Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-01-24
The Phantom ship in England.

Gne EhantoE1 Ship in England
THE REsoLUTE N HER MAJEsTYis VISIT.
Her Mesiesty's bark ResoIute formed one
of Sir Edward Belcher's squadron of discovery,
and in May, 1852, was sent, under the com
mand of Captain Keller, r. NJ, to the Polar
Seas in search of Sir John Franklin, and for
scientific purposes. When she left the Cow
eminent dockyard she was literally provided
with everything requisite for her ~periIous
voyage. and, both as regards structure and
equipment, was admirably adapted for the SER
vice in which she was to be engaged.
She was frozen in among the icebergs in
latitude u deg. NJ, and in the month of May,
1854, her officers and crew finally abandoned
her, leaving their effects on board. She had
remained in the icebergs ten months, when q
large portion of the ice in which she was en-
bedded becoming detached from the mass BY
q thaw, it foated off with her, leaving her at
the mercy of wind and wave, and ~hurrying her
ont to remote seas, where in latitude $3.50
and Longitude 81, she was found in month of
September, 1855, by the American whaler
George Henry, commanded by Captain Bud
dington.
She had then drifted over the wilderness of
waters about 1850 miles from the spot where
she was abandoned. Capt. Buddington and a
part OF his crew approached her over the ice
ana took up their quarters within her. They
found va death~like silence and a dread re-
pose" Tor, excepting themselves, there was
not 9 living creature on board. In the words
Oh DF, Macown, the surgeon of the ship, who
has written a pretty poem on the subject
He wooden walls were tenantless,
No more the busy throne
Cheered the line decks through Arctic nights,
With music and with song;
The bold and gallant crew had fed
That once she gladly bore,
In search of Franklin and his men,
From Albion's happy shore.n
dhe ship was found not to have sustained
any very material damage. The ropes, indeed
were hard and inf1exibIe as chains the rig
glng was stiff, and cracked at the touch the
tanks in the hold had burst, the iron work was
rusted, the paint was discolored with biIge,
water, and the top-mast and The top-gallant.
mast were shattered, but the hull had escaped
unscathed, and the ship was not hurt in any
vital part. There were three or four feet wa
ter in the hold, but she had not sprung a leak.
tn cordage was coiled in neat little circles on
the deck, after the fashion of English seamen,
and the sails were frozen to such stiffness as
70 tcSGmOl0 SneeIS OF TIN.
Several thousand pounds of g~unpowder
were found on board, somewhat deteriorated
IN quality, yet good enough for such purposes
as firing salutes. Some of the scientific instru-
rnents were injured by exposure and rust, but
others were in excellent condition. For a
year and four months no human foot had trod
the deck OF that phantom ship !; yet, amid those
savage solitudes, where man. there was none,
and might never be, the pilots wheel made a
stern proclamation, for around it were in
serlbed, in letters Of brass, the immortal
words England expects that every man
will do his duty" II for " man" IA baan
printed the word !" seal" or " whale" the sens
tsment might have had a more practical signi-
~fcance.
Captain B~uddiDgton remained on board till
the thaW set in, and then, when the ice beCan
to soften, he shaped his course to New Lon.
don, Connecticut, where he arrived in Decem.
Der, 1856. The ResoIute was removed With.
ont delay to New York, and what followed i
so honorable to the American Gove,nmont
and speaks so highly for their courtesy lo,
wards this country, that, though il has been
often published it may we'll be repeated sor i
land. 0"s
A sum Of $4,000 was appronriatad NTH
the concurrence of the Senate and Congress.
ioF the purpose of purchasing the Resolnte
from the WhaleFs, the English Govsrnmen,
having waived oil claim to her: and il waa a..
sermlned that she should be renairad ana 80
fitted with the utmost care, with The desi"n 81
restoring her to the Queen in at least a. good
condition az she was at the time whss ~
exlgeneIes OF their situation comnelIad ~.
crew 10 abandon her. With such connIo.a.
ness and attention to detail has this VOL bson
performed, that not only has everything fonnd
On Soara been preserved, even to the books in
sae Captains library, the pictures in his cabin.
and some musical instruments beIoooin0 ~
other ofleers. but new British decks have beeD
manufactured 10 The Brooklyn Navy Yard, to
take the place Of those which had rotted durino
the long time she was without : living sogi
on board; From stem to stern she has bean
reprinted; her sails and much of her rigrioo
are entirely new the muskest, swords. fsIaas
copes,. nautical instruments, &c, which sbo
carried, have been cleaned and put in perfaet
order. p0i0E'
Nothing has been overlooked or neoIactad
that was necessary to her complete and fhor-
ouSh renovation; yet, everything that has been