.