MODERN WHALING

Southland Times, Issue 20146, 5 April 1927, Page 8

MODERN WHALING

TOUCH AT LONG DISTANCE. WIRELESS TELEPHONY. London, January 26. Among recent innovations that have brought about great changes in modern methods of whaling, wireless telephony is of

outstanding importance. A number of Antarctic whalers have been fitted this season with Marconi wireless telephone apparatus to enable them to spread further afield and adopt tactics in finding and killing whales that would be impossible without this means of inter-communication.

If one of the vessels so equipped sights a number of whales, perhaps after two or

three weeks’ searching it can immdiately inform the other ships in the same fleet by telephone and all can make for the best spot for hunting. The “factory ship” that accompanied the whales can also be directed to the most suitable position for taking charge of the catches. By a simple system of code words the vital information in any message can be kept secret from any other ships that might be within range.

The Marconi 4 k.w. telephone sets fitted to all the ships of the Southern Whaling and Sealing Company, Limited, and to other whaling fleets, have been specially designed for this class of work. Their operation

has been reduced to such a simple proposi tion that they may be worked by a harpoongunner in full kit. They are operated by

a stout lever which can be easily manipulated even when the hands are heavily gloved, and the apparatus is enclosed in a steel case which renders it practically undamageable. Reception is by loud speaker, so that there is no need to remove head coverings in order to use the telephone. The efficiency of this apparatus may be judged from th? fact that the 4 k.w. telephone set on the floating whaling factory C. A. Larsen has been heard 2000 miles away bv the whaler Sir James Clark Ross. Normally communication is maintained between whalers and with the whaling station at Stroemness, South Georgia, up to a distance of 750 miles.