Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-01-23
All Arctic Adventure.
ENCOUNTER WITH AN ICEBERG

Or. Hayes In his new WORK, - The open
Polar Sea, thus relates dangerous encoun-
ter with an iceberg
Giving too little heed to the currents, we
were eagerly watch ng the Indications of wind
which appeared at the south and hoping for
breeze, wnen It was Il .scoveret that the tide
had changed and was stealtbily setting
upon nest of bergs which lay to ieeward.
One of them of that description known
among the crew by the significant title OF
touch me-no;,' and presented that Jagged,
honeycombed appearance indicative oi great
age. They were unpleasant neighbors. The
least disturbance Of their equilibrium may
cause the whole macs TO crumbe to pieces,
and woe be unto the uniucky vessel that lie
caught in the dissolution.
:. la -uch . trap it seemed. however, that
we stood fair chance of being ensnsred. The
current was carrying US org al an uncoD-
fortsbly raIid rate. A boat was lowert as
quickly possible, to run out u lite to berg
which lay grounded about hundred yards
from Us While this was being done, we
grs zei the side Of berg which rose a h Indred
feet above our topmast, then slipped past an
other of smaller dimensions By pushing
against them with our Ice-poles we changed
somewhat the course of the schooner but
hen We thought that we were steering clear
| of the winch we much dreaded. an
eCdy changed the dir ection of our orIit and
carried almost broadside upon it.
The schnoner struck on the starboard quar-
ter. and she shock, slight though II was, dis
nyaged some fragments Of Ice, that were
large enough 10 have crushed the vessel bad
they struck her, and also many little lumps
winch ratified about us but for unately no
person was hit The quarter deck was quick
~ cleared, and al! hands, crow ding torewars,
ak ousy watched the b at The berg now
bes ssu to reyOiv3. and settling slowiy
over us the lI,tle Jumps fell thicker and
faster upon the after deck. and the iorecas,le
wss the only llace where there was the least
chance OF aiety.
- AT iens he berg itself saved US from
dee ructIOn An immense mass broke Of
from th-r part which was sneath the surface
| Ot the sea- aud this dozen times larger
than The schooner, came rushing up within a
lew yards OF us. sending q vast volume OF
| a,m ana water flying from its sides Ths
rupture arrested the revolution and the berg
! began 10 sertle IN the opposite dlreciior .
| AND now came apother danger. \ long toDgue
was protrudIug Immediately underneath the
echOot er already the keel vas slipping and
! grinding upon II, and 1t seemed probable that
! We shouid Ce knock up into the AIR IKE a
! football, or at least capsIzed. The side OF our
enemy soon leaned from us, and We were IN
no danger from the worse than haIlstone-
I
eprang 10 the let poles and exerr.d our
stIenet eth IN endeavoring TO push tit vessel of.
There wee DO idle hands Danger respects
not he di. pty OF the quaTter-decS.
"a Alter had igued our selvts al this
: hard labor Without any useful result, the berg
cam again t. our Ienei. A loud report tirs
startled us another and another followed IN
/ quick succession, and the noise grew deaen-
ing and the Whole ar seemed r,servo.r oi
. -.
berg had spht Il piece siter piece, tum bling
vast volum OF ice INTO the sea, and sending
tie terg revolving back uI on W. This anne
The movement was quicker fragments began
again 20 Ian, and, already sufficiently startltc
bv the alarming dissolution which had taker
place, We we're In inomentary expectation
sc, iug the whole side nearest 10 ue break ioos,
and crash bodily up the schooner. in whict
event che would inevitably he carried dowI
beueath If, as hopelessy doomed as a sheY
h,ros hut beneath an alpine avalanche.
by this time Dodge, who had charge o
, the boat, mad succeeded in planting an ice an
cbor and attaching his rope, and greeted u
with the welcome signal, Hanl in W.
pulled for our lIyes, long aud steadily. Sec
: onds seemed minutes and minutes hours. A
length began 10 move I'll. Slowly anc
steadily sank the berg behind ue, carrying
away tie u lin boom and grazing hard agalns
. the quarter But We were sale. Twent'
yards away and the disruption occurred whict
We had al so much dreaded The side near
} est to split of, and came plungiri
wildly down into the sea, sending over us
shower OF spray, raising u swell which se
us rocking t. and fro as il in a gale of wind
and lett US grinding in tine Debris of the crum
bling ruin.
AT last We succeeded in extriostipg our
7 selves. and were far enough away 20 loo
back calmly upon the object IF our terror
was still rocking and rolling like thing Q
J life. AT each revolution ireeh ma.ees wer
1 disepgaged and, lis sides came up IN Ion
sweeps, great cascades tumbled and leap;
from them kissing into the toaming sea. Al
8 ter several hours II settled down into 9uietud'
a mere fragment OF It's former greatness. wbil
the pieces that were broken from i: foate
: quietly away with the tide.