The big whale and other news
Last week’s column found me stalled in several of the earliest years of the 20th century. In searching archived newspapers for details on an event I had read about in that period, I encountered numerous headlines and stories that could not be bypassed.
Take 1901 for instance and the fall of that year. U.S. President William Mckinley was assassinated; in the South African Republic the Second Boer War was earning its bloody place in each day’s paper; Lincoln’s coffin was opened by a select group of onlookers. Those were just three of the world-class news stories. Here in Newfoundland events were less dramatic but they most certainly drew their share of attention.
Such as the big whale at Bonavista at the time when the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall & York (they would become King George V and Queen Mary) were on a Royal Visit to Newfoundland.
“The Big Whale — People of Bonavistsa want to show it to the Duke”
“OCTOBER 3rd, 1901: The whale captured at Bonavista of which was made a note yesterday proves to be the largest ever seen by the residents. It ran close up to the water’s edge and was at once captured by Joseph Ackerman. Ackerman could not manage it alone so called in some of his friends. The whale is of the common Greenland species and measures 90 feet long and there are numerous harpoon marks about his body which show that he is an old warrior. Great excitement reigned on the arrival of the whale and when things became quieter the question arose as to what was to be done with it.
“Some proposed to cut it up but one of the funniest suggestions was that it should be towed to St. John’s to show the Duke. The feasibility of this suggestion was long discussed but owing to the difficulty of transportation it finally had to be abandoned. One of the part-owners, however, wanted to get over the difficulty by the proposition, ‘if we can’t get the whale to the Duke, bring the Duke to the whale!’ So if HRH wants to see a real whale he had better get a day off and go to the vicinity of Cabot’s landfall.”
There was no explanation as to how a human being “captures” a 90-foot Greenland whale but it does sound as though the mammal beached itself.
SEPTEMBER 26th — “Lincoln’s coffin opened (after more than 36 years) despite objections of his only living child, Robert T. Lincoln. Each of the party gazed at the features made famous by plate and print. Then the coffin was resealed and placed in what is intended to be the final resting place, a bed of iron and masonry 15 feet below the base of the shaft of the national Lincoln monument (in Illinois). The heavy leaden covering of the casket was chiselled open with plumber’s tools.”
Interestingly, this small news item in The Evening Telegram also reported that it was difficult to ascertain who was responsible for the opening, yet it then went on to name the 16 people who were present and to note that five of “the assemblage” were present when the coffin was opened 14 years earlier! It was also said that the coffin was opened for the purposes of identification. We are left to wonder how many deceased persons would have been enclosed in a lead-smothered coffin. Or, was there some doubt as to the murdered president’s whereabouts?
ANOTHER ALLEGED POLE DISCOVERY — On October 14th., 1901 there was a report from Christiania (the name of Oslo, prior to 1925) saying that “the belief is current here that Capt. Sverdrup, in the Norwegian steamer Fram, has discovered the North Pole.” There could not have been much substance to this as it did not deter Robert Peary or Frederick Cook in the quest some years later.
LOTTERY – The St. John’s Mechanics’ Society ran a lottery in November 1902 with tickets at 50 cents each. The top prize was $200. and with lesser prizes ... the 17th. and 18th. being for $10. each. Lottery notices were published in the newspapers by permission of His honour Judge Conroy. In today’s money, that $200 in 1902 would be about $5,800.
U.S. PRESIDENT — William Mckinley was shot twice in the abdomen at close range, in Buffalo, New York, by Leon Czolgosz in September 1901. There were plenty of witnesses and that, undoubtedly hastened the killer’s trial. Czolgosz was dispatched by electric chair at the end of October. The assassin was reported “unmoved during his trial” but when he first saw the prison in Auburn, New York, “his legs gave out and he had to be practically carried into the prison ... inside, his conduct became worse ... he cried and yelled.” It was reported that he was examined by the doctor at the prison who said Czolgosz was expressing fright and terror “but he was shamming somewhat.” In due course he calmed down, and two weeks before his execution, he confided to the warden that he knew he had to die but that he had no fear of the electric chair. Czolgosz said that he would not care to go outside of the prison for he believed that the people would kill him.” Mckinley left his $225,000 estate to his relatives.
And sometime later ... “Two men attacked a Private doing sentinel duty last night at Mckinley’s vault in Canton, Ohio. It was believed to have been an attempt to blow up the vault.”
NOVEMBER 19th., 1902 — “A large steamer passed the Narrows at 1:00 PM today. She is probably the ship that has been chartered to load slate at the quarries, Britannia Cove.” Britannia is on Random Island.