WORLD’S BIGGEST WHALER

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1939, Page 10

WORLD’S BIGGEST WHALER

SAILS UNDER RED ENSIGN The largest whaling ship in the world cast anchor in the Thames recently. She poured 105,000 barrels of oil down pipelines into great tanks on shore, then sailed away. Whalers are a rare sight in the Thames, says the ‘Sunday Chronicle.’ Usually they take the British cargoes to Liverpool. Whale oil's main use is for making margarine, and the greatest margarine-making firms are in the north. This cargo was brought by a new customer, who probably represented: the British Government. ■ j The Terje Viken (pronounced Ter-| rier veeken), 20,638 tons, is such at large ship ami so deep below the! water-line when loaded that they trans-1 ferred 3,500 tons of her oil to barges before entering the Thames in order, to lighten her. ; “She is the largest freight ship in the world,” said Captain Borkgrevink proudly, A cro-w of 425 is housed in better •renditions than the crews of luxury invrs There are 10 beds to a room, ami iik'li bed b.as a. spring mattress. Working conditions are another mat<‘f. for although i-verylhing is the

I latest, most labour-saving, and ny- ' gienic. there is the constant pungent smell of whale oil. Thirty whales a day are cut up ami boiled, down on the Terje Viken when the fishing is good. An entire tween decks is the factory where the oil is extracted. , ■. The blubber is taken out first am nut into one set of boilers. Then the flesh is cut away and put into another ,3,4 of boilers. Lastly, the bones are cut up and put into more boilers. Out of the boilers comes the whale oil

that is the basis, not only of margarine, but of most cosmetics. Oil from the sperm whale has such remarkable cosmetic properties that the wind and salt-bitten seamen who handle it have lily-white hands. Honoured members of the crew aie the nine harpoonists, one to each of the fishing boats that the Terje Viken. picks up at her last port before sailing for the Antarctic. They can earn £l,OOO or more a season.