The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-06-02
WRECKED UPON ICE.

American station hired and equipped a
number of small fast sailing schoOners,
and dispatched them from Halifax. Nova
Scotia, TO cruise on the hanks, for the
double purprse of stopping encroach-
ment, AM also of preventing the New
foundlsnd fishermen from smuggling cape
lin Ga small fish used for halt for cody to
the French island of Saint Pierre, on
whose rock bound coast it is not to be
caught OF one cf these schooners l was
put in charge and it vas while running
through the Straits o elleisle, that the
adventure am abou, relate occurred
to me
had been visiting the stations on the
coast of Labrador and was returning TO
Saint Johns. Newt midland, through the
straits. when one evening ] WAS caught in
a heavy nnrtherly gale. AS night closed
in. reduced our sail 10 treble reefs, and
knowing that ice was knocking about,
I'll &C q extra lOOkCuts on, and remained
on deck in charge of the vessel myself.
To saw the night was dark would give
no idea of the irkv obscurity in which we
appeared t, b. ling. One cOuld scarce
ly see a. arms length. and as for discern
ing anything ahead, that appeared i'm
possible. 7 sav appeared, because there
is much diff renee in having something
to look at and nothing; because, in the
Later case, yOu fancy nothing could be
SEEN, even Il anything were there to be
seen.
Meantime, the breeze kept increasing.
and | had the close reefs taken in. AT
midnight we were heading we out of the
straits, and thought | would GO below
and endesvor TO snatch an hours sleep,
ant was in the act of giving my orders to
the officer of the watch, when loud cry
from The lookout men of, CA sail ahead,
Standing right for US, sir - startled me-
Rushing forward, saw the heavy, indis-
tinct form Of what THOUGHT to be a large
vessel under press of canvas, within a
cables length of u.s.
Luff. luff all you can :" beloved to
the man at the helm; but he, either mis-
understanding my order, or else having
caught ST hit of the object we were ap-
prosching, 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 il was no sail, but a gigantic
iceberg, Had the helmsman lutfed, we
it was nov too late, and, with q 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 ipjuring no
one
Cries Of horror and distress arose from
all parts of the vessel The watch beiow
rushed up on deck many of them with
out their clothes AL was for moment
dismav ard confusion, ard as the schooner
rise and fell with the heave OF the sea,
The crashi flrHard showed that her
bows were stove in and I at once saw that
unless she fixed herss If upon the ice, she
must if she bicked of it, go down. Most
fortunately, she showed no sign of doing
this, an IS the force of the wind, aided
~ every heave of the sea, forced her still
further TN the berg, began to entertain
some slight hopes Of saving nv crew.
Collecting all hands, | told them that
the only hance we had of escape was by
their Tegaining theiT GOODNESS and strictly
obeying my orders. and that, could we
but land on the berg, we should be com
paratively safe.
then directed one watch to get up pro.
visI ms, while with the other [ got the
Tnsinnest s4fely cut away. This done, |
secured the end Of the deep sea lead line
round my hOiy. and, laying out along the
bOwsprir, lowered myself by rope end,
and landed on n part OF the ice which the
waves not reach, and with some diff
fcu'tv sunce-ded in scTamhling up per-
fertlv clear Of TIE spray Here found a
tCleTahly levi space. The schooner had
stfuck on the lest PERCEPTIONS side of the
berg, and, having run nearly half hel
Ieng'h up out If The water, had become
firmly liked but this, Of course, did net
dire yer ULtil the day broke.
Returning cautiously, l hailed for 8
stronger rope and regained the deck.
10 Ind that during my absence quantity
of provisions ard clothing had been got
On deck, which directed to be made into
bundles and having directed each person
to secure one to his body caused the
men Ia land on the berg in the manner
Rad done myself Had | known how
firmly fix the schooner was, we might
have b en- spared that nights discomfort
but, Tot knowing, [ deemed it advisable
II abandon her a. once, fearing che might
gli6e OF, 2 wh ch case no mortal power
could sTe rescued US.
Leaving the vessel the last. joined my
men on the ice and then, in q few bUt
fsrvent words, we thanked the Almighty
for cur escape, and implored His protec
ton
| can scarcely picture the horrors Of thai
night l would fain indeed forget them
but tia, is impossible. We had pre-
served our lives Tor the present moment
but we knew not az what moment the
schooner might break up or glide off the
ice, and then what could we expect bui
Starvation IN lis worst form Strange &c
say We did rot suffer so much from the
cold IS might have been expected proba
bly, the sense Of our greater danger
rendered Is less susceptible to the lesser
one.
We had many hours to wait for day
light, but as several Of the men had theil
pipes and tobacco in their pockets, and
had box of lights, we smoked, and by
keeping close huddled together, go
through the night better than might
have been expected. To favor us still
further the wind fell very much, anC
veeriug round to the southwark, made i
MUCK warmer
Morning dawned at last, and what
change from the previous day Then ~
bad good staunch vessel under our feet
now, . were adTift on an iceberg, ouI
poor little schooner half in, half out, o.
water, with hole in her bows big enough
to drive wagon through; bat the storm
bad ceased, and the sea wassrapidly going
down. thick fog came On, but that we
cared little about.
Our firstact was TO again offer our thanks
10 that b nefcent Power who had &c
mercifuily spared us. This done, we de-
scended 10 the wreck, and then saw that
she was so firmly fixed that, unless heavy
weather again cane on, we might vel
make Der our home for some time tc
come, although quite out of our power
To make her seawoIthy again, even if il
bad been possible for US to launch her
which it most decidedly was not.
Climbing on bcar1, the cook was at once
set 10 light tie galley fire, and prepare
breakfast. and then cast about for some
means Of securing her in her position, anC
this I d.-t. rrn.ned To do hx lauincr th,