The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-11-01
From the Liverpool Journal Of Sent, ,s.

Terror, who, il will be remembered, went
out ir June, 1886, to look for Captain Ross,
has at length returned from his perilous en-
terprise. The hardsbips endured, nnd the
obstacles encountered and triumphed over,
by the commander aud his crew, were al
most incredible aud, indeed, their return
after AN absence of twelve mouths, the great
er part of the time hemmed in by one i'm
passable sheet of ice, appears aIl but mir
aculous. The following affecting and in
terestlng narrative Of their suiferngs is ta-
ken from the Dublin Freeman's Journal:
On Sunday night Inst, tho Terror put 10
at Lough Swilly, in nm almost sinking cons
dition, the men necessarily aboring at the
pumps, and the hull Of the vessel secured
by chains aud cables to keek her together.
1t appears ,ha. she was encompassed by ice
a, the latter end of August, 1886, ut which
Time her crew consisted of sixty souls, in
cluding officers, who were Mt times exposed
to most imminent perils from the constant
conclusion of huge masses of ice, which
were dashed against the vessel with tre-r
mendons violence, threatening either a vio-
lent aud sudden death, or, in the event of
escape from this danger, slow but certain
destruction by The appalling means Of fam
inc aud cold. Deprived of fresh provisi"ns
or vegetables of any kind, disease spread
amongst them with rapidly only equnled
by its virulence twenty-five of the crew
weic together afflicted by that well known
scourge of that latitude, the scurvy, 10
which three of itenIfe ellviciims- Donaldson,
the gunner; n SEAMAN named james Wsl-r
ker, aud Alexander Young, a marine. No
efforts on the part Of the medical gentlemen
who attended them could avert the conse-
qnences; and, oppressed by an nccumnln-
tIon of s"iferings, which they were unnble
to endure, they died under the diseusc.
The vessel lay in that perilous position for
four months, drifting to and fro near Cnpe
Comfort; then driven by the current Of ice,
along Southampton Island, as FAR ms Sea
Horses Point. off Bnfiiu then nj the mcr-
cy Of wind and tide, through, Hndson's
Straits, by Charles Island, nIong the La
brador coast. On the 9Th Of August, they
passed Resolution Island.
From the 20ih Of September, they lay
surrounded, exposed TO al the horrors, Of
the Arctic climate, with The thermometer 40
degrees below zero, until the ice con,men-
ced breaking up in February, 1897. On
the 18th of March, they experienced the
greatest shock they had yet encountered, a
mountain Of ice striking the ship with the
utmost violence, aud rending AWAY every
intermediate barrier, with the slightest per-
ceplible effort. The decks were obliged TO
be lashcd to each other to prevent them
separating and the planks rising from their
instcnings; the stern posts, dead wood and
niterpnr of the keel were knocked nway.
In consequence of the repeated collisions,
the water gained on the ship, aud she was
shaken from stem TO stern n chain cable
was passed round her to keep her together
the men constantly at the pumps to keep
omi the water, whicl, NJ one time rose seven
feet in the hold. Every cxrriion WINS being
made mt this time 10 prevent her falling tu
pieces-mcn aud officers all emnlous, aud
working Iaboriously rs they could, know
ing their safety depended on The result Of
their exertions. So unrcniliing and fatig-
uing were the tolls they endured, that alf
were excorialed more or less.
The ship was built purposeIy for the ex-
pediion, being eight feet in depth through,
the bow and stern, two feet seven inches in
The sides, with five additional bulk heads
athwsri ships of four inch oak planks and
two extra fofc-and-aft ones of the same
thickness, two feet from The side, eacl, side
filled up with twenty-five tons Of coal, for
further strength and security.
BY the impetus Of the ice the bow was
lifted clean out of the water as far aft as
the mainmnst; her stern, as far us the sev.
en- foot mark, was placed in the same pre-
dicameni. In this condition she continued
for 100 days. At the expiration Of that
time they got a 35 foot ice saw, worked by
shears, and commenced the faiiguiDg oper-
alton of cutting through the bulk Of ice un-
der her, measuring IN thickness more than
30 feet. On the I1th Of July they had
so much Of their task rs but two
or three feet ut the stern remained, when
size righted Immediately on this, they
inade sail on the vessel, but a tremendous
wedge remained stuck to her side, between
her fore and main chains, aud they were
compelled 10 have recourse to the saw a.
gain, not being able to free themselves by
any method. BY means Of purchases APP
piled to the vast lump, il rose from under
the bottom as it was freed, and, according
TO The laws Of navigation. hosted above the
water, being the lighter body, throwing the
vessel cn her beam ends, hceIing her over
fully iweniy-seven degrees the water pour
ing in an alarming quantities and with
frishtfnl rapidiiy. All hands without dis
iinction were immediately called in requi-
siion some proceeded TO saw through the
piece Of ice, the cause of this fresh misfor-
tune, and some ran to the pumps.
With uuremitting labor they continued
these fatiguing but indispensable operations
until FIVE o'clock on the morning Of the l4sh
when the nsn were 50 totally exhausted