New-York tribune., 1907-04-19
WHALE MODEL READY.
Sir Months Work at Natural HIS
tory Museum Completed Yesterday.

4 life size model of the largest whale ever
captured. which has been In the course OF con-
struction at the American Museum OF Natural
History for six months, was completed yester-
day.
Roy c. Andrews. assistant director OF the
Museum. said the model the largest in the
country and the second made here The other.
he said. at the National Museum. OF Wash
ington.
The whale when alive. weighed sixty-four
tons II captured four years ago at Ba-
lena Station. off the southwest coast OF New
foundland II was seventy-six feet long from
tip To tip. and measured thirty-fve feet around
the shoulders. the head measuring nineteen
feet and the fms eleven. The body contained
forty tons of flesh. while the blubber weighed
eight tons. The bones OF the skeleton weighed
eight tons.
Speaking Of the habits Of the whale and con-
structon OF the model Mr. Andrews, under
whose supervision the model was built. said:
ITO the majority OF the people. what whale
really looks like is a matter Of widest specula-
tion. Popularity. IL Is supposed 70 be enor-
nous fish OF indefinite length. perhaps hundreds
OF feet, and Is directly connected with Jonah
and the Biblical story. However. II more de-
tailed information were required. one who could
give other than visionary answers 10 its size,
shape or color would be the exception.
ITO be sure. skeletons may be found In nearly
all our best museums but 20 the average public
they mean little more than a huge mass OF
bones which rather serve 10 augment If any
thing the popular. imaginative ideas OF the real
animal Primarily. a museum is a public edu-
Gator. and for many years the directors OF the
leading institutions of the United States have
realized that IT would be OF immense interest
and value 10 popular science IL a whale could
be exhibited in life size.
But how 10 do this was a problem. for 20
preserve the skin entire impractical. and
to make model which would give in detail
all parts of the living animal seemed almost as
impossible.
However. it was finally decided to act upon
the latter idea, and accordingly an expedition
was organized which sent DIR. Frederick A.
Lucas and William Palmer. OF the United
States National Museum at Washington. to the
whaling station at Balena, N. r., for tho ex-
press purpose OF making photographs and plas-
ter casts of the whales they were brought
in at the station
ION their return" continued Mr. Andrews
''Mr. Palmer in conjunction with DR. Lewis nm
dertook the construction of the life size model
which, after a short sojourn at the Worlds Fair
at 81. Louis. was to be suspended in one Of the
galleries of the Natural Museum OF Washington
Using the casts, photographs and measurements
taken while at Newfoundland, Mr.. Palmer sue
ceeded in producing very fair model OF the
whale. This model proved so interesting and
valuable. both from popular and a scientific
point of view, that IL attracted considerable at
tention from museum men in Europe and
America Mr.. Palmer completed his work In
1sO2 and some time after this DR.. Herman c.
Bumpers. director OF our museum decided to
undertake the construction OF the whale which
was intended to hang in the gallery OF the East
Hall OF fha rafts ann AnNN
James S. Clark of the museum STAFF, was de-
tailed TO make small model on inch TO the
foot SCALE under the direction OF DIR. Lucas.
THE construction Of the large model. however,