Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-09-30
THE pERlLs OF THE SEA.

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Perhaps the records Of the human race
do not present case Of more narrew
escape from apparently inevitable des-
truction and death to the whole of a gal
lant ships crew than in the case Of the
Peacock, one of the sloops Of war in the
Exploring Expedition, when she sustain
ed the injuries which obliged her to re-
turn, early in last March, TO Sidney,
New South wales TO repair and reft.-
The following extract Of letter from
person on board that ship will give the
reader some idea of it, though the nau-
tical terms will make it less clear TO some
ofour readers than to those who are fa-
miliar with them Mat. Intel.
SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES,
"March l6, 1910.
sBefore this reaches you, you will
probably have heard ofour return to this
port for repairs, having been compelled to
do so by injuries sustained by the ice, by
which we were confined for forty most
anxious hours-for twenty hours with
the imminent fear of most awful death.
So closely was the ice, packed around us,
and in such vast masses, that even under
press ofcanvass, assisted by ice anchors
and every other means that experience
or necessity could suggest, we at times
remained motonless for hours-the ice
cutting into the vitals of the ship, and
threatening to grind us to powder.
son the evening of the--(date forget
ten, and, being now in town, cannot re,
fer)-haviRg procured sounding and seen
appearances of land, cheered with the
prospect of reaching it, we worked in
through heavy drift ice; and next morn
ing about 9 A. M. in endeavoring TO avoit
large mass ahead, we gave her a stern
board which almost instantly brought the
rudder in contact with another mass, and
so violent was the shock, that the rud
der-head was wrenched of, and the rud
der fixed immovably athwart ships, rem
dering the ship almost entirely unman
ageable.
We used every efortto wear her, but
like mad, she drove on through the ice
till it became so close as to be impassa
BILE. We then furled sails, planted ic,
anchors, and resolved to lie quiet till W,
could repair our rudder, when suddenl
large body Office under our stern shift
ed its position, the anchors came home
and we drove down on a range of ice
bergs masthead high, and Overhangin
the decks, and with breathless anxiel
awaited the shock, (which nothing hu
) man could prevent, )--an immense i'm
pending mass tottering to its fall, an
threatening to crush us beneath it. Gu
spanker boom struggled for moment
J and then broke like a reed; the stern
, boat crushed like an egg-sbell; and the
, went stern davts and all the upper works
= on the starboard side, as far as the gang
= way-every stanchion broke short of
f The ship rebounded! We breathe
again, and hauled aft jb and staysa
sheets, and gave her cant off from ou
inhospitable neighbor. We then mad
sail, and, by great exertions, had mos
ProvidentiuI escape, after humping o
r our forefoot, and cutting into the ster
within an inch and a half of the 'wooC
cnds," or (n as good English) within a
inch and a half of our lives. Had ou
y confinement been prolonged anothe
hour, we should all have gone to Day
Jones.
81 have mentioned the anxiety wit
which we viewed the overhanging mas
totterng to its fall.-As soon as 4 suff
! cient space had intervened between ou
: stern and the ceburg, it fell! harmlessl
in our wake. ."-Bak. Amer.