Smyrna times., 1905-01-18
AN ODD .ort.
Queer Marine Monster II Natural En-
emy to Whales.

Queer Marine Monster Il Natural En-
emy to Whales.
While operating at Il fishery in Ad-
miralty island, Alaska, one summer my
attention and the attention of the fish
ing crew were almost daily attracted to
large marine creature that would ap-
pear in the main channel of Seymour
canal and our immediate vicinity.
There are large numbers of whales Of
the species rOrqual there, and the mon
Ster seemed to be their natural enemy.
The whales generally travel in schools,
and while at the surface to blow one
would be singled out and attacked by
The fish, and battle was sOOnln order
1t is the nature of the rorqual to
make three blows at intervals of from
two to three minutes each, and then
sound deep and stay beneath the sur
face for thirty or forty minutes. AS a
whale would come to the surface there
would appear always at the whales
right side and just about where his
head would connect with the body a
great long tail or fin, Judged by five
fishermen and a number of Indians,
after seeing it about fifteen times at
various distances" to be about twenty
four feet long, two and One-half feet
wide at the end and tapering down to
the water, where it seemed to be about
eighteen inches in diameter. looking
very much like the blade of the fan of
an old fashioned Dutch windmill.
The great club was used on the back
of the unfortunate whale in such a
manner that it was u wonder to me
that every whale attacked was not in
stantly killed. Its operator seemed to
have perfect control of its movements
and would bend it back until the end
would touch the water, forming a
horseshoe loop; then with sweep it
would be Strengthened and brought
over and down on the back of the
whale with a whack that could be
heard for several miles. If the whale
was fortunate enough to submerge it
self before the blows came, the spray
would fly for a distance Of a hundred
feet from the effect Of the stroke, max
ing a report as loud as yachts signal
gun.
What seemed most remarkable to me
was that, no matter which way the
attacked whale went or how fast (the
| usual speed is about fourteen knots),
that great club would follow right
along by its side and deliver those ire
mendOus blows at intervals of about
four or five seconds. 1t would always
| get in from three to five blows at each
of the three times the whale would
come to the surface to blow. The
whale would generally rid itself of the
enemy when it took it's deep sound
especially if the water was forty
fathOms or more deep. During the day
| the attack was always offshore, but
at night the whales would be attacked
in the bay and within 400 yards of the
| fishery.
| do not know of any whales beinl
! killed, but there were several that haC
! great holes and sores on their backs
Questioning the Indians about it, wal
told that there was only one, that +
had been there for many years and tina
it once attacked an Indian canoe anC
with one stroke of the great clul
smashed the canoe into splinters, kill
ing and drowning several Of its occu
! oants.-Forest and Stream.
Appropriate Ending.
The thoughtful little boy with the
high forehead tied an oblong receptacle
made of tin to the dogs tail and
watched the animal go tearing down
the alley.
For a Scotch collie" the boy ex
planned to the bystanders, Il thought
he wasn't quite as canny as he ought
to be."-Chicago Tribune