The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-11-27
DESTROYED A FLEET.
A WHALES REVENGE FOR THE HAIR
PooNING OF HER CALF.

| A widely known and feared deyilfish
has its headquarters in the northern
Pacific, .ziostly along the American
coast, especially affecting ths gulf Of
California. This huge creature is q
mammal, one Of the great whale fam
| lily, really rorquaI of medium size and
moderats yield of oil. Only the elite of
the Yankee whalemen, dexterous and
daring as are all the tribe, can hope to
| get ito windward" Of the diabolicaliy
cunning giants whom they abuse with
such fluent and frequent flow of pictur-
esque profanity.
1t is peculiar characteristic of this
animal that it seems ever on the alert
scarcely exposing for one moment it's
broad back above the sea surface when
rising to spout and generally travelling,
unlike all its congeners, not upon, but
few feet below, the water. For this
reason, and in this fishery alone, the
whalers arm themselves with iron
shafted harpoons, in order to strike with
greater fOrco and certainty of direction
a whale some distance beneath the sur
face. standing order, too, among
them is never by any chance to injure
calf while the mother lives, since such
an act exposes all and sundry near the
spot to imminent and violent death.
Neglect of this most necessary precau-
tion, or more probably accident. once
brought about calamity that befell
feet of 13 American whaleships which
had been engaged in the "bowhead"
fishery among the ice foes of the Arctic
Pacific. In order to waste no time they
came south when winter set in, and by
common consent rendezvoused in Mar
garita bay, Lower California, for
month or two's ''devil fishing"
The whales were exceedingly abun-
dant that season, and all the ships were
soon busy with as much blubber as they
could manage. The ease with which the
whales were being obtained, however,
led to considerable carelessness and for |
getfulness Of the fact that the whale |
never changes its habits One bright |
morning, about three weeks after the |
opening of the season, the whole flotiIla |
of so boats, four from each ship, had |
been lowered and were making their |
way as rapidly as possible to the outIy-
ing parts of the great bay, keeping a
OAiSnO AOOhOub IOT ISL.
Spreading out fanwise, they were get
ting more and more scattered, when
about near the center of the fleet some
one suddenly struck and got fast to a
fish, but hardly had the intimation been
given when something very like panic
seized upon the crowd. In a moment or
two the reason was apparent From
some cause, never definitely known, a
harpooner had in striking a large COW
whale transfxed her calf at her side
with lis harpoon, killing it Immediate
ly.
The mother. having quietly satisfied
herself that her offspring was really
dead, turned upon her aggressors like a
Veritable demon of destruction, and
whilo carefully avoiding exposure of her
body to attack simply spread devasta-
tion among the flotilla. Whenever she
rose to the surface, it was but for Sec
ond, to emit an expiration like the hiss
OF lifting safety valve and almost al
ways to destroy boat or complete the
destruction of one already hopelessIy
damaged.
Every blow was dealt with an &C.
curacy and appearance of premeditation
that filled the superstitious Portuguese. {
who formed good half of the crews,
with dismay-the more so that many of {
them could only guess at the original '
cause of what was really going on. The I
speed Of the monster was SO great that I
her almost Simultaneous appearances at
points widely separated made her seem
ubiquitous, and as she gave no chance '
for blow it certainly looked '
Is If all the boats would be DESTROYED t
Not content with dealing one I
blow at boat and reducing q
t at once to bundle of loose boards,
ho renewed her attentions again. md c
gain to the wreckage. as if determined s
hat the destruction should be complete. {
Utter decentralization had seized even q
he veterans. and escape was the only a
hought governing all action But the b
distance TO shore was great, and the
'ersistence and vi9or of the furious le- U
latham, so far from diminishing, SEEM 8
d to increase as the terrible work went b
n. AT last two boats did succeed in q
eaching the beach at a point where IL Fl
loped very gradually. The crews had u
ardly leaped overheard to run tteir
raft up high and dry when close behind
hem in the shadows foamed and rolled
heir relentless enemy. just too late TO Il
Zach them. c,
Out Of the large number Of well b.
luipped boats that left the ships that "
forming only these two escaped undam. al
ged. and the loss Of the seasons work pl
'as irremediable. Over so men were al
adly injured. and six. one of whom Ii
as the unhappy origin Of the whole rC
ouble. were killed outright The tri. CT
mphant avenger Of her slain Offspring d.
lsappeared as silently as she had car. re
ed ON her deadly warfare, as far as Ii
'uld be known unhurt, and with an Dc
accumulated hoard Of experience that bI
ouId IL possible render her more Of n Ie