The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-07 00:00:00

THE FROZEN SHIP.

One serene evening in the middle of August, 1775,
Captain Warrens, the master of the Greenland, a whale-
ship, found himself becalmed amongst an immense
number of icebergs, in about 77 deg. of north latitude.
On one side, and within a mile of his vessel, these were
of immense height, and closely wedged together, and a
succession of snow-covered peaks appeared behind each
other as far as the eye could reach, showing that the
ocean was completely blocked up in that quarter, and that
it had probably been so for a long period of time, Capt.
Warrens did not feel altogether satisfied with his situa-
tion; but there being no wind, he could not move one
way or the other, and he therefore kept a strict watch,
knowing that he would be safe, so long as the icebergs
continued in their respective places.
About midnight the wind rose to a gale, accompanied
by thick showers of snow, while a succession of tre-
mendous thundering, grinding, and crushing noises, gave
fearful evidence that the ice was in motion. The vessel
received violent shocks every second, for the haziness of
the atmosphere prevented those on board from discover-
ing in what direction the open water lay, or if there was
actually any at all on either side of them. The night
was spent in tacking as often as any cause of danger
happened to present itself, and in the morning the storm
abated, and Captain Warrens found, to his great joy,
that his ship hadinot sustained any serious injury. He
remarked with surprise that the accumulated icebergs,
which had on the preceding evening formed an impene-
trable barrier, had been separated and disarranged
by the wind, and that in one place a canal of open sea
wound its course among them, as far as the eye could
discern.

It was two miles beyond the entrance of this canal
that a ship made its appearance about noon. The sun
shone brightly at the time, and a gentle breeze blew from
the north. At first some intervening icebergs prevented
Captain Warrens from distinctly seeing any thing but
her masts ; but he was struck with the strange manner
in which her sails were disposed, and with the, dismantled
aspect of her yards and rigging. She continued to go
before the wind for a few furlongs, and then grounding
upon the low icebergs, remained motionless.
Captain Warren's curiosity was so much excited, that
he immediately leaped into his boat with several sea-
men, and rowed towards her. On approaching, he
observed that her hull was miserably weather-beaten,
and not afoul appeared on the deck, which was covered
with snow to a considerable depth. He then hailed her
crew several times, but no answer was returned. Pre-
vious
.to stepping on board, an open port-hole near the
main chains caught his eye, and, on looking into it, he
perceived a man reclining back in a chair, with writing
materials on a table before him, but the feebleness of the
light made everything very indistinct. The party went
upon deck, and having removed the hatchway, which
they found closed, they descended to the cabin. They
first came to the apartment which Captain Warrens
viewed through the port-hole. A tremor seized him as
he entered it. Its inmate retained his former position,
and seemed to be insensible to strangers. He was found
to be a corpse, and a green damp mould had covered his
cheeks and forehead, and veiled his open eye-balls. He
had a pen in his hand, and a log-book lay before
him, the last sentence in its unfinished page ran thus:—
" Nov, 14, 1762. We have now been enclosed in the ice
seventeen days. The fire went out yesterday, and our
master has been trying ever since to kindle it again,
without success. his wife died this morning. There is
no relief—"

Captain Warrens and his seamen hurried from the spot
without uttering a word. On entering the principal
cabin the first object that attracted their attention was
the dead body of a female reclining on a bed in an atti-
tude of deep interest and attention. Her countenance
retained the freshness of life, but a contraction of the
limbs showed that her form was inanimate. Seated on
the floor was the corpse of an apparently young man, '
holding a steel in one hand and a flint in the other, as if
in the act of striking fire upon some tinder which lay
beside him. In the fore part of the vessel several
sailors were found lying dead in their berths, and the
body of a boy crouched at the bottom of the gangway
stairs. Neither provisions nor fuel could be dis-
covered anywhere ; but Captain Warrens was prevented,
by the superstitious prejudices of his seamen, from
examining the vessel as minutely as he wished to have
done. He therefore carried away the log-book already,
mentioned, and returned to his own ship, and immedi-
ately steered to the southward, deeply impressed with
the awful example which he had just witnessed of the
danger of navigating the Polar seas in high northern
latitudes.
On returning to 'England tio mein
respecting vessels that had disappeared in an unknown
way, and, by comparing the results of those with the in-
formation which was afforded by the written documents
in his possession, he ascertained the name and history
of the imprisoned ship and of her unfortunate master,
and found that she bad been frozen thirteen years pre-
vious to the time of his discovering her among the ice.
Westminster Review.

