The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-14


 menced to take in the line hauling rap idly. This disturbed the orca, Whicn plunged down, then swan raplaly out to sea- towing the boat.
 For several miles the pace was kept up through seas which kept the men bailing. Then the animal turned Ill shore, towing them back to the pay, during which time they gained on the line until they were within one hundred and fifty feet of the orca. The other two boats had now thrown lines and were also being lowed, and with much shouting the men hauled, gaining IooC l by foot, until finally they were nearly over the orca, which was surSing along the surface. its black back ex- posed. Suddenly 1t sounded, to 1mlne- diately appear, striking one Of the boats fairly amidships and sending It into the air, then lying on the surface snapping it's eerocious teeth and strlk- ing powerful blows with it's tail, con- pleting the destruction of the boat. The men so unceremoniously thrown into the water swam to the other boats and were pulled In. When the orca had outeted down, at signal the boats l hurled into it's vitals, the boats quickly backing off to avoid the rush. one was too late the orca rolled over and sank, to come up and seize the cut-Water or the craft in its mouth and crush it.
 This was tae end. and as the men swan to the remaining boat the actlVe and savage creature beat the water | into foam in it's dying agony ana soon 1 lay on the surface, a dearly bought game. It was lowed ashore, hauled m at high water, and when exposed later on, constituted a feast for the natives | for days, age or previous condition or servitude having no effect upon the | Alaskan appetite.
 The savage nature of the orca, or killer, is well established, and there are several instances on record ot thelr having crushed boats with their teeth. | They are very common in the Paclilc' | and the writer has often been within stones throw of a school moving along with dignified motion; on several occa- sions they followed boats, to the com plete demoralization of the occupants, fairly chasing one into small pay anu out upon the beach,
 l The SdNdSG HdlulC OL hhC OA S"o S~~-- '~O imagined from the following incident, observed by an acquaintance or the writer: He was rowing down the shore Il of one of the Southern California ls- lands when, two hundred feet or so ahead, a large whale leaped almost en- tirely clear of the water, carrying with l it several orcas which were cllnglns to it. The whale was surrounded by school of these animals, which were It. erally tearing it to pieces. They at- l tackled it's lips, so finding their way to It's mouth, eating the tongue ana con tinuing their cannibalistic feast until the water was dyed with blood TOT wards about, and the whale, which was at least sixty feet in length, was 1 dragged down. That an animal Welgh- ing many tons and of vast physlcal | strength could be killed by these l wolves of the sea seemed incomprehen- sible. but the whale was of the whale- hone variety and defenceless except Tor it's tail which it hurled about blindly' doing little execution. The orcas ap- narently are aware of the defenceless condition of the giant of all animals, and attack it with impunity. That the l OIHaS are ndluI uIdl III 'i5i'N~NI' for the mere ove of 1t, is beyond ques- tion. When they approach the coast animals of all kinds flee. The huge horse mackerel, which attalns weight of one thousand pounds, olsap- hears. sea-ions and seals take 10 the 1 rocks and the field is left to the deVas- | tators.
 The orcas are particularly common on i the northwest coast, where seals ana lions are also abundant, and that they destroy vast numbers or them ls well known. An orca has been seen to dash out of the water, seize a sea-non from a shelving rock and bear IL OIL The mouths of salmon rivers are faVor- ite feeding grounds for these anlmais' which dash into the schools, cut1lns them down by hundreds hTe voraclty of tbe orcas may be imagined when IL IS | ,rrown that from a specimen not over eixteen feet in length four large DOT noises were taken, while another orca aevoured thirteen porpoises and four teen seals. well earning the title Of gladiator. The most striking Of the z. ,,,iv is the orca gladiator of the North
 Atlantic which reaches a length of | twenty rect III CHe Hlclc oiit A@ N'N''
 guished by a remarkable dorsal in at least six feet in height and nearly straight. the tip turning over. Ihe black fish and grampus are allied forms and almost equally destructive to fsh- as They are, especially the former, common on the coast of Massachusetts where they are often caught in num- hers. Some years ago school came into a shallow bay and in their eager ness to secure their prey--a school or mackerel-they grounded in about four feet of water, whereupon ensued a scene that created great excitement. No boats were at hand, so farmers rode ont to the fish on horseback, killing them with pitchforks and other nm proyised weapons. The black rish lashed the bay into foam, hurling the water into the air, rushing over each other in their efforts to escape, creating picture long to be remembered ana one that was not without danger, as the powerful animals laid about them with their tails in a manner that mace raar approach extremely d111lcult.