Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-11-28
THE BIG WHALE
Thousands Of People Visit the Blu
chanan Farm Yesterday.
Tho Monster Lies high and Dry
Mr. Il. L. Doa,or Will To-Dny
nesin TO Try out the oi,-mow tho
Lcvin,hnn Was Killed.

Inc Dig Whale that lies high and dry
at Pleasure Beach drew thousands of
sight-seers to that point yesterday. and
Sunday, and> many went home laden
with trophies secured from it's NAM
moth carcass.
The people went there on foot, in
busgies and 'busses and on bicycles and
looked and wondered.
THE ROUTE TO TAKE
AS 1t will probably be there for some
days few words as to the route for
sight-seers to take may be timely. The
pest way to go from Norfolk is to take
the road to the water works, turn there
TO the left and so over the bridges and
arms of Lakes Lawson and Smith. The
route is available for vehicles of. all
Kinds and the distance Is about ten
miles from Norfolk
The road to the wafer works is in
good condition for wheels. The road
from the water works on Is also good.
Blcycie riders can make the trip one
way In about an hour and n half.
ON SYNDICATE LAND.
Tho whale was cast I'D on the land
OF the Lynnhayen syndicate, OF which
Mr.. Richard H. Wright, of Norfolk.
agent OF the Boston Line, is president.
1t is about one mile west of, Lynn
haven Inlet
The farm and fisheries are leased from
the syndicate by Mr.. John Buchanan.
OF Iynnhaven. Under his lease he ac-
quires title. and it is believed that the
whale is worth quite a sum for its oil
and whalebone. Whalebone has been
getting scarce in the past few years
and high in price.
HIS WHALESHIP.
The big whale was carefully meas
ured yesterday by q Virginian-Pilot
representative as it lies on the bench.
It is siXty-fve feet long, about fifteen
feet through and has a mouth with a
spread of about twenty feet. 1t is black
above and white below The skin of the
whale is beautifully ribbed underneath.
Careful examination indicates that It
Is common Roqual or Razor back
This species grows to size OF sixty to
seventy feet long, so this Is one of the
largest of Its kind. The Roquals are
widely distributed and commit great
havoc In fisheries. They rarely con-
gregate in schools" but are found
isolated from each other. Their capture
is not generally pursued as they do not
generally yield much blubber. The
whalebone is stout, coarse and OF COM
paratively little value. The name
leonual is derived from the Morse
'Rorq-val," signifying whale with
pleats or folds in the skin.
STRUCK BY A STEAMER.
1t is said that the Washington steam
er struck the whale Saturday week, and
reported the striking of something, sup
posed to be n submerged log. 1t is now
believed that this log was this whale
and that the collision broke its jaw.
The shock probably killed the whale.
TRY OUT THE OIL
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. B. L. Dozer
the Norfolk liveryman, son-in-law Of
Mr.. Buchanan, had n force of men begin
preparations for trying out the blubber
Several cart loads of blubber were cut
off by the men yesterday and removed
to the back of the Buchanan farm
where the work of trying out the blub-
Der for oil will begin this morning.
Mr. Dozier states that he expects to
secure about fifty barrels of oil, GUAM
tity of whalebone and considerable
quantity OF refuse meat and bone that
will make good fertilizer. He will use
q big ffty-barrel kettle and the sight
will be an interesting one.