Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1857-01-08
Parting Hawsers Among Icebergs.
Frsm DR.. Ksne's Arctic Expedition.

From DR.. Kanes Arctic Expedition
1t blew perfect hurricane. We had seen
IL coming, and were ready with three good
hawsers out ahead, and all things snug on
board.
| Still it came on heavier and heavier, aud
the ice began to drive more wildly than |
| thought had ever seen it. had Just turn
ed in to warm and drv myself dming the
momentary lul!, and was stretching myself
twspging snap o. cord. Our six inch
haw ser had parted, and we were swinging
by the two Others; the gaze roaring ike
lion to the southwark.
Half minute more, and 'twang, twang!"
came second report. | knew it was the
whale line, by the shrillness of the ring
Our noble ten inch manila held on. was
hurrving nv last sock il its seal-skin boot,
when McGary came waddiing down the COM
pan On ladders Captain Kane, she won't
hold much longer; it's blowing the blue dew
! il himself, an | | am afraid to surge"
The manila cable was proving its exec /
lencs when | reached the deck, and the
crew, as they gathered around ma, were
loud in its praise. We could hear its deep
Eoisu chant, swelling through all the rat
tie of the running gear and moaning OF the
shruuis 1t paS the death song! The strands
gave way with the noise OF shotted gun,
Il nd in the smoke that followed the receil,
We were dragged out by tn. wild ice, at lis
mercy.
We s,eadied and did some pretty warp
ing, and got the brig good bed int rush
ing drift ; but it all came 10 nothing. We
then tried to beat back through the narrow
ice e!ogged water way, that WAS driving, a
quarter of a mile wide, between the shore
and the pack 1t cost Us two hours OF hard
labor, | thought sk;ilfully bestowed but at
the end of that time we were at least four
mics off, opposite the great valley in the
centre of Bedeviile Reach. Ahead OF US,
! farther to the north, we could see the strait
still narrow er and the heavy ice-tables grind
ing up. and clogging it between the shore
clifts On the one side and the ledge oil the
other. There was but one thing left for US
to keep, in some sort, the command Of the
helr by going freely where We mus: other
wise be driven. We allowed her to stand
on rssfed fOrs-top sail. all hands watching
the enemy, as we closed in since.
At seven in the morning, we were close
upon the piling masses. We cropped our
heaviest anchor with the desperate hope ol
winding the brig; but there was no with
standing the ice torrent which followed us.
We had only time to fsbten spar as buoy
! to the ship, and let her slip. So we weEi
oar best bower.
Down .e went upon the gale again, hope
lessly scrsping along Ice OF ice seldom les.
than thirty ieet thick, one foe, measured
| by line as we tried to fas;en it, more than
forty. had seen such ice only once before.
and never in such rapid motion. One up
turned mass rose above our gunwals, smash
| ing in our bulgarks. and depositing half a
ton of ice in lump, on our decks. Our
staunch little brig bore herself through all
this W lid adventure as thosgb she had Il
charmed lie. But new enemy came in
sight ahead.
Directly in our way, just beyond the line
of foe ice, against whcE were altefnateis
sliding and thumpins, was a group oi berss
We had no power to avoid them, ard the
only question was, whether We were TO be
dashed to pieces against them, or sh' thfr
they might not offer us some ProvIdential
nook of refuge from the storm. But as we
ueared hem we perceived that they were
s,me distance from the tiue-edge, and sepa-
rat troin It Dy an IutervaI of open water.
Our hvPes rss-. rs the gale drove US towards
the pas age and into it, and We were ready
to exiit, when, from some unexp ialred cause,
probably an eddy Of th1 wind against the
lusty ice walls, We lost our headway. Al
most at the sam momeut We saw that the
berns were hot Mt re,t--that, with momen-
tam OF their swn, thy were bearing Gown
upon thc other icr, ana that 1t must be our
tate 10 be crushed between the two.
jus: then broad scunce piece of low Wa
er washed berg came driving from the south
ward. rhe tnoug!It flashed upon me Of one
o: our escapes in Melville Bay, ana as the
sconce moved rapidly close alJng side Us,
McGary planted an anchor on It's slope and
hold on to it BY a whaie line. iL was az
anxious mpn'ent. Oar noble tow horse,
whiter tnan the pale horse that seemed 10
be pur= uiag us, hauled us bfaveiy on. Tie
spray da=iinI over his wndward Hanks, and
his forehead Piopghing up the lesser ice as
il in scorn The beIgs incroached upon Us
a. we advanced; or channel narrowed 10
width of about forty feet; W. braced the
yards 10 keep clear of the impending ice
walls. we passed clear: but It was close
shave, So close that or port quarter boat
would have been crushed it we had not ta-
ken it from d.vits and found ourselves under
the lee of berg, in comparatively open
lead. Never did heart tried men aeknowl-
sdse-wiih more gratitude their merci'ul de-
Iyersuce from wretched de .th.