﻿FISHERY 
  INDUSTEIES. 
  59 
  

  

  tills 
  season 
  and 
  took 
  over 
  the 
  plant 
  and 
  equipment 
  of 
  the 
  Alaska 
  

   WhaUng 
  Co., 
  which 
  concern 
  built 
  and 
  operated 
  the 
  station 
  at 
  Akutan 
  

   in 
  1912, 
  but 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  unprofitable 
  returns 
  did 
  not 
  operate 
  in 
  1913. 
  

   The 
  Pacific 
  Sea 
  Products 
  Co. 
  made 
  some 
  additions 
  to 
  the 
  plant 
  and 
  

   engaged 
  extensively 
  in 
  the 
  manufacture 
  of 
  fertilizer 
  from 
  the 
  flesh 
  of 
  

   the 
  whales. 
  

  

  Five 
  steamers 
  were 
  used 
  this 
  year 
  for 
  killing 
  whales. 
  Two 
  of 
  these, 
  

   the 
  UnimaJc 
  and 
  Kodiak 
  (99 
  tons 
  each), 
  were 
  operated 
  by 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   Sea 
  Products 
  Co. 
  and 
  three, 
  the 
  Star 
  I 
  (133 
  tons), 
  and 
  the 
  Star 
  II, 
  and 
  

   Star 
  III 
  (97 
  tons 
  each) 
  were 
  operated 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Whaling 
  

   Co. 
  These 
  vessels 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  type 
  common 
  to 
  modern 
  shore 
  whaling 
  

   operations, 
  each 
  having 
  at 
  the 
  bow 
  a 
  SJ-inch 
  muzzle-loading 
  gun. 
  

   Attached 
  to 
  the 
  explosive 
  missile 
  which 
  is 
  hurled 
  into 
  the 
  whale, 
  

   usually 
  from 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  about 
  120 
  feet, 
  is 
  a 
  heavy 
  line 
  leading 
  back 
  

   to 
  a 
  steam 
  winch 
  mounted 
  on 
  the 
  forward 
  deck 
  of 
  the 
  vessel. 
  This 
  

   winch 
  is 
  used 
  to 
  keep 
  a 
  strain 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  whale, 
  pay- 
  

   ing 
  it 
  out 
  or 
  hauling 
  it 
  in 
  as 
  may 
  be 
  necessary 
  until 
  finally 
  the 
  whale 
  

   is 
  brought 
  alongside. 
  The 
  animal 
  is 
  then 
  pumped 
  up 
  with 
  air 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  sinking, 
  and 
  towed 
  to 
  the 
  shore 
  station. 
  If 
  more 
  whales 
  

   are 
  in 
  sight, 
  a 
  marker 
  is 
  placed 
  on 
  the 
  one 
  already 
  taken, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   turned 
  adrift 
  temporarily 
  while 
  the 
  pursuit 
  of 
  others 
  is 
  continued. 
  

   Special 
  efforts 
  are 
  always 
  put 
  forth 
  to 
  capture 
  sperm 
  whales, 
  as 
  this 
  

   species 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  valuable 
  than 
  the 
  others 
  found 
  off 
  the 
  Pacific 
  

   shores 
  of 
  Alaska. 
  The 
  valuable 
  bowhead 
  whale 
  is 
  taken 
  only 
  in 
  more 
  

   northern 
  waters. 
  Sperms 
  are 
  especially 
  sought 
  because 
  of 
  the 
  rich 
  

   grade 
  of 
  oil 
  or 
  spermaceti, 
  which 
  comes 
  from 
  a 
  cavity 
  in 
  the 
  head. 
  A 
  

   single 
  sperm 
  whale 
  will 
  sometimes 
  produce 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  20 
  barrels 
  of 
  

   this 
  high-grade 
  and 
  valuable 
  product. 
  This 
  is 
  in 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  oil 
  

   and 
  fertilizer 
  from 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  animal, 
  which 
  is 
  available 
  

   from 
  sperms 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  from 
  the 
  other 
  species 
  handled. 
  

  

  Upon 
  arrival 
  at 
  the 
  station, 
  the 
  whales 
  are 
  hauled 
  out 
  on 
  a 
  platform 
  

   and 
  the 
  blubber 
  is 
  stripped 
  off 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  winch. 
  The 
  blubber 
  is 
  

   cut 
  up 
  and 
  cooked 
  in 
  open 
  steam 
  retorts 
  to 
  remove 
  the 
  oil. 
  The 
  

   carcass 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  is 
  then 
  cut 
  up 
  and 
  the 
  meat 
  and 
  bones 
  are 
  cooked 
  

   separately 
  in 
  steam 
  retorts 
  under 
  a 
  pressure 
  of 
  about 
  65 
  pounds 
  for 
  

   periods 
  of 
  from 
  10 
  to 
  24 
  hours. 
  The 
  oil 
  resulting 
  from 
  this 
  process 
  is 
  

   drawn 
  off 
  and 
  the 
  residue 
  is 
  passed 
  through 
  driers 
  for 
  conversion 
  into 
  

   fertilizer. 
  

  

  Whale 
  oil 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  grades 
  is 
  produced: 
  Nos. 
  and 
  1 
  from 
  the 
  

   blubber; 
  no. 
  2 
  from 
  the 
  bones; 
  and 
  nos. 
  3 
  and 
  4 
  from 
  the 
  meat. 
  

   The 
  best 
  grade 
  of 
  oil 
  comes 
  from 
  sperm 
  whales, 
  and 
  at 
  present 
  prices 
  

   a 
  50-gallon 
  barrel 
  sells 
  for 
  about 
  $20. 
  The 
  next 
  grade 
  sells 
  for 
  about 
  

   $15 
  a 
  barrel, 
  and 
  for 
  gi-ades 
  nos. 
  2, 
  3, 
  and 
  4 
  the 
  price 
  is 
  about 
  $12 
  per 
  

   barrel. 
  The 
  United 
  States 
  Whaling 
  Co. 
  reports 
  that 
  after 
  the 
  oil 
  has 
  

   been 
  boiled 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  meat 
  and 
  bones 
  the 
  following 
  fertilizer 
  and 
  

  

  