The Ketchikan miner., 1907-07-20

ioia tAiC hbANAs Aap SiON " NOCH IL rise, and so large does it seem, that it appears impossible for the gunner to miss, yet greatly to ones surprise he does not raise his hand to aim the gun, and one feels as though he had missed certain shot: but in few minutes the whale is seen under water and again raises his massive head nearer than before, and this time the gunner swings the gun into position. It is small cannon, about three inch bore, mounted on swivel and neatly balanced by the harpoon which pro- iects its barb pointed end from the muzzle. Now the gunner slowly points it at the whale. In a few sec onds, although it seems hours to an excited observer, the whale has reached the full of it's ascent. It then blows and turns to go down. Its back does not show up until it's head is under water and still the gunner has not fired. The observer thinks here is another failure, and perhaps thinks he could have hit such large mark l had he been allowed to handle the gun, when, just as the whale is about to disappear, bang goes the gun and a cloud of smoke blows in your face and you have the disagreeable thought that you will see no whale killed this day, and this thought Is confirmed when, after the smoke drifts away, he discovers the gunner slowly lighting his old clay pipe and walking away from the gun. This thought is soon dispelled, however, when he sees the crqw, which up to this time have been silently standing around without taking any apparent interest in the proceedings, break into activity, one running to the winch, and another to the brake on the line attached to the harpeon. This line is of the finest of Russian and Italian hemp, five inches in circumference, and about 400 fath- oms in length. He then discovers that instead of miss the gunner has made a hig of the best kind, the bar poon having entered the whale just behind the right fin, and the line is paying out fast, although the ship is going full speed asterp, The line is around the drums of the winch, and theg9 is strong brake on the winch. l The whale has made straight for the bottom where he remains for about i've to len minutes. After a few moments however, it is noticed that the boats sternway is stopped, and that she begins to forge ahead, and it is naturally supposed the engines were reversed, but on inquiry it transpires that the engines are still working full speed astern, and it IS the whale that IS towing the boat ahead. In a short time the line is seen raising out ot the water dripping and stretching where it has previously been almost vertical like the anchor chain of a vessel hove short. and then the whale is seen blowing on the starboard bow and it is almost minute before one recognizes that it is the same whale that was struck.
 \ consultation now goes on between the gunner and some of the crew who on those small steamers are happy family as to the advisa bility of over. hauling the line for second shot ol of launching boat to lance the whale and finish him by hand. It is finally decided, as the whale has shown nc sign of blood in the vapor that ii blows, which had it been so, would have proved that the whale was mort ally hit, and as the water is calm they will save q harpoon by lancing the whale. It must not be understood by this, that a harpoon is lost with each shot, but that they will have to be strengthened and tried at the station before being fired again. A boat is launched with three men-two at the oars and one sitting in the stern with a long lance about twenty feet in length balanced across his shoulders and back of his neck. Now comes the puzzle to know where he is coming up next: Because he comes up on the p3st side this time, is no reason to suppose he will come up again in the tsame place. After he blows a few times the boatmen seem to get the radius of his movements and they hover about until at last the whale blows right alongside of their boat, when the oarsmen spin their round 5ottomed boat like toy and give the Iman with the lance a chance to get in his deadly work. which he does by standing up and driving the lance hand over hand straight down into the back of the whale perhaps ten feet, the distance depending greatly on how 1 long time he has chance to work. This process may have to ho repeated several times although generally one OF two thrusts is sufficient to finish l him. The boat returns to the ship and the winch is immediately set going and the line wound in and coiIed in the fOrehold The barDoon