The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-11
Wrecked Upon Ice.


of the Entertainments of French and Amer
lean fishermen upon our fishing grounds on
the coast of Newfoundland, the comman-
der-in-chief of the North American station
sailing schooners, and despatched them
from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to cruise on the
banks, for the double purpose of stopping
encroachment, and also of preventing the
Newfoundland fishermen from smuggling
capelin "a small fish used for bait for cod
to the French island of Saint Pierre, on
whose rock bound coast it is not to be
caught. Of one of these schooners I was
put in charge, and it was while running
through the Straits of Belleisle, that tie
adventure am about to relate occurred to
me.
had been visiting the stations on the
coast Of Labrador, and was returning to
Saint Johns, Newfoundland, through the
straits, when one evening was caught in
heavy northerly gale. AS night closed
in, l reduced our sale to treble reefs, and,
knowing that ice was knocking about,
placed extra lookouts on, and remained on
deck in charge of the vessel myself.
To say the night was dark would give no
idea Of the inky obscurity i'll which we ap-
peared to be sailing. One could scarcely
see an arms length, and as for discerning
anything ahead, that appeared impossible.
1 say appeared, because there is much diff
ference in having something to look at and
nothing because, in the latter case, you
fancy that nothing could be seen, even if
anything were there to be seen.
Meantime, the breeze kept increasing,
and l had the close reefs taken in. At mid
night we were heading we'll out of the
straits, and l thought would go below
and endeavor to snatch an hours Sleep and
was in the act of giving my orders to the
officer of the watch, when loud cry from
the lookout men of, "a sail ahead, stand
ing right for us, sir ~ startled me- Rushing
forward, l saw the heavy, indstinct form
of what thought to be a large vessel I'M
der q press of canvas, within cables
length of US.
"Lutf! huff all you canr' l beloved
to the man at the helm but he, either mis-
understanding my order, or else having
caught sight of the object we were ap-
preaching, was too terrified to carry it out,
and, instead of putting the helm down, put
it hard aweather. The schooner fell off.
felt the full force of the gale, and flew with
redoubled speed through the water
In almost less time than it has taken me
to write the above half-dozen lines, saw
that it was no sale, but gigantic iceberg :!
Had the helsman luffed, we might per
chance have wsathered it but it was now
too late, and, with loud and fearful crash,
which threw myself and all near me to the
deck, the schooner struck full upon it, her
foremost going short off by the board, but
fortunately injuring no one.
Cries Of horror and distress arose from
all pacts of the vessel. The watch below
rushed up on deck, many of them without
their clothes. All was for moment dismay
and confusion, and as the schooner rose and
fell with the heave of the sea, the crashing
forward showed that her bows were stove
in; and / at once saw that, unless she fixed
herself upon the ice, she must, if she backed
off it, go down. Most fortunately, she
showed no sign of doing this, and, as the
force Of the wind, aided by every heave of
the sea, forced her still further on the berg,
began to entertain some slight hopes of
saving my crew.
Collecting all hands, 1 told them that the
only chance we had of escape was by their
regaining their GOODNESS and strictly obey
ing my orders, and that, could we but land
on the berg, we should be comparatively
safe
l then directed one watch to get up pro-
visions, while with the other got the main
mast safely cut away. This done, secured
the end Of the deep sea lead-line round my
body, and, laying out along the bowsprit, l
lowered myself by a rope-end, and landed
on part of the ice which the waves did
not reach, and with ssme difficulty succeed
ed in serambling up perfectly clear of the
spray. Here found a tolerably level space.
The schooner had struck on the least pre-
cipitous side of the barg, and, having run
nearly half her length up out of the water,
had become firmly fixed but this, of
course, did not discover until the day
broke.
Returning cautiously, l hailed for
stronger rope, and regained the deck.
found that during my absence quantity
of provisions and clothing had been got on
deck, which l directed to be made into
bundles, and, having directed each person
to secure one to his body, caused the men
to land on the berg in the manner had
done myself. Had l known how firmly