The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-03-23
A WHISTLING WHALE
THE HEAD OF A HARPOON MADE THE
SPOuTER !, FREAK.

A Badly Scared Boats Crew and an
Exciting Battle With the Mon..e
Who Crushed a Small Boat Between
His Ponderous Jaws.
"The only time ever was really
frightened was when l was fast to
whistling whale on the Japan grounds
in 1872" Old Captain Rogers Of New
London was talking. "It was my sec
Ond voyage whaling. and had shipped
as boat steerer on the Nautilus. We
had been out from home some 18
months and had met with fairly good
luck, when one morning There she
blowsr came down from one of the
lookOuts aloft. 1t was just after six
bells, and the second mates watch was
below. The mate. whose boat l steer
ed, was in charge of the deck.
"'Where away? he shouted.
"'About three miles off the weather
| BEAM
"The whale, after 1t had sounded,
| broke water half a mile nearer the
ship, spouted once and turned fiukes.
| "That whale acts to me as if he was
Called said the old man as he came
down on deck. He's got separated
from a school,
| "'Shall we lowerY asked the mate.
| eyes. but spread your chances and
work cautious, for you'll find him shy
| "All three boats were lowered, and
for some 20 minutes we pulled hard,
taking courses a little different. Then
| IN e,fn nod n nd fod
the whale to come up again. The
three boats were then about half q
mile apart, ours a little the farthest
from the ship.
Suddenly the whale broke water 9
short distance from the second mates
boat and began to spout. And he
spouted with a most unearthly whistle
tell you, it scared us. The men sa
motionless in their seats until thu
whale went circling about. 1t didn'
seem to know we were near till h'
suddenly started for the second mate
boat open mOuthed.
''As he came on with q rush the crew
to a man leaped overheard. He tool
the empty boat in his jaws and crush
ed it like an eggshell. Then, catching
sight Of our boat, he came at US, bu
our crew had partly recovered thei
wits and sprang to the oars with
will.
ITO escape by speed was no 60, bu
just as the whale overlook us the mat
gave the boat sudden sheer to por
by a quick stroke Of the steering oal
and the monster shot by. just grain
the starboard oars.
"As he passed let drive one iron q
him, and it planted firmly. but before
could grasp the second he turned fuke
and went down like lightning. Th
sting of the harpoon had taken all th
fight out of him.
81 tell you he went down deep, an
his speed was surprising. We had
pour water on the chocks to keep thel
from blazing. One drag after anothe
was bent on to stop him. But, no. Onl
single flake of line was left in the tu
when the strain ended and the line b.
gan to slacken.
: "'He's risin!' exclaimed the mat
Haul in slack, and when he breaks W,
ter Ill let daylight through him:
"When about half of the line was Il
the whale came about a dozen bO,
lengths ahead. And he was spOutir
again with the same unearthly whi
tling. 1t put terror into all but tt
mate, who was forward with his lane
bent on 'greasing it, had taken
place at the steering oar.
1--WE started to pull up to the whal
but away he went, towing the boat af
, er him so fast that the water rose lii
walls on both sides.
"For half an hour more he kept th
up, then suddenly stopped and lay 6
most still on the water. Slowly al
cautiously we pulled up to him. Wht
we came within striking distance, Il
mate thrust at his vitals with tt
lance and pretty soon he rolled ov
dead.
"On cutting into that whale the ne
day we found the cause of the whl
Ting 1t was the head of a harpot
imbedded transversely across one
the animals spout holes in such a ma
ner that the escaping air produced
\ | shrill sound. The iron bore the initia
\ of the ship James Loper of Nantuck'
and we afterward learned that she b
struck and lost a large sperm whs
by the breaking Of a harpoon some
months previous.
1.-TWO New Bedford ships and ba
:. from New London, which reach
home before us, reported having sc
a orally chased but failed to get fast
a lone whale, which whistled like
steam engine when it spouted.
"His roaming about alone is accoul
ed for by presuming that his whistli
frightened and scattered every sch(
4 that he approached. He was a mol
i fellow and slowed down 81 barrels
sperm OIL"
q "But what became of the seco
mates crew. who were left struggli
in the water when their boat was
molished ?" asked.
2 "Oh, the other boat picked them
2 and took them back to the ship"
3 piled the old captain as he lighted
? pipe and settled back for a smoke
E Youths Companion.
What Poverty Did.