National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-06-07
A Terrible Wreck on the Coast or
Labrador.

The following details have been re.
ceived of the loss of the sea.iishir & vessel
Huntsman, with forty-tive men, on the
coast of Labrador April 2Sth;
A tremendous gale set in from the
northeast, and the field ice was quickly
broken up into foes, and formed into
one of those drift "packs' that are
50 dangerous. Scores of huge ice-bergs
were also moving about, rending the
field-ice with their blows, as il with the
hammer of Thor, and dashing against
each other in wild commotion. The
fierce nor'easter was pressing the ice
upon the land, and under the lee Of the
vessel, grim and frowning, were the saw
age shores of Labrador. The only chance
through fs" pack Ky near IL 4HRS s sR6S Per so Sa Il
to reach the more solid ice at some dis.
tance, where she might find Il harbor OF
refuge For time she fought her way
bravely, lodging the onsets Of the foes,
escaping marvelously the crush of the
meeting icebergs, and seemed to have a
charmed life. But before she could
clear tho dreadful pack Of ice emonsters
that were roaring around, night came
down, dark as pitch, and the storm seemed
to increase with the night. Binding
snow drifts swept along the sky-the
freezing spray fell upon the deck-the
wind howled aloft, the noise of tie crash
ing foes was awful The l-fated Hunts
man was now at the mercy of the waves,
and in the grim darkness nothing could
be done to avoid peril. About O'Clock
a tremendous sea struck her, hurting
her bodily on Fish Rock, where she
began Immediately to break mp. Three
Of the crew leaped overheard, hoping to
escape just as she was about to strike,
but the poor fellows were struck by a
foe AMI killed III a moment. The re-
manning tifty.nine men took to the rig
ging, as the sea was breaking over the
ship; but they were only n few minutes
there when the masts went overheard,
hurting the whole of them into the seeth
ing chaldron. Fortyiiv of them sank
to rise no more, or were crushed amid
the floating ice-masses, the Captain and
his son among the number. Seventeen
managed to scramble upon the ice, but
in most pitiab.e plight some had both
arms broken, some bt1ken legs AID ribs.
Only thlee escaped tl.iniured. What an
awful situation for human beings Lying
manned on the ice, wiithing in agony,
the sea drenching them, the fierce nor
easter chilling them, darkness around,
the blows of the frost giants resounding
on all sides and making night hideous.
AT any moment the ice on which they
lay might be rent III pieces, and they
hurled into the boiling surges. No Won
der they almost envied the fate OF their
comrades, now at peace beneath the
waves. When morning at length broke,
after .he dreary hours OF that terrible
night, they saw vessel at some distance
with the auspicious name of Rescue. |
The poor fellows managed to crawl along |
the ice, aiding one another as best they
could, the sound men half carrying the
others with broken limbs, and so they
passed over nearly mile of broken ice,
and at length got on board the Rescue,
more dead than alive. One of the sad
dest features in this case is that the whole
of the men who perished belonged to
one little fishing village. called Bay Rob
erts, which is now literally "placc of
weeping" for there is hardly family
but has lost connection or member.