The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-07-01
WHALE CAPTURING.
An Exciting Catch Made off the
Island of Bermuda.
Harpooner's Thrilling Ride on
the Leviathan's Back.

nocean, seven hundred miles east by
Il dth of New York and 600 miles east
of Charleston,S c. But of late years
the whales have been living "away
up in the North sea-" and the indus
try has been abandoned. Recently,
however, the writer had thrilling
experience during the capture of
whale on the reefs of these coral isles.
While the stanch steamer Trinidad
was nearing the coast, captain Frazer
spied a school of eight whales. The
sun was at its zenith and its rays
shimmered from the whales backs.
No such leviathans of the sea had
been seen in this neighborhood for
many years, and the fact was signaled
to the islands. By code of military
flag signals this information was soon
known from one end of the group to
the other.
Presently Joseph G. Foxun n crew,
in the whaleboat Shamrock, put out
from the shore and started in pursuit.
At the same time pilot was brought
in skiff to the Trinidad, and the
writer, on informing the captain that
he represented the Spy, was allowed
to leave the ship in a small boat. The
Trinidad passed on with its joyous
passengers, and the whalers went in
the opposite direction. By this time
the whalers had divided into three
groups-two in one group, and three
each in the other two groups. Mr..
Fox decided to attack one of the
whales in the third group, and, taxi
ing advantage of change in the direc.
tion of their course. he SO maneuvred
the Shamrock as to get directly in the
path OF the nearest whale.
As the monster approached, quite
unconscious of danger, for sperm
whale cannot see an object lying
directly ahead, skillful movement
of the steering oar brought the boat
within five feet OF the whale and en-
abled Mr.. Fox to send well-aimed
harpoon into its body near the right
fin.
This made "his whalelets" mad, for
instantly his tail flew straight up in
the air and he began what is termed
''sounding"-that is diving straight
down. The coil of rope ran out so
rapidly that it kept three men busily
engaged in drenching it with water to
prevent fire by friction. The whale
was good diver, for he stayed under
half an hour before he came up to do
his "spouting."
While he was in the act of throw
ing off the vaporized water, which was
just beginning to form pretty siphon,
Mr.. Fox fired bomb lance, which
exploded in the whales side. This
enraged the monster so greatly that
he upset the small boat with his tail,
and threw one whaleman high into the
air. The man fell on the whales
back, and while holding on to the har-
poon, rode several miles before it oc-
curred to him to get off and suffer
himself to be rescued by his compan-
ions, who in the meantime, had been
picked up by the larger boat. The
1f% %ba fha uvt -
rode on the whales back, Isaac Nadele,
a native of Ohio, who had served in
the Freuch army during the Franco
Prussian war. He has had many ex-
citing adventures, but he voluntarily
told the Spy representative that it was
the first time he was ever really
frightened.
Then the attack began again.
There were many thrusts of the har-
poon, while the bomb lance was fred
occasionally to vary the monotony.
The "big fish" did not 'sound" any
more, but lay most of the time on the
surface of the water, rolling and beat
ing tho sea with its fins and tail.
After struggle of two hours and a
half the whale succumbed, and an
other half hour sufficed to strap up
the CARCASS and take it in tow.
It was fifteen miles from land. The
whale was sixty feet long, and it is es-
timated that the blubber will yield
sixty barrels of oil. The catch ia
said to be worth something like
$1,000.
The writer had steak cut from the
whales side, and the French chef Of
che Princess hotel toasted it to beau
tiful brown. 1t lacked that tooth
some favor often discovered in the