INFURIATED WHALE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 67, 6 August 1912, Page 3

INFURIATED WHALE.

TURNED SAVAGELY ON STEAMER. Auckland, August 2. Slowly and carefully, with one Made of her propeller serioasly damaged, the whaler Hawk—one of the sturdy vessels of the New Zealand Whaling Company—steamed up the harbor and berthed this evening. Captain Hasle, manager of the company, told the story of the mishap to a Herald lepresentative. On Wednesday last, in the forenoon, the Hawk was operating on the. east of 'Oivalli Islands, 'between and Russell, when a fairly large hump-back whale was SightI ed. The men succeeded in harpooning | .the animal, but the bomb attached to the harpoon evidently exploded near, the' whale's tail, and failed to kill it, as generally happens when a successful thrust is made. The animal, infuriated, turned upon the vessel, and -made a violent attack upon it. Before it could do damage, however, the rope became entangled with the Hawk's propeller, and, so vio-' lent were the straggles of the whale, that the rope was cut in half, but not before one blade had been seriously damaged. Captain Nilsen, the master, decided that repairs were necessary before the vessel could be put .into active operation again. The whale broke away with the harpoon. and a long line of rope attached, and disappeared. As soon as things had been put in order, the lla,wk' was headed for Auckland, and was sailed under easy steam. The vessel will be docked on Monday or Tuesday, a new propellor blade fitted, and her boilers will also undergo an overhaul.