Constantine republican. [volume] (Constantine, Mich.) 1836-1838, 1837-11-08

Return Of Capt Back.--Capt. Back, the
commander Of her, Majesty's ship Terror,
who, it will be remembered, went out n
June, 1896, to look for Captain Boss. has
at length returned from his re,iious enter.
prise. The hardships Encountered and fri.
umPhcd over, b. inc commander and his
crew, were almost incredible and, indeed
] their return after an absence of twelve
months, the greater part Of time hemmed
in by one impossible sheet Of ice, appears
all but miraculous. The following affecting
and interesting narrative of their sufferings
is taken from the Dublin Freeman's Jour-
nal
"On Sunday night last, the Terror put in
at Tough Swilly in an almost sinking con.
dtion, the men necessarily laboring at the
pumps, aud the hull of the vessel secured
chains to keep her together. 1t appears
that she was encompassed by ice at the
latter end of August, 1886, ut which time
her crew consisted of sixty souls, including
officers, who were at times exposed to the
most imminent perils from the conclusion
of huge masses Of ice, which were dashed
against the vessel with tremendous violence
threatening either violent, or in te event
OF escape from this danger, slow but GER
tam destruction by the appalling means
of famine and cold.
Deprived Of fresh provisions or vegeta.
bles OF any kind, disease spread among
them with rapidly only equaled by its
vlrulence twenty five of tho crew were
together afflicted by that well known scourge
of that latitude, the scurvy, to which three
of them fell victims--Donaldson the gun
ner, a seaman named James Walker, and
Alexander Young, marine. No efforts
on the part of the medical gentlemen who
attended them could avert the consequent
ces and, oppressed by an accumulation
OF sufferings which theywere unable to en-
durc, they died under the disease. The
vessel lay in that perilous situation for four
months, drifting to and fro near Cape Com
fort; then driven by the current of ice, a.
long Southampton Island, as far south as
Sea Horses point, off Baffin then at the
mercy Of the wind and tide, through Hud.
sons Straits. by Charles Island, along the
Labrador coast. On the 9th Of August
they passed Resolution Island.
From the Goth of September, they lay
surrounded, exposed to all the horrors of
the A rite climate, with the thermometer 40
degrees below Zero until the ice common.
ced breaking up in February, 1887. On
: the 18th of March, they experienced the
greatest shock they had yet encountered;
mountain of ice striking the ship with the
utmost violence, and rending away every
intermediate barrier, without the slightest
perceptible effort. The decks were oblig.
Cd to H., ~
them separating and the planks from rising
from their fastenings; the stern posts, dead
wood and afterpart of the keel were knock.
ed away. In consequence of the repeated
collisions the water gained on the ship, and
she was shaken from stem TO stern a
chain cable was passed round her to keep
her together-the men constantly at the
pumps to keep out the water, which at one
time was seven feet in the hod. Every
exertion was being made at this time to pre-
vent her falling to pieces--men and off.
GERS all emulous, and working laboriousy
as they could, knowing their safety depend.
ed upon the result of their own exertions.
SO unIemittlng and fatigung were the tolls
they endured, that all were cxcoriated more
or less.
The ship was built purposely for the ex.
petition, being eight feet in depth through
the bow and stern, two feet seven inches
in the sides, with five additional bulk heads
aihwart ships, of four inch oak planks; and
two extra fore.and-aft ones Of the same
thickness, two feet from the side, each side
filled up with twenty five tons of coal, for
additional strength and security.
BY the impetus Of The ice the bow was lift.
ed up clean out of the water as far aft as
the mainmast; her stern as far rs the sew
EN- loot mark, was placed in the same pre-
dIcamenf. In this condition she continued
for one hundred days. AT the expiration
OF The time they got 35 foot ice saw,
worked by shears, and commenced the ia.
tIgning, operation Of cutting through the
ouik Oh Ice under her, measuring in thick.
ness more than thirty feet. On the IIth
of July they had completed so much of their
task as but two or three feet at the .s,ern
remained when she righted. Immed;a,elv
on this, they made sail on the vessel. but n
tremendous wedge remained stuck fast 70
her side between the fore and main chains
and they were compelled to have recourse
10 the saw again, not being able to free
themselves by any other method. BY mca ms
Of purchases applied to the vast lump, it
roe from under the bottom as il was freed
and, according to the laws Of gravitation,
1oaied above the water, being the lighter
body, throwing the vessel upon her beams
ends. keeling hor over fun. twenty seven dc.
grees, the water pouring In in alarming
quantities and with frightful rapidly. All
| hands without distinction were immediately
cal'cd'I N rcquisition; some proc ccdcd to