Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1871-09-05
The Mysterious Shin.

in an inverted position.
The vision is so weired and singula
rs almost to impress the spectator will
the idea that he is in the land of spir
its. 80
On the Dist day of July, lS-, W.
that is to say, the crew of the whal
err Fireay-passed the Kimee Islands
and entered the Ochotsh Sea.
The wind was blowing a gale, and
we were, therefore, under double.
reefed top sails.
Luckily, We had contrivcd to get to
leeward of number of huge detached
masses of ice, which otherwise must
have steven our vessel in short time.
as there was fog which would have
prevented our stearing clear of them.
The sun was about going down,
and its red light streamed luridy
along the crests of the huge rolling
seas.
Soon the fog having cleared little,
the mate seemed on the point of using
orders to shake one reef out of the
main-topsail, when the man at the
mast-head-for our captain kept man
on the lookout-sang out Sail 0 !"
with all his might.
To the usual question, where
away?' the answer was, Two points
off the weather bow"
Looking in this direction, we saw a
vessel looming up where the fog had
cleared little in the midst of the
drifting masses of ice to windward.-
The mist was too thick for us to make
out the stranger very distinctly; but
while we were still looking at her, the
masthead man shouted signal of dis
tress.
This announcement created much
excitement among the crew. we all
crowded around the rails, while the '
captain fastened to procure his glass. c
"Ah," said he, after moments sur '
rey, "she evidently has been steven,
and is going down."
"We'd better beat up to her then" .
said the mate. ave can do it in
few taeks.n II
NO." was the curt reply. ~ can't 3
'pare the time. Besides, | don't care y I,
o crowd my craft with another YES q
ois crew. They have boats and can "
axe to them" !"
The mate and the other officers
hrugged their shoulders. /"
Surely said the first officer, "you =.
Ill not leave those poor fellows to go -
own 1t will be a lasting disgrace to -
). Their boats can hardly live in the va
lidst of that ice, with such sea run
ing" Is
81 am master of my own craft, =" said VI
he captain angrily, land shall do as I ~ -
lease "
At that moment q fash was seen ~
nd the booming of a gun was heard, ~
red by the stranger, as if she were 80
mpatient of our hardness in render
ng her assistance. She was evidently py
mixing fast, for her signal was now CT
loving rapidly up and down.
All the endeavors of his mate and
Ulcers to persuade the captain to 90
0 the assistance of the unfortunates mi
roved of no avail. He would stir
either tack nor sheet; and so we con- th
lnued on our course, leaving the other ed
raft to her doom. The fog again fol
soon shut her out Of our mi
ght; but for long time after we CHI
|
ould hear the shouts and cries of the up
rev. M,
We kept on our course for about a sec
eek, when we anchored in Shanter's shc
ay, where We found plenty of whales. lac
Captain Russell's conscience. in arc
ute of his success in filling up his ba'
ssSel IN one season, evidently gave COZ
i'm but little peace. ger
The contemptuous manner in which lad
is officers and crew behaved to him tur
ritated him, and kept fresh in his tai
ind his unmanly conduct with regard for
} the steven craft. tin
We were fast approaching the Kur- hir
G Islands, near which the disaster ma
I'd taken place, when one afternoon dy
sudden gale came upon us, >tearinr to
If sails into shreds, and compelling ca
to close reef. ar
1t was exactly such an afternoon as do
at on which we had seen the ship to
hiking. dy
The watch were gathered aft con- tw
rising on various topics when the PEI
'kout man was suddenly heard shout to
g with all his might: COZ
"Sail, OH right ahead coming ba
is wayp