A WHALE STORY.

Colonist, Volume XLIX, Issue 11987, 13 July 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

A WHALE STORY.

Some months ago the submarine cable between Iquique and Valparaiso was interrupted, andjthe break waa ascertained to be about thirteen miles from Iquique. The repairing steamer grappled for the Valparaiso end and picked it up. The cable came in twisted in an extraordinary fashion, and the Btrain was unusually heavy, until at length a huge whale, entangled in the line was brought to the surface. The beast had to be cut adrift, because it was well advanced towards disintegration, but the cable experts had certainly something to talk about. The repair ship took soundings, which showed the depth of water to be 415 fathoms. It is extremely doubtful whether an air breath inglanimal i can <ro as deep as 400 fathoms, and as that depth is much below jthe limit of pelagic life, on which most whales feed, it is not likely that the whale would penetrate such a depth. It is assumed therefore, that the wba^e did Dot foul the cable at the oottom, and it is believad that the leviathan commenced to play with tbe line when it was being laid, earlier in the year. There would then be plenty of slack, so that the twisting and coiling of the heavy wire would be less difficult. If the whale really got caught when the cable was being faid it must have been down in the bottom for eight!months before the line parted.