The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-05-26

Vessels and Appliances RHVe Come
Into Vogue.
Most persons think of whaling as an
industry pursued with a bluff-bowed
old vessel beating her way round the
world, manned by New England farm
ers and the refuse of crimps' lodging
houses, and attacking the leViathans OF
the deep in frail boats with harpoons
and lances, Nothing could be more al
variance with the modern method OF
whale hunting, for science has enlisted
In the pursuit the most efficient as well
as most destructive of accessories and
the killing of the cetacea has been
transformed from an adventurous pur-
suit, Astounding in excitement and hair
breadth escapes, into a matteF-of-fact,
every day business undertaking.
Whaling in Green bay illustrates
these new conditions. A specially built,
stanch, stout and swift little steamer
prosecutes the fishery replacing the old
time boats and roWers. She carries on
her forecastle the weapon With which
she does battle-a powerful cannon,
which fires a projectile capable of de-
stroying the largest leviathan in these
waters. This gun elects large iron
harpoon, with cross arms, which lie
against the shaft until it strikes q solid
body. and then project out and imbued
themselves. The head Of this harpoon
is formed of the foregoing projectile,
which is cigar-shaped and sharp-point-
ed, and eXDlodes as it pierces the
whales side, generating a gas which
serves to keep the fish afloat after the
Wreckng effect of the shock on its in
ternal organs has left it a lifeless mass
A stout rope is attached to the butt of
the harpoon, and by this the whale Is
kept in leash as it thrashes madlv
through the water in vain effort to es-
cape its unknown enemy. Death rapid
ly ensues unless, as sometimes happens,
the projectile goes through the fish from
side to side, and second shot is then
necessary. But, though the ship may
have to fire a second shot, in no in
stance has a whale once struck by the
harpoon escaped the hunters.
The whaling steamer Cabot is power
fully engined, makes thirteen knots and,
on occasion, can hold her own when
huge finback. frenzied with pain, seeks
to drag her off toward the ocean, The
practice with the whalemen is that as
soon as fish is struck the engines are
shut off and the whale is allowed to ca
reer along on its way, towing the steam
er after her. This soon eXhausts the
whale, which then comes to the surface
and here it's death furry takes place,
Very rarely one of them will attempt an
attack on the boat, though as a rule
they are too terrified to approach the
strange object which plows so rapidly
through the water, but when any such
menace is attempted the quick handling
of the steamer and the discharge of
second harpoon will soon put the infu-
rated animal out of the fight and drag
his sarcass into the factory at Shocks
arm, where the manufacture of the oil
and the cleaning of the whalebone are
undertaken.
This form of whale fishing originated
in Norway, where it has been pursued
for many years with conspicuous sue
cess. Several companies are engaged in
it at various points on the Norwegian
coast. and very uarge profits are made,
SO plentiful are the fish, and so readily
are they captured. 1t was then extend
ed to Iceland, where it proved equally
successful and thence it was estab-
lished In Newfoundland. In those days
the dead whale was hauled into the
beach at high water and the fat was
taken off at low tide. When the water
was high again the carcass was repeat
ed, until the whole operation was COM
pleted. This made it impossible to
study the whale as a whole, but at
=, t., if-I;.
sloping platform, running out into the
water, and by means of this the fish are
hoisted up high and dry and the reno
val of the blanket or oil-bearing outer
covering is possible without any cessa-
ton the scientific observer having at
the same time an unrivaled opportunity
for his work.
The industry was only set on foot in
this island in the spring of 1898, and for
that season the Cabot killed ninety-one
whales, many of which, however, We're
only small ones This year the total
has reached ninety-eight, the average
size being much greater 1t might be
thought that such killing would soon
deplete them, but DR.. True counted over
one hundred of them spouting together
on more than one occasion. The Nor |
wegian whales are richer in fat, owing
to a greater plentitude of the New
foundland ones are much larger and far |
more plentiful, so that the balance is
struck about equally, The humpbacls |
gives the poorest yield, it's blanket" be-
ing thinnest of all. The finback is more |
valuable, yielding four to six tons of oil, |
besides a good quantity of baleen, or
whalebone.
A huge factory has been erected at
Shocks arm for the conversion of the
dead fish into commercial products As
the whales are towed into the harbor
they are moored by ropes to ringbolts
fastened in the rocks and here they
float, as many as thirty or forty at a
time, waiting their turn to be cut up |
and thrown into the refining watts, which
rapidly convert the fat into fine, clear
oil, largely in demand in Europe for
soap-mal1ing and other industrial I'M
dertakings Only the fat is removed
from the carcass. This fat is the outer
covering. Inside that and adhering to
the bones, is the meat, strong, tough,
stringy growth, which so far has been
though now an attempt is be-
ing made to transform it into patent
fertilizer.
All last winter the fisherfoll1 in the
harDors carried 1t away by
L., n 500, e. l.