Daily camera., 1901-06-12
Run DOWN WHALES.
In the Roadway Of the Leviathans
Off the California Coast.
Dangerous Ocean Pathway Where
Vessels Are often Injured by
COllidlnE with the Marine
MOnsters,

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protected, to certain extent, by the
islands off shore. The group begins
at Santa Barbara with San Miguel;
then come Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz,
Anacapa, and farther out to sea, 80
miles, San Nicolas. The next follow
ing south are Santa Barbara, Santa
Catalina, San Clement, and then with
a break of 10 miles the Coronndoes
These islands are almost parallel to
the coast range and constitute vir-
tually an out-to-Sea coast range OF
mountains which, in all proba bility,
were thrust up at the time the coast
was formed, leaving deep depres-
sion between them and the mainland,
writes Charles Frederick Holder, in
Scientific American.
This region of extremely deep wa
ter is a famous roadway for whales,
several kinds being found here feed
ing upon the vast schools of jelly
fishes which are nearly always pres
ent. The whale most common is the
California gray, which goes every
year to the shadows of the Gulf of
California to give birth to its young,
then moving north along the Califor-
MIA coast in what is virtually great
procession. At this time the chan
mel is the sporting ground for the
huge animals, and nearly every
steamer that crosses sights a school,
the scene forming one of the attrac-
tions of the trip, as the whales, far
from being wild or timid, metilnes
cvince a playful mood. O., iaeited by
curiosity, come near the steamer. af-
fording the passengers a near view
Of the largest of living animals.
This sociuble disposition has re-
suited in several encounters between
the whales and vessels in which ,he
former have always coIas of second
best. Some years ago a steamer on
the trip trnm san Pedro to San Fran
pi.ea struck some body, supposed at
first to be a log. Several of the men
were thrown to the lecki the wheel
turned a-er 80 yiolently that the
heimsual was Also thTewn down, and
the steamer for the moment came
TO stanastili. All hands were called,
the pumps sounded. and as the mate
ran aft he saw a large whale lashing
the water astern. The vessel had
struck it directly back of the right
paddle and evidently crashed it down.
rising ovcE IL This whale drifted
.uto Sauta Catalina some days later
and was towed iata ane OF the little
bays of ii. coast where II was cut
up by the fishermen.
During the sumner of 1900 the
steamer Hermosq killed whale off
San Pedro, which was at least so feet
in length. The steamer was plowlps
along at a rate of u miles an hour,
when suddenly q ..rge whale rose di-
rectly ia troDt pi her. placing itself
Inadvertently across her bows, so
that the blow was struck fairly. The
shock created a sensation on board,
and the blow was so violent that sew
eral people were thrgma from their
feet. 1t was supposed that tae vessel
Mad struck a supken rqek, she stopped
for few secQp,,s, trembied, then rose
about three feet, beeliRy slightly, then
resumed her course, passing through
mass Of blood which colored the
water, showing that she had plunged
into some large animal. \ dead
whale was sighted :wo days later and
for several Gays, on accopp, of ITS s'ze,
It dried up and down the coast with
the tide, defying the efforts of speeu'
latiye fishermen TO secure II, Finally
a heavy sea tossed i. on the coast at
The resort of Redondo, where it was
hauled in at high tide, and when the
latter went out left marvellous spec
tacle of the remains of the largest of
living animals. Hundreds ef people
visited the spot befoEe 1t was dismem-
ber-d. A long wound told the story
of its contact with the steamer, that
was wholly uninjured,
Doubtless il the records OF shipping
disasters were examined many IN
stances would be found where vessels
had crashed into whales with results
fatal to the animal and more or less
injurious to tho vessel. In this con-
nectiou a curious incident maybe re-
lated regarding the actions OF u school,
of whales a the island Of Santa SJsa,
Cal. The channel between this island
is narrow and often extremely rough,
and during storm it WAS believed by
those on the island that the whales be-
came demoralized, as they deliberate
ly ran ashore, and the remarkable
sight Of Ave OF six large whales was
observed helpless on the sands, Their
bones remained for long time on
what became known as the whales
graveyard. II