The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-30
Sir John Franklin's Ships and the Iceberg
off Newfoundland.


Sir John Franklin's Ships and the Iceberg
off Newfoundland.
epublished on Wednesday a condensed account
of the supposed discovery of Sir John franklin
ships on an iceberg, on the banks Of Newfoundland
The affair has created some anxiety and we pub
lish to-day in etenso the documents and correspon.
denee furnished by the British Admiralty.
1t appears to be an established fact that CAPTAIN
Coward made the statement imputed to him, and it
appears to be about equally certain that his chief
mate, Mr.. Simpson, saw the appearances indicated.
Asto efact OF the statement having been made by
Captain Coward, We have received the following
letter.
New YORK. April 2s 1852.
To TIE EDITOR OF HERALD
siE-Haying my attention drawn to the per Frank
lin from England regarding Sir John Frankns expedi.
ton beg to say Hlat corroborsc the evidence
OF Capt storey in reference to the statement alleged to
have been made to him by Capt Coward in the sptng
OF last year. About the period was passenger
in the Pomona. Of Alloa Capt Younger from Leith to
Quebec Three or four days after arrival (abou the
Younger captain Of the Renovation when the lat
ter stated to that in crossing the Banks he had seen
two vessels fastened in the ice close berg but one a
Parently at greater elevation than the other As it
happened to have been frequent subject conversation
on our passage out between Capt Younger and myself
mat a we had been driven far north might possibly
ia in with some vestigc Of Sir John Franns expedition
1t Immediately occurred to that these might have been
the missing vessels but the idea was rdcucd by several
present, so much that have doubt consderjnr
the many false stories which had been circulated that
Capt Coward was deferred " fear Of rdicule from
mulicating with the Admiralty.
The above address to you merely for the purpose Of
endorsing the statement Of Capt Storey.
am, sir, your obed't servant.
WM. DUNCAN
Respecting The general accuracy of the statement
Of this matter, observe that there exists some
hot, hn stota of "a,
Coward and Mr. Simpson. The statement of Mr..
Simpson implies that Captain Coward did not see
the ships at all that he was i'll in bed. and that
when informed Of the occurrence, he merely re-
Piled very well, - and that Mr. Simpson 6 did not
like to take the responsibility" OF bearing up and
inspecting the vessels; and that they were not
housed in, as stated by Captain Coward-an i'm
portant feature of identity, and upon which an
agreement would have gone far towards establish
ing the fact Of their being Franklins ships and,
therefore, not an optical deusion There Is also n
discrepancy relative to their descriptions Of the
mass and yards; Captain Coward states that 50 the
masts were struck and the yards down" Mr.. Simp-
son. speaking Of the larger ship says lower masts
only standing and of the smaller vessel says
lower and topsal yards across, topmast on end,
yards very square, Both agree that the vessels
had been bandoned-certanly strong consequent
tial inference. Captain Coward says he examined
the ships with glass, and Mr.. Simpson made the
record in the log-book.
We DO not attach much Importance to the dis
crepnncy as to the masts and yards, as it might
have arisen from Mr.. Coward's casual description,
an error of the memory; it may also be considered
furnishing proof Of the absence of collision but
the discrepancy Of the implication in the statement
Of Mr.. Simpson, chat Captain Coward was not on
deck at the time but i'll in bed, and the important
discrepancy as to the 'housing in " of the vessels,
VIC are unable to understand. Captain Coward
would also appear to have bad the ships of the
Arctic expedition in his minds eye at the time,
although he states that he had no such impression
which, to say the least of it, makes him look unac-
countably stolid The best advised opinion would
appear to be, that he was in bed OF the time, and
did not see the vessels but thinking, when on
shore Mt leisure, that they might have been Sir
John Franklin's ships, he mentioned the matter,
and spoke from his recollection Of the entry in the
log-book as if he had personally seen them, with
probably some imaginary addenda The better
statement, decidedly, appears to be Mr. Simpsons
and if he were not deceived by mn optical deusion
there is reason to presume that they were the denti.
cal ship. comprising Franklin's Arctic expedition.
Assuming the accuracy Of the statement Of the
appearances Indicated then arises tho question,
Were they the result of atmospheric influence such
mirage, Of which the Arctic steamer wa. recently
the subject, being seen sixty miles of! 1t could
not have been double reflection of Capt Coward's
vessel, the Renovation, from two sides of the ice
berg, as she presented very different aspect from
that Of the two ships, being under full sail and in
motion fla mirage is to be the explanation of this
| singular circumstance, it must have been most
remarkable and surprising onc-yiz that Of large
| iceberg and two whaling vessels in their winter
| quarters, and that in the month Of April and at ar
| immense distance off. The wonderful effects o.
mirage nre unquestionnblc but taking tho occur
renee and the probability Of other facts in connection
with it, is it easier to supposctha the appearances
observed were the effects of mirage, or that Their,
were really visible two ships, and those two ship
Sir John Franklin's, and that the iceberg actu
ally before the spectators, and floating down iron
the polar regions, they do in the spring mcnths
and when these ships were observed