The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-15
WHALES VS.. SPOUTS.


A school OF, 80 large and healthy whales
battling with half dozen waterspouts
during terrific hurricane was the un-
usual sight beheld by the crew OF tho Brit
ish steamer Bcndo on July . while pass
ing Cape Hatteras.
II Is seldom such a large number OF
whales is seen ut one time, and 1t Is not
frequent that six huge whirling, roaring
waterspouts sweep down upon vessel; so
that when half dozen columns Of water
are met by an army of sea monsters the
event becomes Of considerable Importance
and interest to seafaring men.
Though the Bendo, which arrived ut
Philadelphia from Rio Janeiro, travelled
over the route upon which sea serpents are
frequently seen, there In no claim made to
having sighted any of these very common
sert that the terrible marine fray which
they witnessed must be accepted as truth.
The waterspouts caused by the cyclone
on the deep were Of immense proportions,
measuring about $50 feet In diameter at
the base and tapering up gradually like
huge cone TO point where the diameter
was less than foot Above this the cone
was formed In inverted shape until IL re-
sembled a great funnel There were six
Of them, and they resembled beautifully
tinted columns supporting tine heavy
masses Of dark black clouds above while
below rolled the Atlantic.
The Bendo struck the storm about noon
and had considerable difficulty In weather
ing the hurricane. When the crew first
caught sight of the waterspouts, they were
moving down on the steamer ut rapid
rate and threatening to engulf her. They
were In a line and swept forward In such
regular order that they resembled squad
Of soldiers moving under orders When
the towering masses of water, which the
crew of the Bendo already decided would
cause their death, had arrived within less
than half milo Of the ship, they veercd off
to the windward, and then the truthful
sailor men behcld the strangest sight In
all their nautical experiences
Captain Doyle gave the reporter a graph
ic description Of tho scene as ho beheld
It, After telling Of the storms approach
he said:
"It was about o'clock In tho afternoon
when the waterspouts turned on our wind
ward, and wo were watching the beautiful
sight when we saw n great number Of
large whales among the columns of water,
spouting streams of water into the air and
lashing the water into foam with their
tails There were at least 80 In the school,
and from their actions IL was evident that
they were enraged at the waterspouts, for
with dumb fury they would blindly rush
Into the whirling cones as II 10 sbatter
them to pieces 1t was an awful sight
IA hugo whale would swim off q short
distance and then with q squirt which in
. creased his momentum as he proceeded
would dash his many tons of weight
against waterspout. Striking as Le
would, the base of the cone there would
be caused O arrangement of the spiral
movement; the column would tetteF, and
then in an instant the mass OF hundreds
of tons of greenish water fell back into the
ocean with "a mighty roar. ~.
THE whales were then In glee and
would sport among the water as If pleased
with their victory.
But the cyclonic movement would re-
establish the connection between the
clouds and the sen and new waterspout
take the place of the one destroyed. The
excitement became tremendous, and the
whales rolled over one another in their
fierce battle with the forces of nature
Some would dive into the waterspouts and
be carried into the air a few feet, only to
be hurled back into the ocean, while the
cone broke over them. Others would
throw their heads far out of the water and
almost rise erect In the ocean.
" A few would reverse this, and when
they rushed into the fight their tails would
be thrown into the air, and the rotary move
ment of the sea would spin them around
like tops They did not appear to tire of
their attempts to destroy the waterspouts,
and during the four hours in which we
were In sight of the strange conflict they
were constantly engaged.
1.-The prevailing tempest made the affair
one of the weirtiest things imaginable, and
never before Ia my life have seen any