Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
Whaling Modernized by ElectricityIf
BY FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

talists have become interested. Sir Ar
thur A. C. Cocks. former treasurer and
also former agent general Of New South
Wales, Is acting chairman OF the board
Of directors.
This important new company has
ready to hand a brand-new invention
for killing whales by means Of cleo
trictty. The device Is the invention Of
y Norwegian engineer and has been sue
cessfully tried out.
The electrical device is said to have
many advantages over the older meth
DDS. Perhaps the most important one
is the instantaneous death of the whale
In using the old method much danger
Is entailed. The wounded monster is
likely to thresh around in the sea with
such force as to wreck dories and caiIse
the death Of men. They, are highly
skilled in keeping out of the way, but
such is the force of the laShing tail of
one of these monsters that good-sized
boats are splintered by the merest
touch. .-'
One advantage from the purely COM
mercial point Of view, but what might
be looked upon as a disadvantage from
the old romantic viewpoint, is that the
electrical contact created causes death
no matter in what spot the creature is
struck Expert harpooners used to pride
could cast their harpoons so as to hit
vital spot, one which most quickly
would silence the whale.
Victims Continue Afioat.
Still another fact of great importance
Is that the new invention keeps the VIC
tim afioat. Under the old hand-har-
pooning practice the whale would sink
unless quickly grappled and kept af1oat
NIT 1fnaQ h0 q
task requiring much skill and fraught
with considerable danger. Cutting up
the whale, taking out the oil and sal1
vaging all that was OF value was tedi-
Gus job. causing much wear and tear
on tackle and hoisting machine and ex-
haustion Of men. With the whale float
ing as easily as the ship. the Job is
much simplif1ed. -.-.
It is claimed that the invention will
alter the whaling industry materially.
In the first place, it will be much more
economical method after the device has
been installed. Original installation
costs only about $700 and many boats
already are being equipped In prepare
ton for the oncoming whaling season.
The catch Is expected to be consider
ably larger. How mitch more ra.idly
tins larger catch will deplete the supply
OF the big creatures appears not to have
been considered, but at least it appears
that such ships as are equipped to take
whales electrically will show the largest
profits.
A stock company has been formed to
market the new invention, the board of
directors being comprised of men eX-
perienced In the whaling industry and
whose opinion of the practicability of
the device is in itself a strong recon-
mendation. Eight or nine separate
patents cover different parts Of the de-
vice. and these are held by the new
company.
The plan Of operation will be to rent
the machines to any whalers who de-
sire to make use of them, payment to
be made to the controlling company in
royalties on each barrel of oil taken
from whales killed by this new method.
There seems no limit to the extension
OF the use Of machinery into every line
OF industry, no matter how old-fash-
ioned it may be.