The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-08-30

A4An ~
s,v /. vigorously wsth thei- tails uutsI their
hssxs u-cssrsaa prey. r14dSer@1 with pain
rral7y succeeds q slad.ng them ~
sounding.
! fxrx~ so~-rn whale generally STAYS
tIrsse~ water forry-fve minutes. WHEN -
CORES 10 for breathing spell. which nay
sxse~d 20 a certain limited tE--e, though
I. hxx r~ver been positively as-ertasnes1
no- Io1x tbs creature can really stop
sh5ve water at will Unlike ire right
whal. which throws double. ns1ss1y spout
f-zzh up. the sperm whales spout Is low
srd ssnxfs gn1 easily dIscern.ale 20 the
trzl-ed eye q a EhaieTnzn-
when a boat has struck a whale and he
tss taken 20 s5un.slng 4 stric. watch L.
kept bY to masthead I5akcuts abGzrd tas
vessel who ~ flag signzs Immediately
inform the boat 81 Ms reappears7ce and
tie direction % ne -5Erxe which he IS
taking. This is the tino 20 haul MP 20
ffu ard e. isavor 70 give him his death
yourd ~ means Of few dextrous
strokes with the lsh4 sance ~ by firing
a few bono iances from to- bomb gun
into his vital par-E. Often. however. the
tussls proves quite ;s6IoIs, for II the
whale IS not MORALLY wounded aid made
% spout "thick blood n the early part Of
TIE attack hs may rot 20 n furry"
easy prey but instsed start 10 running,
or take turn OF ne SLACK tow lire around
his lower Jaw ard snap i. thereby making
his escape.
Harpoons embedded IN whales blub-
Der do not disturb his equ1nirnlty in the
least, for the coils Of line stt1ehei 70 them
are IN time rotted of by the action OF the
salt water Many whales have been
caught having old harpooas from more
than ore vessel in their blubber, s. me OF
them testlfyfng 70 a long lapse Of Time. A
whale. while sometimes getting away after
several bomb ianees have exploded IN his
carcass. viii in most instances EuccGme
TO the effects OF his wounIs.
Making the Capture.
A sperm whaler generally lowered four
boats. a few big ships a. times five, and
several spare boats we're always carried
on the skids OF the deckho1se- Eaeh boat
carried an Officer. boat steerer an5
crew OF four men. The beatstserer is tie
harpooner. the man who strikes the whale
and on whom OF all others depends the
success or failure Of securing the coveted
prize He must be clear-headed and OF
steady nerve when darling forward MS
irons" No whaleman ever designs 10 call
then harpoons II is the officers duty TO
LAY him on 10 the whale in ship-shape
manner. and see 10 IL that the moment
ne darts the masts and sails are taken
down. rudder unsnipped and triced up and
the boat sheered clear OF the whale by
means Of the long steering oar.
When the boatssteerer mas succeeded in
fastening to the whale he Immediately
repairs 70 the stern OF the boat and takes
charge OF the steering oar. the Officer go
ing In the bow and posting himself In
readiness for attacking the whale with
hand and bomb lances. When very
large whale, or an obsreperous one, has
been struck. q second boat sometimes
comes up and fastens likewise so as 20
make the success OF capture moro sure.
When the crews have triumphed and
turned up" a dead whale a long stan
with a white flag is stuck in the carcass,
thus notifying the vessel. which may per-
chance be miles and miles TO leeward-
often out OF sight of the boats-and has
TO beat up tack for tack TO where the
boats are lying by the dead monster. The
whale generally floats on his side. though
on rare occasions dead sperm whale will
sink below the surface Of the water and
has 10 be raised by the combined efforts
of the boats. Towing a dead whale Is
slow and tiresome work, anc utterly out
OF the question after the fatisHes OF the
chase.
After taking The dead whale alongside
OF the vessel he IS sseUre,y fastened by
the nukes with strong chains ana prepar-
atoms are begun for cutul. in the bluo-
Der First the huge head bearing the case
containing the spermaceii, and OF ire
mendous weight, g cut on and securely
swung in heavy Chains, after which the
officers stationed on cutting stage,
which ia swung over the starboard gang
way, proceed TO loosen the blUbber from
the feshy part OF the body py means or
long handled whaling spades. " hile II Is
hove aboard in long strips several feet IN
width called blanket pieces" In this
work strong blocks and tackles are
manned by all spare members OF the crew,
who. Justify chanting as the huge pieces OF
hubber slowly make their ascent. are
eagerly watching for the captains STIR
ring Invitation TO splice the main brace
Thus the whales carcass Is rolled over
and over in the water until the last piece
of blubber is peeled off, when II is set
adrift as food for the myriads or sharks
that have assembled 10 the feest-
Cutting In and heaviag up the hluhoer
OF a large whale. inclusive OF The head.
occupies a whole day. The case is cut on
from the top OF the head and after being
baled out Is set adrift, All the rest OF the
head is cut up and boiled out In the try
pots the same as the blubber. Good try
works viii boil out from forty 10 fifty bar
rels OF bodx oil IN twenty-four hours, pro-
vIdinr the weather IS favorable. Head oil
is boiled out much quicker than the nluo-
Der from the whales body.
IL viii Be understood reaolly that great
harsships had TO be endured in the pur-
sult az this once fourishing industry, and
besides the perils OF the sea there were
tha varied dangers involved IN the voca-
ton Instances are on record where as
soon as struck the whale mas shown night,
ana in turn attacked and spiIatered the
boats about rim or smashed 'aSra all with
90. sv-eep OF his tail. crushing and man
cling some poor fellow in his jaws Sew
eral occurrences Of this sort are recorded
and in the captains room In the Nan
.ueket custom house. where the old vet
erans meet to smoke and gam hang
number OF pictures Representing these cas-
-,sit5es JOHN T. MTCHAELIS
.,,,- ~x,n cY~ uor-SE