The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-21
A SPORTING BUSINESS.
Methods Used in Whale Hunting
Threaten Extinction of Industry.

To the average newspaper reader the
knowledge will doubtless come as a
surprise that within the last decade
an old industry has been revived so
wonderfully that it threatens it's own
early extinction by it's amazing sue
! cess. Yet such is the case, and the
! industry in question is the romantic
one of whale hunting. Only about
quarter of a century ago it seemed
as if the wonderful old sporting bust
| ness had died out, or was at its last
| gasp, because the product obtained
from the whale cost too much in the
getting, hindrance that was fatal.
Then came the extension of the new
enterprise to the vast southern ocean,
where 200 years ago the seal fishers
Swarmed until they had exterminated
the valuable animals they sought. Nine
years ago South Georgia, one of the
barren stormswept isles in the heart
of the Southern ocean, about 500 miles
east of Cape Horn, was found to be
noted haunt of whales, and a whale
fishery was established there. In 1911
10 of the small whaling vessels oper-
ating there slew and brought in 1000
whales, yielding 100000 barrels of oil,
or $4,000 tons of this much desired sub
stance This was nearly so per cent
more whales than the total number
caught the year in the northern Hem
isphere.
1t must, however, be remembered
that this record is only for South
Georgia. In the South Shetlands $500
whales were killed in the same period,
yielding 100, 900 barrels, and around the
coasts of South Africa 80 whalers
caught 1000 whales, yielding 100000 bar
rels. Altogether the total catch of
whales by the southern whaling COM
panies for the season OF 1911 was about
II 800 representing a gross value OF
81, 1900 The total yield of oil from
the whole ocean, excluding the trivial
amounts returnable from the old-fash-
toned ships still working from Dundee,
New Bedford, and San Francisco,
amounts to between two and one-half
and two and three-quarter millions
sterling. The total number of whales
killed and utilized was about $4,000,
which is nearly twice as large as the
season preceding.
In the old days of the whaling in
dustry only three kinds of whales were
catchable, the right or Greenland whale,
the sperm whale and the humpback
whale, the latter only under certain
well understood conditions. BY the new
system any and every whale that comes
within shot is prey. 1t is equally easy
to kill and tow in a sulphur bottom
as it is a right whale. for its disability
of sinking when dead, it's agility and
speed and paucity of blubber avail
nothing against the irresistible attack
of the new Whaler. Inc latter d1f1cultyp
which was once the greatest of all
for why should one risk the loss of
boats and gear over a creature whose
yield was triviaI-is entirely pushed
away by the practice of utilizing every
detail of the whales makeup CONNER
cially. Oil. meat, meat-juice, cattle
food, fertilizer, whalebone-all is COM
mercialIy valuable, whereas in the old
days the whaler could only count upon
oil and whalebone, and only upon the
latter In few and restricted cases.
Now, it will be noticed that have
so far, remembering the limitations of
space. carefully confined myself to the
statement of salient facts, and have
not indicated wherein lies the great
difference between the old and the new
methods As briefly as can be 1t is
this: BY the old method, except that
sometimes the harpoon was fired from
a small gun in the bow of a boat, all
the hunting was done by hand weapons,
and the sinking of a whale meant the
loss of that whale. Now a huge gun
is used to fire a harpoon weighing ITO
pounds, and also carrying a bomb At
tached to 1t is a rope stout enough to
haul a dead whale to the surface from
whatever depth he dies. Means to in
fate him for the purpose of keeping
him afioat are carried, and by the sci
entific arrangements of springs and
buffers all shocks to the sturdy little
steamers are administrator Mail.
The Prudential Trust company will
loan money on city property.-Adv.