ALARMIMG PREVALENCE OF FEVER.—The village
of Upton, near Blewbury, Berks,. has had an awful visi-
tation, by the spread of a contagious fever. It first ma-
nifested itself about a month ago in a cottager's family,
family, and sach has been its rapid and extensive spread
since, that up to Saturday last riot fewer than thirty-
two deaths had arisen in consequence, and these out
of a village populatiot?. of 150. The disease, we re-
gret to add, is still raging, and such general alarm has
been created from so destructive an enemy, that many of
the villagers have begun to change their dwellings to the
neighbouring downs ; and it is expected, from the re-
movals, which are now pretty generally taking place, that
the village will shortly be deserted. The numbers
of persons who have thus been carried off are chiefly of
the humble labouring class, some of whom are bewil-
dered in distress from the additional painful circumstance
that the head of a family, who had been its chief support,
has been cut off. The cause of this calamity is so clearly
manifest that the authorities have not deemed it necessary
to institute any inquiry, or to hold an inquest in either
case ; the only mystery is that the contagion should
have shown itself in a situation where theclimate is con-
sidered to be so remarkably healthy. T.
The enragement
of the disease is ascribed to the difficulties in procuring
medical attendance at such a desolate place of abode.
We may remark that this infectious disease has so ex-
tended itself as to be viewed in the district as a second
great plague. The melancholy event has excited much
commisseration for the distressed objects.--Devizes
Gazette
THE LATE THOMAS Hoon.—lt is with deep regret
that we have to announce the decease of the widow of
the late Thomas Hood, the celebrated humourist and
poet. The public are aware that Mr. Hood's life was
closed in the midst of much physical suffering and much
mental anxiety ; and there is little doubt that the un-
wearied exertions of Mrs. Hood, her unceasing attend-
ance
on her husband's deathbed, and the grief and trial
which preceded and followed her bereavement, have been
the immediate causes of the disease which has thus pre-
maturely terminated her existence. She expired on the
. morning of Friclop the 4th of December,

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DEATH FRO -
141tiitti
On Tituradsy and PriderzaiwArit eolden
Cambridge before Mr. criatedb 4.8 body of
Elizabeth Howe, an unfortunate girl, who had bo.::n
living in Barnwell. A good deal of interest was excited,
in consequence of it being understood that death resut:cd
from the deceased having caught a violent cold at the
Spinning-house, by being put into a damp bed. Tile
Rev. Mr. Kingsley, of Sidney College, the junior proctor,
was present during the examination.

.Izl

M. Newby, surgeon, stated that he was called in t';',
attend the deceased. Her complaint was rheumatic
fever, and she was unable to move. Her pulse was beat-
ing 120 a minute. She told him that she had been put
in the Spinning-house, where she had slept in a damp
bed. She stopped there, however, only one night, and
was lib rated in the morning. He considered the cause
of her (it ath to be rheumatic fever. -

Edward Wilson, keeper of the Spinning-house, said
that Elizabeth Howe was committed on the eyt of
the 6th of November by the Rev. Mr. Kingsley, one of
the proctors. Another girl named King was brought
with her. They were put in the same ward. The win-
dows of the room are cas.ed with iron. Oce of the iron
.easements has a piece of glass to admit light. The
whole used to be glass, but the gir;s break them, and
now the window is sheet iron except a ,square. 'lbis
square was not broken the night deceased came in. The
room is well protected from the weather. If it is a wet
night there is generally a fire. I believe there was no
fire on the night of the 6th of November.
By a juror—I am acting both for Mr. Wright and the
University.
The Rev. Mr. Kingsley examined—l am one of the
proctors. :I recollect apprehending Elizabeth Howe.
She was not behaving disorderly or indecently. I ap-
prehended her because the constables, who were with
me, knew her to be a prostitute. It was between eight
and nine o'clock. I did not know she was a prostitute
of my own knowledge. She went quietly. I am but
partially acquainted with the internal arrangements of
the Spinning-house. It appears to me to be a proper
place to confine females. I don't know how females
are accommodated in gaols.
CORONER—Have you instructions as to your duties,
otherwise than the statutes of the University? Wit-
ness—l refuse to answer.

