Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-12-08
DESTROYED A FLEET.
A WHALES REVENGE FOR THE HAIR
POONlNG OF HER CALF.

More ana spilnterihB rity rish"s
Boats.
A widely known and feared devilfish
has its headquarters in the northern
Pacific, mostly along the American
coast, especially affecting the gulf OF
California. This huge creature is
mammal, one of the great whale fam
ily. really a rorqual of medium size and
moderate yield of oil. Only the elite OF
the Yankee whalemen, deXterous and
daring as are all the tribe, can hope to
get "to windward" of the diabolically
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 its
broad back above the sea surface when
rising to spout and generally travelling,
unlike all its congeners, not upon, bat
a 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 force and certainty Of direction
q whale some distance beneath the sur
face. a 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-
ton, or more probably accident, once
brought about a calamity that befell
fleet of - 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 reudezvoused in Mar
garita bay, Lower California, for a
month or two's devil fishing"
The whales were exceedingly album
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
eetfulness of the fact that the whale
never changes its habits. One bright
morning, about three weeks after the
opening of the season, the whole fiotllla
of 80 boats, four from each ship, had
been lowered and were making their
way as rapidly as possible to the outly-
ing parts of the great bay, keeping a
bright lookout for " fish. "
Spreading out fanwise, they were get
ting more and moro scattered, when
about near the center of the fleet some
one suddenly "struck" and got fast to
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 large COW
whale transfxed her calf at her side
with his 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
while carefully avoiding exposure Of her
body to attack simply spread devasta-
ton 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 hopelessly
damaged.
Every blow was dealt with an &C
curacy and appearance Of generalization
that filled the superstitiOus Portuguese,
who formed a 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
speed Of the monster was so great that
her almost simultaneous appearances at
points widely separated made her seem
ubiquitous, and as she gave no chance
whatever for blow it certainly looked
as if all the boats would be destroyed
seriatam. Not content with dealing one
tremendous blow at Il boat and reducing
it at once to n bundle Of loose boards,
she renewed her attentions again and
again to the wreckage, as If determined
that the destruction should be complete.
Utter decentralization had seized even
the veterans, and escape was the only
thought governing all action. But the
distance to shore was great, and the
persistence and vigor Of the furious le-
viatban, so far from diminishing, SEEM
ed to increase as the terrible work went
on. At last two boats did succeed IN
reaching the beach at point where it
sloped very gradually The crews had
hardly leaped overheard to run their
craft up high and dry when close behind
them in the shadows fOamed and rolled
their relentless enemy, just too late to
reach them.
Out of the large number of well
equipped boats that left the ships that
morning only these two escaped undam-
aged, and the loss of the season S work
was irremediablo. Over 80 men were
badly injured, and six, one of whom
was the unhappy origin Of the whole
trouble, were killed outright The tri-
umphant avenger of her slain offspring
disappeared as silently as she had car
ried on her deadly warfare, as far as
could be known unhurt, and with an
accumulated board of experience that
would if possible render her more Of a
devil" to shy unsuspecting whalemen
who should hereafter have the misfor-
tune to meet with and attack her than
she had proved herself to be already.
Detected and crippled, the feet lost no
time il getting away from the spot and
fleeing north to San Francisco, there to
retit for other and more profitable fish
ing grounds. Magazine.