Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-04-27
A Thrilling Scene.

| Capt. Warren, 10 his report to the British
Amiralty, relates the following "In the
month Of August, IT'S, was sailing about
u degrees north latitude, when one morning
about mile from my vessel, saw the sea
entirely blocked up BY ice. Nothing could
be seen as.far as the eye could reach but
mountains aud peaks covered with snow.
The wind soon fell to calm, and remained
for two days in the constant expectation oi
being crushed by that frightful mass Of ice
which the slightest WIND could force upon us.
| We had passed the second day in such anxi-
cites. when about midnight the wind got up,
and we Immediately heard cracking Of ice,
which broke and tossed about with o noise
resembling thunder. That was terrible
night for rs but by the morning the wind
having become by degrees less violent, we
saw the barrier Of ice which was before us
entirely broken up, and a large cbsnnel ex-
tending cut Of sight between its two sides
The sun now shone out, and we sailed away
from the northward before a slight breeze
| Suddenly, when locking at the sides Of The
channel we saw the mssts Of ship but
What was still more surprising to US was .he
singular manner in which its sails were
placed, and the dismautled appearance of its
spars aud manouvres.
|
then stopping at block Of ice, it remained
motionless. could not then resist my feel.
ings of curiosity. got into my gig with
some Of my sailors, and went towards this
strange vessel.
ave saw, as we drew near, that it was
very much damaged by the ice. Not a man
was to be seen on deck, which was covered
with snow. We shouted, but no one replied
Before getting up the side, looked through
port.hole, which was open, and saw man
seated before table. upon which we're all
the necessary materials for writing. Arrived
on the deck, we opened the hatchway, and
went down into the cabin; there we found
the ships clerk seated as we had before seen
him through the port.hole. But what were
our terror and astonishment when we saw
that it was corpse, and that q green damp
mould covered his cheeks and forehead, and
hung over his eyes, which we're open
"He had pen in his hand, and the ships
log lay before him. The last lines he bad
written we're as follows:
"'llth November, 1862.
ait is now seventeen days since we we're
, shut up 10 the ice. The fire went out yester.
day, aud our captain has since tried to light
! it egsin, but without success. His wife died
this morning. There is no more hope
"My sailors kept aloof 10 alarm from this
dead body, which seemed still living. We
entered together in the stateroom, and the
first object which attracked US was the body
| Of a woman laid on bed, iD an attitude Of
great and perplexed attention. One would
have said, from the freshness OF her features
that she was still in life, had not the contrac.
tion OF her limbs told us that she was dead.
Before her was young man seated on the
floor, holding steel in one hand and flint
in the other and having before him several
pieces Of German tinder. We passed on to
the fore.cabin, and found there several
sailors laid in their hammocks, and dog
stretched out at the foot of the ladder. 1t
was in vain that we sought for provisions and
frewood we discovered nothing. Then my
sailors began to say that it wss an enchanted
ship; aud they declared their intention OF
remaining but very short time longer on
board. We then, after having taken the
ships log, set out for our vessel, stricken
with terror at the thought of the fatal in.
stance we had just seen of the peril OF polar
navigation in so high degree of north lati
tude. On my return found, by comparing
the documents which had in my possession
that the vessel had been missing thirteen
years.