The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-16
WHALES IN SHIPS PATH,
Collisions Between the Two Are Ere.
quent on California's Coast,
E,rnr,, CAI...4ac-

collisions Between the Two Are Free
quent on California's Coast.
From the Scientific American.
The coast Of southern California is pro-
tected to a 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, thirty miles, San Nico-
las. The next following south are Santa
Barbara, Santa Catalina. San Clement,
and then with break of seventy miles,
the Coronadoes. These islands are almost
parallel to the coast range and constitute
virtually an out-to-sea coast range of
mountains, which, in all probability. were
thrust up at the time the coast was form
ed, leaving a deep depression between
them and the mainland
This region of extremely deep water
is a famous roadway for whales, several
kinds being found there, feeding upon the
vast schools of jellyfishes which are near
ly always present. The whale most COM
mon is the California gray, which goes
every year to the shadows of the Gulf
of California to give birth to it's young,
then moving north along the California
coast in what is virtually a great process
sporting ground for the huge animals and
nearly every steamer that crosses sights
a school, the scene forming one of the
attractions of the trip, as the whales, far
from being wild or timid, evince a play
full mood or, melted by curiosity, come
near the steamer, affording the passengers
a near view of the largest of living ami
mails.
This social disposition has resulted in
Ann Aafx he vhoIA
and the vessels, in which the former have
always come off second best. Some years
ago a steamer on the trip from San Pc
dro to San Francisco struck some body,
supposed at first to be a log. Several of
the men were thrown to the deck; the
wheel turned over so violently that the
helmsman was also thrown down, and
the steamer for the moment came to a
standstill. All hands were called, the
pumps sounded, and as the mate ran oft
he saw large whale lashing the water
astern. The vessel had struck it directly
back of the right paddle and evidently
crushed it down, rising over it. This
whale drifted into Santa Catalina some
days later and was towed into one of the
little bays of the coast, where it was cut
up by the fishermen.
During the summer of 1900 the steamer
Hermosa killed a whale off San Pedro
which was at least eighty feet in length.
The steamer was blowing along at rate
of twelve miles an hour, when suddenly
large whale rose to spout directly in
front of her, placing itself Inadvertently
across her bows, so that the blow was
struck fairly The shock created a sem
sation on board, and the blow was SO vio-
lent that several people were thrown from
their feet. 1t was supposed that the YES
sci had struck a. sunken rock; she stop
ned for a few seconds, trembied, then re-
summed her course, passing through
mass of blood which colored the water,
showing that she had pluhgsd into some
large animal. A dead whale was sighted
two days later and for several days. on
account OF its size, it drifted up and down
the coast with the tide defying the ef-
forts OF speculative fishermen to secure it.
FINALLY a heavy sea tossed it on the coast
at the resort of Redondo, where 1t was
hauled in at high tide, ana when the
latter went out 1t left a marvellous spec
tacle of the remains of one OF the largest
living animals. Hundreds of people visit
ed the spot before 1t was dismembered.
A long wound told the story of its contact
with the steamer, which was wholly UNI
injured.
DOUBTLESS II the records of shipping dis
asters were examined many instances
would be found where vessels had crash
ed into whales with results fatal TO the
animals and more or less Injurious TO the
vessels. In this connection a curious in
cident may be related regarding the ac-
lions Of a school OF wales at the island OF
santa Rosa, Cal The cnannel between
MS island is narrow and often extremely
rough. ana during "A storm II was be-
iieved by those on the island that the
whales became demoTalized. as they de-
iiberately ran ashore. and the remarkable
| sieht OF I'VE or six large whales helpless
on the sands was observed. Their bones
remained for q long time on what became
| known az the whales graveyard.
| -@-as-~-
| . t,.,,,a perord II see that one Of