Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-06-17
PHOTOGRAPHIC A WHALE.

. PHoToGRAPHiNG A WHALE.
Snap Shot at . Monster ~ It Lespe
Out Of the Water.
Whether q certain whale that break
tasted, di,aed and supped every day il
the Santa Catalina channel went ou
one morning with the determination O
being photographed I really cannot say
but the picture was certainly taken
Living in the neighborhood, the whale
was probably familiar with the steamer
that plowed daily through its dining
room, and if it was at all an observing
whale it must have noticed ON the morn.
ing in question an unusual commotiou
on the deck of the steamer, and this is
what it saw: The passengers were crowd
ing about the rail, and on the upper
deck stood man and little girl, the
former holding square black box, into
which he looked earnestly. And if the
whale had come little nearer this is
what he might have heard:
"Win he look pleasant?' asked the
little girl Of her companion.
II hope SC, he replied, giancine
rapidly from the camera to the whale
that was then swimming few hundred
feet away.
The passengers had first observed it
mile or more distant. when the little
girl said it was dancing on its tail. -
1t had really leaped out Of the water
and for few seconds exposed almost its
entire back-most astonishing spectacle
and then had fallen back into the sea
with laundering crash. Soon it came
to the surface again, and, shooting a
cloud OF yapor into the air that slowly
hoated away, at. intervals disappeared |
and reappeared until finally it came
alongside the steamer, swimming along
within short distance. It was then
that the fortunate possessor Of the cam
era secured good position near the rail
and waited, as his little companion had
said, for the whale to 'look pleasant. "
Looking pleasant in this instance meant
for the whale to show large portion of
Its body above the water. It was now
swimming just below the surface, its
huge black form, 60 or 70 feet in length.
distinctly visible, propelled by the un-
dulating movement of the tail. Sudden
~ it rose, showing just the portion
around the blowholes, and with loud
putt the hot breath burst into the air,
was condensed and in little cloud i
arifted away. !
Didn't he look pleasant?' asked the /,
little girl earnestly.
MOT quite pleasant enough" said
ihe photographer as he peered into the T
'1ny window of the camera that reflect n
ID the sea in brilliant tints. 81 could q
'atch the spout, but want to wait un- f
IL he throws his entire head out of wa O
er and looks really pleasant before I I.
ouch the button - n
IL was an exciting moment, as never, n
0 lar as known, had living whale in v
ne open ocean posed before a camera. r.
r photographer seen SO huge an ami v
aal obligingly swim along, allowing h
is picture to be taken. "
Its a tame whale, isn't it?'' said d
ne little girl as the whale gradually is
anne nearer, =,
lie certainly does not seem very "
mid, " replied her companion, and as le
spoke, puff came the spouting like
le escape OF steam, the vapor actually SC
rlftlng aboard the steamer into the Fl
ICES of the passengers. w
Ihe whale was now so near that the 90
upon his back could be seen. nj
Id one man was sure that he saw it's 81
re. Suddenly it sank, and all that pe
uld be seen id the little window was on
e dancing waves and the white sails oh
myriads Of velellas that covered the sis
rface, scudding along before the fresh no
ade wind. Then without warning the fo
eature as suddenly rose again, show ";
g large area Of its back, sending at m,
9 same time cloud of misty vapor tn,
to the air as its top or dorsal fin ap- no
ared. The photographer saw, it in the ha
tile window, and evidently thinking in,
at the whale looked as pleasant as he no
all probability would touched the th,
tton, and, SO far as is known, took ne,
first photograph Of living whale wi
the open ocean. Charles Frederick a
'lder in ST. Nicholas. tri