Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1851-06-27
Encounter with au Iceberg,

|
1t was TO be at sea. After the gale had lasted q
week, the wind came round from the Norlhward
and bitter cold it was. We then stood on rather
| further to the North than the usual track, be.
lieve.
Ii was night and blowing fresh. The sky was
overcast and there Yves no moon, so that dark
ness was on the face of the deep-not total dark
ness, II must be understood for that is seldom
known at sea- 1t was in the middle watch, from
midnight till four o'clock, and had been on deck
about halt an hour when the lookout forward
sung out, "Ship ahead-starboard- star
board"
These words made the second mate, who had
the watch, jump into the weather rigging.
ga ship" he exclaimed, IAN iceberg it is
rather, and. All hands wear ship" he shout
ed in tone that showed there was not moment
to lose.
The watch sprung to the braces and bowlnes
while the rest of the crew tumbed up from be-
low, and the captain and other officers rushed
ont OF their cabins the helm was kept up and
the yards swung round, and the ships head turn
ed towards the direction whence we had come
The captain glanced his eye aound then ordered
the courses TO be brailed up, and the main top
sail to be backed so as to lay the ship to- | soon
discovered the cause of these man9uvres; for
before the ship had quite rounded, perceived
close to US towering mass with retul gent
appearance, which the lookout man had taken
for the white sails OF ship, but which proved in
reality to be an iceberg, and attached to it, and ex
tending to considerable distance to leeward,
was field or very extensive foe of ice, against
which the ship would have run, had it not been
discovered in time, and would in all probability
instantly have gone down with every one on
board.
In consequence of the extreme darkness, it
was dangerous to sail either way for it was
impossible to say what other hoes, or smaller
cakes of ice might be in the neighborhood and
we might probably be on them before they could
be seen. We therefore remained hove to. As
1t was, could not see the foe till it was pointed
oat TO me by one Of the crew.
When daylight broke, the next morning, the
dangerous position IN which the ship was placed
was seen. On every side of us appeared large
tioes OF ice, with several icebergs floating, like
mountains on 4 plain, among them; while the
only opening through which we could escape
was narrow passage to the Northeast, thro'
which we must have come. What made our
position the more perilous was, that the vast
masses of ice were approaching nearer and near
er TO each other, so that we had not moment to
lose, if we would effect our escape.
AS the light increased we saw, at the distance
of three miles to the Westward, another ship in
far worse predicament than we were, mas
much that she was completely surrounded by
ice, tho she still iioated i'll sort Of basin. The
wind held to the Northward, so that we could
stand clear out of the passage, should it remain
open long enough. She by this time had dis
covered her own perilous condition. as we per-
ceived that she had holsted a signal of distress,
and we heard the guns she was firing 10 call our
attention to her; but regard to our own safety
compelled US to disregard them un til we had
ourselves got clear of the ice.
1t was very dreadful to watch the stranger,
and to feel that we could render her nc assistance
All hands were at the braces, ready to trim the
sails should the wind head us for in that case
we should have to beat out of the channel, which
was every instant growing narrower. The cap
tam stood at the gangway, coming the ship
When he saw the ice closing in OF us, or
dered every stitch of canvass the ship would car
ry to be set on her, in hopes of carrying her out
before this should occur. 1t was a chance,
whether or not we should be nipped. However,
| was not so much occupied with our own dan
ger as not to keep an eye on the stranger, and to
feel deep interest in her fate.
| was in the mzen top, and as / possessed a
spy-glass, could see clearly all that occurred.
The water on which she fioated was nearly
smooth, though covered with foam, caused by
the masses of ice as they approached each other.
looked she had but few fathoms of water
on either side of her AS yet she iloated I'M
harmed. The peril was great; but the direction
of the ice might change, and she might yet be
free. Still, on it came with terrific force and
| fancicd that ! could hear the edges grinding
and crushing together.
The ice closed on the Inflated ship. She was
probably as totally unprepared TO resist its pres
sure as we were. At first thought that it lift
ed her bodily up, but it was not so | suspect
She was too deep in the water for that Her
sides were crushed in-her stout timbers were
rent into thousand fragments-her tall masts
,ottered and fell though still attached to the
hill.
For an instant | concluded that the ice must
have separated, or perhaps the edge broke with
the force of the conclusion; for as gazed, the
wrecked mass of hull, and spars, and canvass,
seemed drawn suddenly downwards with ire
sistable force, and few fragments which had
been hurled by the force of the conclusion to
distance were all that remained of the hapess
vessel. Not soul of her crew could have had
time to escape the ice.
looked anxously; not a speck could be seen
stirring near the spot. Such thought /, may be
the fate of the four hundred and forty human be-
ings on board this ship ere many minutes are o.
yer.
believe that was the only person on board
who witnessed the catastrophe Most of the
emigrants were below, and the few who Were on
deck were with the crew watching our own pro-
gress.
LIGHTNING RoDs.--No one appears to realize
the number of lives and the amount of property
destroyed annually by lightning. The lives lost
by lightning last year were many. Many may
be destroyed this year. In some cases no pre-
cat tons could have been taken no lightning
rods could be used in some exposures. But are
lightning rods used in one case in a hundred
where they can be, in the protection of build
ings, and in the security in this way of property
and life 4? Is the expense too great, or is not life
or property worth the insurance thus affected,
both in the city and in the country? Is there
not much yet to be done, even after the attention
aroused to the subject? The principle on which
the rods should be constructed and erected is
that they pass deep into the EARTH so as to ter
inmate in most earth or wafer. To prevent the
rusting of the iron, let it be covered with good
coat of lampblack paint. This paint is an cx-
cellent conductor of electricity.
Sin is kind of insanity. So far as it goes,
il makes a man an irrational creature-it makes
him a fool. The consummation of sin is, ever,
and in every form, the extreme OF folly. And
- i that mos, pitiahla folly which is Dutfed m