The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-03
RUNAWAY NTH
By A MONSTER
Fight With Whaling Vessel
Puma With Sea Bull.
TOWED FOR 200 MILES
Wonderful Description OfEvent
Off Newfoundland.
TOWED FOR 200 MILES

Writing in the New York World. cor
respondent gives this wonderful descrip-
ton OF a whale hunt:
Slowly the slim shining brass barrel
dipped downward. The big black, slippery
body ahead rolled uneasily on the lap
ping brine as if seeming danger.
''Cr-r-a-c-k"
A belch Of flame shooting down against
the Quiet sea. great gouts of blood stain
ing the gray waters. the shiref OF shot
and the hiss Of line as they hurled
themselves outward. mighty below Of
anger and agony. one tremendous leap
in air and a mighty mass OF water arising
the fight Of the whale steamer Puma
was on. a tight that lasted for seventy
eight hours and involved a mad rush
Through the seas for 90 miles, towed by
a giant whale.
Think of il, a 100-ton steamer, equipped
with powerful engines, dragged through
tumbIing seas for more than three days.
her engines backing madly all the time TO
tire the monster Of the deep Never be-
fore and never again will the Puma a
sturdy twelve-knotter travel so madly.
At times the log showed thirty knots an
hour and her engines backing all the time
at the rate Of another ten.
It was on Saturday. March Is. that the
trim Puma. well coaled and provisional
and manned by eleven well-seasoned sea
farers. set out for whales she was
cruising about Placentia Bay. when
There she blows the welcome cry Of
the lookout-came from the bow
There she blows" he shouted. and
''There she blows again.
There were two of them. mammoths
both, a bull and his consort csw.
.'whoopee" yelled these thrifty whal-
ers. dancing about the Puma's slippery
decks
The whales were far enough apart to al
? low them TO be attacked separately. 1t
looked like a big days catch right there
for the expenditure of a little powder.
Slowly the Puma crept up on the cow.
knowing the bull wouldn't be so apt to
take sudden flight Slowly and very, very
carefully the gunner turned and twist
his gun till his bead was perfect and the
big Shiny body was at point-blank range.
Slowly ne stepped back one pace then
yanked the lanyard
Full in the middle the wen-aimed shot
hit the whale She Topped and lay still
upon the waters. Her crimson blood
spouted twenty feet from her wounded
SIDE. She was a superb sulphur-bottom
whale worth $1,000.
.'Out with the doryi" yelled the captain,
keen for business. Here you, kimberly ::
hop in quick. Keep your eye on her, and
when we get the other we'll be back for
you
Aye, aye. sir" retorted Emberly. the
sailor man. grinning most cheerfully.
slowing away several big chunks of to-
bacco in his clothes and taking out a
can OF water and few ships biscuit
All hands scowled at him. He had the
easy job-an the sleep he wanted. with
pierty to smoke and chew while takin-
things easy, and they, the other ten,
chasing the bull whale and doing more
than their share of work.
Emberly moored his dory snugly TO the
side of the dead whale, filed his ancient
pipe with clippings from his plug. got
out the last paper from home. and set
tied down in the bottom Of the boat con-
tent All he had to do was to guard that
whale No pirate of the sea could touch
Il so long as ne was there to claim and
prove property.
OF secuted the Puma for the big bull
now half a mile away. He was cavorting
merrily. all unconscious of the woe that
had befallen his mate
Bang
Nearer and nearer.
Almost as fast as the gun the big whale
swerved. The shot intended for his vitals
hit him in the tail. But the line~hcld fast
and true.
Landed yelled the captain: his JOY
was short-lived
Out fle the lire. smoking over the bow.
and zi,ping down into the water Ike
living thing.
Hes sounding," yelled the captain.
Down deeper down went the fren-
xied morrater. taking out hundreds OF
yards. BFS the line held ont longer Up