Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-14
A SPORTING BUSINESS.
Methods Used in Whale Hunting
Threaten Extinction of Industry.

Inredtcn EXTINCTION OI IUubSkiJ'
To the average newspaper reader
the knowledge will doubtless come as
a surprise that within the last decade
Ian old industry has been revived SO
/ wonderfully that it threatens it's own
Jearly extinction by its amazing success.
Yet such is the case. and the industry
| i'm question is the romantic one oi
| whale hunting. only about quarter
/ of q century age 1t seemed as IL tue
wonderful old sporting business had
| died out. or was at its last gasp, be-
cause the product obtained from the
whale cost too much in the getting, Il
hindrance that was fatal.
| Then came the extension of the new
Ienterprise To the vast Southern Ocean,
where 200 years ago the seal hshefs
swarmed until fhey had exterminated
/ the valuable animals they sought Nine
| wears ago South Georgia, one OF III"
barren storm-swept isles in the heaft
Iof the Southern Ocean, about 90 mics
east of Cape Horn, was found To De 4
| noted haunt of whales. and Il WEaie
fishery WAS established there. In l9l1,
~ Of the small whaling vessels operat-
ing there slew and brought in 1000
whales, yielding 300, 900 barrels of oil.
J,Hu
stance. This was nearly so per cent
more whales than the total number
caught the year in the Northern Hem
isphere.
IT must, however, he remembered
that this record is only for South
Georgia In the South Shetlands 5000
whales were killed in the same period,
Welding 100000 barrels, and around the
Of
caught 1000 whales, yielding l2oooe
barrels. Altogether the total catch OF
whales by the Southern whaling com
nanies fer the season of 1911 was about
Il. 500 representing Il gross value ol
81 750. 600. The total yield of oil from tue
whole ocean, excluding the trivial
amounts returnable from the oid-Iash-
ioned ships still working from Dundee
Now Bedford, and San Francisco,
amounts to between two and one nan
and two and three quarter miiiiohs
sterling. The total number OF "idies
killed and utilized was about z5,V"'
which is nearly twice as large as tue
season preceding.
In the old days of the whaling indus-
fry only three kinds OF wniies Wei.
catctable, the right or 3reei'iauu
whale. the sperm whale and me hump
hack whale. the latter only uhoef eei
tain we'll understood conditions by '"S
now system any and every whaie ,nas
comes within shot is prey. IL Is eauaiis
easy to Kill and tow in a sulphur ~.
TOM as il is a right Whale, Tor IT'S uis
ability of sinking when dead, rs agility
md speed and paucity of biuboef aNai
nothinr against the Irresistible ae.aeN
- tho new Whaler. The latter uiiiicui-
~ which was once the greatest oi al
FOR why should one risk the loss u
heats and gear over creature wins
v;e,a was trivial--is entifeis po9
away by the practice of utiliziES eNe's
detail of the whales makeup coifii'.e,
1.iajIy oil. meat, meat-juice'
cod fertilizer. whalebone-aH Is eoiii
,nercialIy valuable, whereas Ill Tue oi'
aavs the whaler could only count apoi'
oil and whalebone, and only upon -
10 tier in few and restricted eases,
Naw If will be noticed that | nav
or far. remembering the ilmla.iohs =.
snaee.. carefully confined myseH "
settlement of salient facts, anu ns'.
-, indicated wherein lies the sret'.
aisrcrenee between the old ana the ne"
nnotho6s. AS briefly as can pe /. 10 W.
nv the old method. except .'.a.
,in,es the harpoon was iireo 100
small gun in the bow OF a ooat' III, ~.
,',',,t;ng vasadone by hand Wea po,,s'
aud the sinking of Wndic i'ie'i'. :;
80 If that whale. Now huge sun -
- ia fire a harpoon weighing ~
,eo,nas and also carrying oeiip. ~
cached TO ii is Il rope STOUT e'io.7 -,
baul dead whale to TIE suiiae -
no.. ,.n,,ar depth he dies. Means To IN