Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-17
New Bedford, Once Center of
Industry, Now Sends Only
2 Few Steamers

Whale fishing has almost ceased to
be an American industry Yet, very
large revenue is derived from this in
dustry by the large Norwegian COM
panies engaged In II and IL seems. that
here also we have an example of fail
lIre 10 move with the times being re-
sponsible for the extinction Of an
American enterprise, in the same way
as orr wooden windJammers were
Withdrawn from the worlds shipping
trade without being replaced by more
modern tonnage. According TO the
annual report OF the New York cham
Der OF commerce there were last year
only IL or ~ vessels cruising from
New Bedford TO the North and South
Atlantic, bringing from $4,000 TO IA, 800
barrels of oil. This year the fleet is
even smaller The registered ton
mage in whale fishing under the Unit.
ed States flag has decreased from
1915 However, the operations Of
American whaIers have been extend
ed, and while il was formerly chiefly
a New Bedford enterprise, now some
of its chief zones of exploitation lie
in the Pacific. The majority of the
whales caught in the Pacific are spe-
cies of the oil-producing gems, name.
ly the "Humpback." "Ffnback" and
Sulphur bottom" whales Cthe latter
running as high as SO feet in lengthy
producing ordinary commercial whale
oil. The price of this oil since the
war started, chiefly owing to its giy.
cerine content and broader uses, has
increased so per cent making the
business somewhat more attractive
However, the industry has dwindled
to such small proportions that 1t no
longer sustains a considerable Sec
ton OF the maritime population of this
country 1t is, therefore, particularly
opposite to inquire what other eoun-
tries are doing. 't,s. @
Whale hunting is very ancient in.
dustry and the utilization Of whale oil
dates from the year 1450, when sew.
eral expeditions were sent out from
Bordeaux. s..... liz. ..
The modern form of whaling,
marked by its enormous and rapid
dates only from about the
year 1906, when the great whaling
grounds were discovered in the Ant
arctic and off the shores of Africa and
Australia. These new fields were ex,
plotted by the establishment of large
land stations but more particularly
by means of floating stations fitted
out by Norwegian whaling companies.
These so-called floating factories con-
sist of steamships Of from about 1000
to 5000 tons. During the present GEN.
fury the development of the industry
has resulted in the establishment OF
such eapacious plants that, whereas
the sperm-whaler of old could be con-
tent with total catch OF 10 to 10 |
whales on an expedition lasting six
10 nine months, ouch number is now
considered the necessary daily supply
the season for one of the
most up-to-date stations. The primF
tive tackle employed in early days, |
consisting OF 4 harpoon thrown from
4 small rowing boat, has been super
seded ty the gun-harpoon, fired by |
means of a percussion shell from pow. |
srfuI steamers of about $50 tons. But |
hand in hand with the development OF |
methods, the extraction pro |
cess mas also undergone great Inn
In former days the blub- |
Der was melted in large pans over an |
open fire; now the melting is done in |
great watts to which steam is conduct
I'D. The worlds total production OF
whale oil in 1914 was about $4,000
IONS, Of which sbout $4,000 tons, or
about IS per cent of the total produc-
ion, was turned odt by Norwegian
factories. The Norwegian whaling in
iussry has formed an organization
JAILED the Association of Norwegian
Companies, having its office
It Sandefjord, Norway. Most of these
companies have tank ships.
md the oil turned out by them can be
supplied in tanks and pumped direct
rom the ship in the event OF whole
goes being purchased. In smaller
OTIS the oil is supplied in casks or
irums. Besides whale oil, large guam
titles of guano, concentrated cattle
GODS and bone meal are also now
Produced. These products are made
rom the bone and flesh of the whale.