Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-12-29
DESTROYED a FLEET.
A WHALES REVENGE FOR THE HAIR
POONING or HER CALF

A widely known and feared deviifish
has its headquarters in the northern
| Pacific, mostly along the American
coast, especially affecting the gulf of
California. This huge creature is a
mammal, one CT the great whale fam
lily, really 4 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 ito windward" of the diabolically
cunning giants whom they abuse with
such fluent and frequent flow of pictur-
esque profanity.
1t is a 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, but
a few feet below, the water. For this
reason, and in this fishery alone, the
wbaIers arm themselves with iron
shafted barpoons, in order to strike with
greater force and certainty of direction
a W hale some distance beneath the sur
face. a standing order, too, among
them is never by any chance to injure 8
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 calamity that befell a
feet of Is 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
s,, hx-
common consent rendezvoused in Mar
garita bay. Lower California, for a
month CT two's devil fishing"
The whales were exceedingly abun-
dnnt 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 fiotilla
of SO beats, 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 more 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, q
harpooner had in striking large COW
whale transfixed her calf at her side
with his harpoon, killing it immediate
ly
Tho mother, having quietly satisfied
herself that her offspring was really
dead, turned upon her aggressors like
veritable demon of destruction, and
while carefully avoiding exposure of her
body to attack simply spread devasta-
ton among the fiotilla. Whenever she
rose to the surface. it was but for a SEQ
ond. to emit an expiration like the hiss
Of lifting safety valve and almost al
ways to destroy . boat or complete the
Of one already hopelessly
damaged.
Every blow was dealt with an &C.
curacy and appearance Of generalization
that filed 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
speed of the monster was so great that
her almost simultaneous appearances at
points widely separated made her seem
q ubiquitous, and as she gave no chance
" whatever for blow it certainly looked
rs if all the boats would be destroyed
;eriatam. Not content with dealing one
blow at boat and reducing
L at once to a bundle of loose boards,
she renewed her attentions again and
again to the wreckage, as if determined
hat the destruction should be complete.
Utter decentralization had seized even
he veterans. and escape was the only
hought governing all action. But the
distance to shore was great, and the
persistence and vigor of the furious le-
nathan, so far from diminishing, SEEM
ID to increase as the terrible work went
III. At last two boats did succeed in
eacbing the beach at a point where it |
Hoped very gradually. The crews had |
hardly leaped overheard to run their |
raft up high and dry when close behind |
hem in the shadows foamed and rolled |
heir relentless enemy, just too late TO |
each them
Out of the large number of well |
quipped boats that left the ships that |
morning only these two escaped undam- |
ged. and the loss of the season IS work |
vas irremediable. Over so men were |
Iadly injured, and six. one of whom
vas the unhappy origin of the whole
rouble. were killed outright The tri-
Imphant avenger of her slain offspring |
as silently nc she had car
led on her deadly warfare. as far as
ould be known unhurt. and with an /
hoard of experience that |
would if possible render her more of
devil" to any unsuspecting whalemen
Eho should hereafter have the misfor-
rne to meet with and attack her than
he had proved herself to be already
detected and crippled, the feet lost no
ine in getting away from the spot and
eeing north 20 San Francisco. there to