The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1851-01-23
n1n Ship,

prevails respecting the tate OF Slr jonn
Franklin, everything relating 70 the polar
regions is Of interest. The following
sketch is one Of the most thrilling we have
ever heard:
One serene evening in the middle OF
August, l775, Capt. Warrens, the master
Of The Greenland, whaleship, found him
self becalmed among an immense number
of icebergs in about n degrees of north
latitude. On one side, and within mile
Of his vessel, these were closely wedged
together, and succession of snow-color~
ed peaks appeared behind each other as
far as the eve could reach, showing that
the ocean was completely blocked up lnI
that quarter, and that it had probably been
so for long period of time. Captain
Warrens did not feel altogether satisfied
with his situation; but there being no wind
he could not move one way or the other,
and he therefore kept strict watch know
ing tha, he would be safe as long as the
icebergs continued in their respective
places.
About midnight the wind rose to a
ssle,accompanied by thick showers of
snow while q succession of tremendous
laundering, grinding, and crashing noises,
gave fearful evidence that the ice was in
motion. The vessel received violent shocks
every moment; for the haziness of the at
mosphere prevented those on board from
discovering in what direction the open
water lay, or if there actually was any al
all on either side of them. The night was
spen, in tacking as often as any cause of
danger happened to present itself, and in
the morning the storm abated, and Capt.
Warrens found to his grea, JOY that his
ship had not sustained any serious injury.
H remarked with surprise that the accu-
mulated icebers, which had on the prece-
ding evening formed an impenetrable bar
rier, had been separated and disarranged
by the wind, and in one place canal of
open sea wound It's course among them as
far as the eye could discern.
1t was two miles beyond the entrance
of this canal that ship made its appear
snce about noon. The sun ahone bright
ly at the time and a gentle breeze blew
from the north. AT first some intervening
lcebergs prevented Capt. 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 dismanted aspect of her yards and
rigging. She continued 10 go before the
wind for few furlongs, and then, ground
ing upon the low jcebergs, remained mo-
tIOness.
Capt. Warrens' curiosity was so much
excited, that he Immediately leaped into
his boat with several seamen and rowed
towards her. On approaching, he observ-
ed that her hull was mserably weather
beaten. and not soul appeared on the
deck, which was covered with snow TO a
considerable depth. H hailed her crew
--l .:---.- -.
Previous TO stepping on board, an open
port-hole near the main chains caught his
eye, and on looking into il, he perceived a
man reclining back on q chair, with wri-
ting materials on table before him, but
the ieebleness OF the light made every
thing 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 a.
partment which Capt Warrens viewed
through the port-hole. A tremor seizeC
him as he entered il. It's inmate retained
his former position, and seemed to be in.
sensible TO strangers. He was found tc
be a corpse, and green damp mould haC
covered his cheeks and forehead and veil.
ed MS open eye balls. lie had pen In
his hand, and lOg-book lay before him
the last sentence in whose unfinished page
ran thus; "Nov. II, 1862. We have now
been enclosed in the ice seventeen DAYS
The fire went out yesterday, and our mas
ter mas been trying ever since to kindle i
again, bur without success. HIS wife dieC
this morning. There is no relief
Capt. Warrens and his seamen hurried
from the spot without uttering a word
On entering the principal cabin, the frs
object that attracted their attention was the
dead body Of female reclining on bee
N al attitude of deep interest and atten
ton. Her countenance retained the fresh
ness of life, and a contraction of the limb.
showed that her form was inanimate
Seated on the floor was the corpse of al
apparently young man, holding a steel in
one hand and flint in the other, as if in the
act OF striking fire upon some tindeI
which lay beside him. In the forepart o
the vessel several sailors were found lying
dead in their birth. and the body of bo J
was crouched at the bottom of The gang.
way stairs. Neither provisions nor fue
could De discovered anywhere, but Capt
Warrens was prevented by the supersti
tlous predjudices of his seamen from ex
aminlng the vessel as minutely as he wish,
ed to have done. He therefore carried
away The log-bool, already mentioned
and returned to his own ship, and imme
diately steereG TO the southwark, deeply