The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-02-21
*%++4& :
> WHALES AT JAMESTOWN =
= EXPOSITION. :
: Atlantic, Biscay or Right !
: Whales May Be Exhibited in /
, Hampton Roads. I
: , = , +++++*
By W. H. BRIGHT.


Only a snort Instance out in the
Atlantic Ocean from Cape Charles
and Cape Henry that guard the emit
rance to Hampton Roads and Chesa-
peake Bay, schools of whales may be
seen by passengers ON almost any
Atlantic liner or other ship that
passes. They are OF the Atlantic or
Biscay. or right whale species and
often venture so close TO vessel
that they could easily be harpooned.
They grow to an enormous size. some
of them being fully sixty feet long.
Once upon a time, there was q
man who said there is nothing un-
der the sun, but that was a long
time ago and the old gentleman had
no idea of the modern genius, and
many new things have appeared
since them or have appeared for the
first time as everything has to do,
which amounts to the same thing.
And. now comes the latest thing
in the form of an application for a
concession at the jamestown Exhibi-
ton, to exhibit two or three large
whales. This latter dag Barnum pro
poses to build a stockade nHamp-
ton Roads abutting on the exposition
grounds, that will inclose about ten
acres, build a broad walk on the top
of the heavy piling, that visitors may
enter at one gate, walk around the
corral and pass out at another gate.
In this stockade he proposes to Inn
prison two or three large whales for
the edification OF the visitors as they
pass around the semi-cireie.
This is certainly something that
has never been attempted before at
any exposition. First. because the
whales could not have been taken
to previous expositions alive IL they
had been caught, and IL they had
been caught and taken to the expo
sitions they could not have been
kept alive for want of their native
salt water. In this case. however,
the leviathan of the deep can not on
ly be landed within the stockade of
heavy piling in Hampton Roads, CO.
tanning about ten acres of their ac-
customed salt water, but may disport
themselves in plain view of visitors
without any serious Inconvenience to
themselves.
When asked how he was going to
get the whales. the promoter glibly
remarked: That's easy. shall
simply charter a powerful sea-going
tug, rig up drum near the stern of
the vessel, connect 1t with donkey
(engine) by friction gear and run
onto the drum a thousand or two
feet of the best rope used in harpoon-
ing whales, except that instead of a
harpoon on the end of 1t will have
lasso. viii then run out unto a
shoal or school of whales select the
one want and daily with him till /
get the vessel close enough and swish
will go the larriat over the whales
head and tighten up. OF course, the
whale at this new sensation will
start to run away and / will give
him slack for a few seconds when
viii gradually put on the brake,
making the pull for him harder and
harder till he gets tired of the sport
and Stacks up or turns about. AS
soon as there is any slack in the
rope, l viii take it up by the donkey
and the tug win be signaled to go
ahead slowly. If the whale comes
along. all right, well and good, but
IL he gets obstreperous and goes to
run away again, I'll let him run and
slack him up as before. When he
is finally tired out as he will soon be,
he will come along quietly into
Hampton Roads and into the stock
ade where he viii be turned loose
and the entrance closed, the larriat
removed. and there you have it"
1t certainly would be a novelty
that few exposition visitors would
miss seeing. It now seems that the
only thing in the way of this unique
attraction, is securing the proper
site and it is thought that may be ar
ranged In time for the opening Of
the exposition, April 26.