The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-11
SLEEPING WHALE CUT into
cur IN TWO. roo, To TAKE ONE
SANTA MARTA VERSION.


The United Fruit Company decided
yesterday TO dispense with its press agent
and q few hours later the santa Marta q
skipper. Capt. l.. n. Porter. assisted
by Chief Officer r n. winslow. r. q
Ford. tho Fe.ssnden wireless operator;
Third Oflcer Henry Mccormack. the Net
tie Carroll circus troupe and Quarantine.
presented collectively and individually
varying stories of very big whale that
the Santa Marta made bloody work Of
when she was on the Delaware Cape-
&C dusk on Wednesday evening.
The Santa Marta did strike a whale
and the skippers ssg says in plain pen
manskip that II was big The wireless
operator aaid that t was ninety feet
long and that many Of the ships passen-
gers. including a Mr.. Rouse. were look
Ing, forward from the promenade deck
when the whale was first seen about
quarter Of n mile ahead amusing itself
spouting and sailing around in a circle
like a cat chasing its tail.
After a while the whale gave up the
gentle exercise and settled down on the
placid surface Of the sea a. IL about to
20 TO sleep. The skipper murmured
something uncOmplimentary to whales
that kept on erratic COURSES or no courses
at all and thus forced an orderly man
Of the sea 60 dodge. When the ship was
within about half a ships length Of the
whale Capt. Porter noted that the whale
had decided definitely TO 20 to bed right
in che course ot liners. This was not
Discreet and spoke little for the practical
nautical schooling OF the whale
IL was not asleep very long. whatever
dream 10 may have been having was its
last. The skipper made a swift effort
by putting his helm over TO avoid the
whale-not for the whales sake. bur for
the ships sake but he was too late. and
the steel cutwater Of the santa Marta.
which 10 . new. bag boat. making her
maiden trip from Santa Marta. cut right
into the whale. The ship did not stop
perceptibly. according TO the circus
people. one OF whom. also according to
them. was doing . trapeye performance
on che tristic stay and was jolted to the
deck. but she did trembls from stem 10
stern and from keelson 20 truck.
Passengers ran to the rails and saw
things. The wireless operator declares
that he noted With Mr. Rouse great
splotches OF blood on the sea and red
fountains spuFt@d through the hawse-
pipes. Nobody forward saw the whale
The apeed OF the ship was about fourteen
knots and the whale. according 10 the
third otlcer. was too far astsrn for the
folks forward to 80. 20 swiftly did the
incident pass. The thsd officer did not
want TO h. responsible for the warn. bur
there were men Of the ships company
who were aft who saw two sections Of
stAr.board quarteSs And Quarantine.
witch tells the truth. SAID that the ship
when on the Capss OF Delaware ran into
a whale about eighty feet long which was
apparently Asleep. The whale was cut in
two. The steamer sustained no damage
The reporters who looked az the bow
Of the Santa Marta after she docked found
no traces OF blood. The retiring press
agent wbs accompanied them said the
correct version 81 the story. from what
he could gather from private sources.
was that the TAEoriike prov Of the Santa
Marta did the trick Of carving the whale
With almost surgical neatness and that
when the halves drifted aft. each ct pre-
ciseiy ths same speed IN the twin waves
Of replacement. they came together
again With sslch force that they stuck.
and the whale waved his tail in derislon
and sped away. apparently bat little
Inconvenience. bat perhaps wondering
hae .,,.sl.. kga a.k.