Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-07-16
Hunting The Biggest of All Game.

With the perfection of the harpoon gun,
invented by Svend Foyn, Norwegian,
began new era in the history OF whal-
ing. This invention has made possible
the capture, in tremendous numbers, OF
the fin whales, animals which had been
little troubled by the men who hunted in
a small boat with a hand harpoon and
lance, because their great speed and
tendency to sink when dead, as well as
their thin blubber and short, coarse
"whalebone," or baleen, made them dif-
ficult and Improbable 10 Kill.
Svend Foyn discovered that by mount
ing small cannon, which shot heavy
harpoon, upon the bow OF a small iron
steamer the fin whales could be killed in
sufficient numbers TO warrant the erection
of stations at certain places upon the
shore near the feeding grounds OF the
animals, where the huge carcasSeS could
be hauled out OF the water by means OF
steam winch and converted into COM
mercia products. These shore stations
proved so immensely profitable that
within few years they had been erected
in almost every part of the world where
conditions were favorabe-in Newfound-
land and Labrador, Alaska, British Co.
lumbia, Washington, Oregon. Mexico,
South America, and the islands OF the
Antarctic; on the coasts Of Japan, Korea,
Africa and Russia. Australia has recently
been invaded; in New Zealand hump
back whales are being taken in wire nets,
and so in nearly every part OF the globe
the world hunt goes on. But it is from
the stations on the South Atlantic islands
that the greatest fortunes are being made
today.
II was only after years OF experiment
ing that the harpoon gun OF the present
time was evolved. This is short, heavy
cannon, 81 ID in. long, with a Gin.
bore, and is mounted upon a swivel
which works easily up and down and
from side TO side. AT the butt end a
short wooden handle projects, under
which is an iron lever, the trigger. The
charge is 300 to 375 drains OF very coarse
black powder, which is sewed up in a
cheeSecloth sack and rammed in from the
muzzle; then come WadS OF oakum, hard
rubber or cork, and wool, after which
the harpoon, well creased, is pushed in
and hammered soldly into place with a
wooden mallet.
The harpoon is 76 in. in length and has
double shaft, at the end OF which are
tour 12-in. flukes, or barbs; these spread
and prevent the iron from drawing out
OF the whales body. The tip ofthe har-
poon is hollow point, called the
"bomb," which is filled with powder
and ignited by time fuse; three or four
seconds after the discharge OF the gun
the bomb bursts, often killing the whale
almost instantly.
The whaling steamers are trim, high
bowed vessels OF about 100 tons burden,
90 to 100 #. long, and have speed of
from 10 II knots 90 TO IA miles an
hour. Round bottomed 10 facilitate
speedy manipulation, they ride the water
like cork, but roll and pitch tremen-
dously in the slightest seaway.
AS soon as whale is sighted at sea
the vessel is headed at full speed straight
for it. When close by, some captains
will "lie to" with engines stopped, wait
ing for the animal TO rise again, while
others prefer to steam slowly in a wide
circle about the spot where the whale
went down. If the animal rises near
enough for a shot, the gunner waits until
the maximum amount OF its body is shown
above the water and usually fires just as
the dorSal fin is appearing above the sur
face.
Often the harpoon will be driven into
the flesh for IFS entire length and, in fact,
in one instance, when saw small fin
back whale killed, it went completely
through the body. If the iron penetrates
the thoracic cavity and the bomb explodeS
near the heart or lungs, The animal is
killed instantly. Often, however, two
harpoons are required 10 finish the work,
and in rare instances even three or four.
As soon as the whale is dead, the body
sinks and must be raised by means OF the
steam winch. When il is at the surface,
a loaded rope is thrown under the
"flukeS," ;" or tail, chain drawn about
them by means oft, and the carcass made
fast, ilukes foremost, 10 the bow of the
vessel. Immediately a coil OF small rub
Der hose is prepared, one end OF which
is attached TO the air pumps and the other
10 hollow, spear pointed tube OF steel
with perforations along IFS entire length.
This is jabbed well down into the stom-
ach, the pumps started and the body
slowly filled with air. When it has been
inflated sufficiently TO keep it ailoat, the
tube is withdrawn and the incision plug
ged with oakum.
If the whale has been killed edrly in
the day. or there are others near by, the
carcass will usually be marked by flag
and set adrift TO be picked up at the end
of the days hunting. Several times
have been on board ship when as many
as six whales were killed in single day,
and it meant long, slow tow back 10 the
station even forthe powerful little steamer.
| will never forget my intense surprise
al the extraordinary ease and quickness
with which the enormous carcaSses are
handled by means of the steam winch
when first saw whale "cut in" Three
humpbacks had been left floating in the
water, tied TO the eud Of the long inclined
platform called the slip" When work