CORONER—You must, sir. I have a duty to perforn.
which, as judge of this court, I will perform.
Witness.—l have no other instructions. I have never
read the charter of Queen Elizabeth, giving the university
power to apprehend disorderly persons. Deceased was
reprimanded the next morning and discharged. The
deceased came so quietly that I recommended her dis-
charge to the Vice-Chancellor. One other girl was with
her, who did not go orderly. There were no memb,i s
of the University in their company when we apprehended
them.

By a juror—l am not certain that I have seen the in-
terior of the celL I believe I was in it a few days ago.
I merely delivered her to the keeper. The glass was
broken the last time I saw the cell. I believe the Uni-
versity have power to cause the apprehension of prosti-
tutes in the streets, although they may not be miscon-
ducting themselves.

Eliza Wright said—l was in the Spinning-house on the
sth of November. I was taken on the 4th. I was locked
up in a small cell. I was by myself. The bed was not
made. I could not see to make it, so I lay down with
my clothes on. The bed clothes were very damp; they
consisted of three blankets and a quilt. I was not ill
when I was taken to the Spinning-house; but when I
was there I was taken ill with a bad cold and pains iu
my bones. Eliza Green was brought into the Spinning-
house when I was there. We both asked Wilson for a.
fire. He said he would not have a fire for two girls. I
knew Elizabeth Howe. I saw her tse morning she came
to the Spinning-house. She looked cold, and put her
hands to her chest as if she were ill. Saw her afterwards
at the house were she was lodging, but she was not sen-
sible then.

Some other witnesses who had been confined at the
same time spoke to the cold and damp condition of the
cells, and that the deceased appeared very ill on leaving
the place in the morning.
The evidence,being now closed, the Coroner proceeded
to sum up. In the first place they would consider whe-
ther death had resulted from exposure to the weather
in the .Spinning house ; end if they were satisfied
on this point, they would ascertain whether any party
was criminally culpable. The circumstances under
which the deceased was apprehended appeared to be
these. She was beyond doubt a personcoming within
the description of a common ; roslitute, but it was
proved that at the time she was taken into custody she
was not conducting herself disorderly or indecently,
With respect to prostitutes so misconducting themselves
the Legislature had provided,that they should be deemed
idle and disorderly persons, and punishable as such
under the Vagrant Act, but the University officers
claimed the extraordinary power of apprehending with-
out warrant: any prostitute whatever found within the
town and precincts of Cambridge. The Rev. Mr.
Kingsley had stated that he believed the University
officer had the power to do so, but referred to no autho-
rity, and mentioned it only as a matter of opinion. This
power was really claimed under a charter of Queen
Elizabeth, granted to the University in 1561,
by which she empowered the masters, &c., to search
and scrutinize in the town and suburbs, and in Barnwell
and Slurbridge, for all common women, vagabonds, and
others suspected of evil, and should they be found guilty,
to be imprisoned, banished, or otherwise, as the chancel-
lor or his vice-regent should deem fit. This grant was
clearly bad of common law, but ten years afterwards the
University obtained an Act of Parliament, by which it
was confirmed in a more ample manner, and in effect the
charter became an Act of Parliament. Large as the
power granted was, he (the Coroner) had great doubts
if its powers were ample enough to justify an arrest
without warrant ; but still, looking to the practice
which had prevailed for so many years, he was not
prepared to say that in point of law the arrest of the
deceased had been illegal. If it were, it would in-
volve Mr. Kingsley in a charge of manslaughter, inas-
much as it would be a violation of the liberty of the
subject, and the law was, that if death resulted, though
unavoidably, from a trespass, the trespasser was guilty of
manslaughter. The Learned Gentleman then adverted
to the place in which the deceased was confined, and ob-
served that the evidence fully showed the miseries to
which the poor creatures who were committed there were
subjected. He hardly thought they would be justified
in returning a verdict which would affect Wilson, the
keeper. The fault appeared to him to be rather in the
system than in the individual.
The jury after a lengthened consultation returned the
following verdict:—" We find that Elizabeth Howe died
of rheumatic fever, caused by a violent cold caught at
the Spinning-house, on the night of the 6th of November,
she having been conveyed thither in the custody of
William Townley Kingsley, proctor of the University,
and confined for that night in a cold and damp cell,
from the effects of which she died. The jury cannot
separate without expressing their abhorrence at a system
which sanctions the apprehension of females when not
offending against the general law of the land, and con-
fining them in a gaol unfit for the worst of felons. The
jury also request the Coroner to forward a report of ate
whole of the proceedings to the Secretary of State fee
the Home Department."