The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1871-11-09
Marine Disasters.

Terrible Casualties iR The Paefic-Dsaih Of q
Cree Whaling Fieei Wrecked.
SAN FRAEcisCo, November 5.-Thc sbip Mo
ses Taylor has arrived from Honolulu aud Aus
traJia, and reports having boarded water
logged brigj the Shelchopp, from San Fran
cisco to Callao, and found all the crew dead,
except the Captain, who was saved, though
but partly breathing. She also reports ter
rible disaster to the Arctic whaling feet caught
in the ice. Thirty-three vessels we're crushed
or abandoned. The captains Of the whalers
Arctic, Gayhead, Minerva, Eliza, Swift, Rein.
deer, Eugenia and Pacia, who had arrived at
Honolulu, furnished the following details of
the loss Of the whaling aeeti
The vessels commenced arriving, SAYS Cap
tain Thadeus, GU the first of May, and on the
first of Jane the ice opened and let the fleet up
within sight Of Cape Navarino. The fleet
working n0rthwards, found some whales cross
ing the sea OF Anadyr, and In Behring Sea
more and plenty, but experienced much tr0u-
BILE from the ice, and when the feet arrived at
Cape Behring and Flower Bay the whales had
passed through into Arctic Ocean, whittier the
hcet followed, meeting with fair success, until
about the first of September, when ice foes
and bergs to great extent commenced drifting
down, and by the tenth q number of vessels
had been sunk and the bulk OF the remainder
hemmed in by the driftiIg ice or driven ashore.
On September I'd the brig Comet sunk. On
sea by two foes and crushed like an egg she'll
the crew narrowly escaping. The Florida and
Victoria, of san Francisco, were also crushed.
On September 18th the Captains of the feet
hemmed In between Point Belcher and Vain
wright Inlet held meeting and resolved to
abandon the vessels in order TO save the lives
OF the crews, which was done; and 200 sail
ors took refuge on board the remainder of the
heet, which had been fortunate enough to es-
cape outside before the ice closed In. The
vessels abandoned are the Concordia, Gayhead,
George, John Wells, Massachusetts, j. ID.
Thompson, Contest, @. Morgan, Champion,
Henry Tabor, L. Swift, o. Cracker, Mary,
Reindeer, Fanny, George Rowland, Pacia,
Eugenia, Kaboola, I. Dickinson, Florida, Ju.
lian, Awashowksy, Minerva, WIN. Rotch, Mary
Roman and Comet. 1t is supposed that the
whole number lost will reach 50. The vessels
known to be safe, with the oil secured, are as
follows: Arctic, Progress, Chance, Daniel
Webster, Lagoda, Europa and Medos, All the
abandoned vessels it is believed will be Il total
loss, there being little chance Of recovering
even the caCgoes in the spring. The Captain
OF the Florida has arrived here by the steamer
Moses Taylor. The news created the greatest
excitement at Honolulu and here.
The ice drove down from the northwest
forcing the feet on the mud banks, the ice
grounding in fourteen feet of water,
Many OF the wrecked sailors were kanakas,
and will remain at Honolulu, and as mauy
more are left there, many of them nnprovded
for. The bark Comet will bring as many as
she can carry, and the American Consul was
negotiating Cor bark to take another load to
San Francisco.
The officers think a naval vessel should be
sent to bring away the remainder. The whole
| 200 were brought from the Arctic Sea on six
whalers, In addition to their crews and cargoes
of oH The loss by the destruction of the fleet
is about 81, 500, 900. The catch destroyed foots
up Is, 065 barrels of whale oil, 9G5 Of sperm
and 100, 900 pounds of bone.
The last person dying on the brig Shelekof
was Ashley Crane, a passenger, son of Judge
Crane, Of Alabama county. California, who
expired one day before the Moses Taylor boar
ded her.
She had been drifting water-logged 100 days,
daring which time the survivors had been on
deck unable to get food from below.
The loss to the New Bedford insurance Offices
by the destruction Of the Arctic whaling fleet
will amount to million of dollars, which, it
is said, they can pay and have a surplus left.
The news Of the disaster has caussd an advance
in whale oil of from 60 cents 20 81 per gallon,
with holders indsposed to seik