The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-24 00:00:00

LOSS OF TWO HULL WHALERS

The Hull vessels cent to Greenland this year luiss
been very unfortunate in their fi.bing ; but thi; is un-
imprfaut contrasted with the intelligence we have t°
convey ot the total los: of the William Ward and the.
Pledge, of this port. The former was a barque of 295
tons, and a crew of 45 men; the latter a smack of 31 tons,
and a crew of 19 men.
A letter has been received by Mrs. Gravill, wife of
Captain Gravill, of the William Ward, which contains
the further details of the loss of that vessel. It is
dated the 7th instant, on board the Dublin, of Peter
head, lat. 60 deg. 0 min. N. The writer states that
the loss of the William Ward occurred on the 24th
March, in a tremendous gale from the N.E., atnnug4
heavy ice, in lat. 47 deg. 30 min. N., and long. 10 deg'
0 min. W. " Every precaution," observes Captain Grtv
vill, " had been used for her safety, having sent down
topgallant-yards, and struck miztn-topmast, and close'
reefed the top-sails, on the morning of the above dui!
white it was yet calm. The gale commenced about,
three A.M. most terrific, for we had to stow awl
but the close-reefed maintopsails. The frost wag
very severe, with constant thick weather. Thil
Traveller, of Peterhead was in company. We ha
all hands on deck attending to the braces, which
we could scarcely haul through the blocks for the frost
;
Many of the men's faces were frostbitten, and although
not above the deck, it was impossible to make the Well,
hear without the trumpet. The ship being among'
heavy ice, with a tremendous sea, about three P. 31,;
hove down upon the weather side of a heavy "stream
(ot ice), with no possibility of getting clear. We were
therefore compelled to let her go into it. Her larbos t
side was soon stove fore and aft, and before we get
through the water was up to the hold beams. Our /ill!:
ation was now most alarming, there being no shiP :-
be seen; we had lost sight of the Traveller some tiuled
before. Our condition was aggravated by the continue,
severity of the frost, and many of our men sufferiun
under its inflictions, but we got the ship's head to tihe
eastward, and all hands were employed at both ptloP„,s.
We cat away the mainmast to keep the vessel fro ':
turning on her beam-ends. In this condition If'
continued until two days afterwards, when in the morn'
ing there was a cry, fore and aft, • The ship's
down head first.' I gave orders to cut away the Wed-
mast, which being done eased the ship greatly, ullhn
every exertion was made to keep her above water, t";
men dropping off from the pumps daily through fatigUi
and having their feet frostbitten; and so we remaine
from the 24th until the 29th, constantly at the pulo„Pg,',
and with the water sometimes in the cabin. v:
the morning of the 29th we could only muster twentl,,
eight at the pumps out of forty-five hands; but throug.;
the intervention of an ever-watchful Providence a:ldP
hove in sight, and with difficulty made us out to be u
wreck, as we appeared to be a large heap of ice'
but the mizen-mast being still standing, culioi
vinced the other ship's crew that it was a N'eus'a
in distress. They therefore bore down to us, an
proved to be the Fairy of Dundee, Captain Robert 18-1:
who with the feelings of a father and a friend, sent II"
boats immediately to our relief, and took us all from
the wreck. The weather (proved moderate
morning, but, as the sea ran high, we were coraPeti,,e4
to keep to the pumps up to the last moment, until •
boats got alongside for us. We then got all the IlLic
up as well as as we could, amounting to eighteen, at that
time. Some we were obliged to carry on our backs ,11„,;
the side and lower into the boats, their feet being Ye%
much frost-bitten, and their legs wrapped up in Pie%
of blankets. It took the greater part of the day to goa"
us all out, and the Fairy had only time to save thr,,—„
boats after we were all on board. The ship (the
William Ward) was filling fast, and a gale increasing;
before midnight the Fairy was obliged to come Uwe;
a close-reefed maintop-sail and foresail, so that had ti
not been taken off before that storm, I greatly dulinvf
whether any of us would have been left, as the Pu'a
men were giving up every hour. Both myself eu„
the crew will never forget the kindness to the sic";
and the attention paid to us all, by CePtul
tier, and his ship's company. I left U/fi:
Sarah and Elizabeth a little more than a life;,,
ago, to come home by the Dublin, Captain Mac,.°:d
Ho has about 8,000 seals, about 115 tons. He is
given up all hopes of ever getting out of the ice, as it
a heavy " pack," and there is no " young ice" to shelve
them. Many ships are stove, and those that 110.•
escaped consider it a miracle. The smack Pledge 1„
lost, but the crew saved. Some of them are 0"
board the Dublin. I am afraid there is another eusi
se! lost, as I have been told of a main boom ti,ll:,
was picked up. It appears to have been a brig.
smack Turk, Brown, had about 400 seals, but she is nt°l
1 know very little about the Hull ships, but bola
they were all badly off. The Sarah and Elizabeth bad
150 seals when I left her, but I hope they will allu„
well. The Traveller is very much stove, as are also 14-
Resolution and many more. lam sorry to say live 7,
of our men have lost the toes off their feet, and I r
afraid some of them will lose their feet. Poor ATI,
bad lost five toes when I last saw him. I intend 10
lug at Shetland, as I think we shall be better able to get
home. Young Lee, Smith, Tether, and Robinson are
with me."
A letter has also been received from the
Pledge, and is we believe, the only communicatto.,
which has arrived from that vessel, The master la
still at Greenland. It is dated as the above, au, !
after briefly stating the loss of the Pledge on tfi:
28th Ult., contains the following particulars, an,
dressed to the owner :—" Sir—l have to inform
you of the wreck of the Pledge, in Greenland.
the 12th of April it was blowing a heavy gale, and 04:
were completely disabled, having no seam from ice-kneel
mate of 91:
down to keel, no main-boom, no mainsail (the nusius,l/i,;
having blown to ribbons), and water by this time in the
lower bed cabins, and gaining on us. The Traveller 0E
Peterhead, being in company with us, was under close'
reefed topsails. We hoisted our ensign to the Traveller'
and the captain sent two boats and took us on board. uf,
the 28th of April we came on board the Dublin, of Pete`
head (mate, second-mate, cook, and rest of the crewo'
leaving the master and two boys till morning. It Who
then blowing fresh, and coming on thick ; during r.
night we lost sight of the Traveller, and left the tasA eof
—Your obedient servant, HENRY TROTT, late mate
the Pledge."—Hull Advertiser.