The Huntington argus. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1872-1905, 1872-06-08

-Four Thousand Men Meet Death In
u Hurricane.
NEW York. Nav 81. 1872

Nh" ok, hhN -, lStZ D
The Tmss to morrow will publish the
particulars of the loss of vessels off the
coast of Labrador and Newfoundi and dur.
ing their sealing voyage this spring. Up
TO the latest possible mail date over FORTY
vessels, including four steamships, had been
heard from as fatal wrecks. having been
dashed To pieces while amid huge ice bergs
aud plains OF ice, during a terrific hurri-
cane. On an average, each OF thee vessels
carried about one hundred M en-, who were
employed as seal hunters. and out OF these
1000 human souls only lbs have been &C
counted tor. A largs majority of these un.
fortunates have let families behind, en-.
tlrely dependent on them for saslenance.
The following is a correct list OF the i'll
fated GRATIS, which has not heretofore been
published:
Vessels known to be lost-Maid OF Ju-
dab, 81 men; Spark. lu2 men; bloodhound.
steamship, lbs men; Eclipse, 90 men; Ra.
ven, 30 men; Retriever, steamship. $50 men
saved; X q. Y. 100 men, all hands perish
ed; Aurora, 50 men, Iaplander. 20 men;
Witch of the Waves, 90 men; Edgar Do.
ran; lO2 men; Twin Sisters 9S men; Swan.
81 men; Terra Nova, ll5 men; Flash. IOi
men; Leonora, 81 men; First Fruit. rs
men; Lord of the Isles, IS men; Esoui.
maux, lO4 men; Astor, 81 men; Marga.
rite, 10 men; Hawk, steamship, lis men:
Emily Ann, ll3 men; Meteor, 20 men;
lronsides, ia men; Lucknow, % men:
William aud Mary, 81 men; Pride OF the
sea, lis men, all known to be lost Hec-
'or, 100 men; Brothers, 30 men: Iceland.
steamship, 1872 men; Nightingale 65 men.
all known to be lost Mary Jane. 43 men:
Redman, 60 men; Home OF the North. l32
men
Many others have not been heard from
but all these recounted above have been
totally wrecked, and their crews have not
been accounted for except in very rare in
stances, and the few who were saved could
not give any definite intelligence OF those
they Tad left behind them During the
loss of the steamship Retriever-on board
OF which vessel was Captain Allston,
who furnishes the shocking intelligence
sixteen sail of vessels were hemmed in by
high boulders and bergs OF ice, over which
tremendous seas dashed high and Wild. go
that 1t was impossible at times to discern
the icy Islands; and the charge after
charge Of the ungovernable ships
against these mighty barriers, soon cleft
bows and bulwRrks asunder, and conslgn
ell many stalwart forms and brave hearts
to watery graves.
While this fleet lay to, as a last effort TO
survive the north eastern hurricane, that
roared and ruled around them. many toss
ing crafts cut down each Other; and one
fearful instance il recorded where a vessel
driven on an iceberg by huge sea fell back
with a mighty crash upou brig. the
Twin Sisters, which lay beneath the berg
n large number of men were instantly
crushed to death, and the Twin Sisters liz
orally burst in two. The rest, only fifteen
Of ninety eight, chung to the broken spars.
and were by chance picked up by the crew
OF the Retriever
Toward morning the hurricane. which
had ragged all night without abating, be-
gan to suhside. In the light OF that dreary
dawn the scene which presented itself 10
those an board the only survivor OF the
fleet of sixteen cannot be described. mas
much as the one who witnessed the sight
shrnks wholly from the task OF explain.
ing it, horror and ghastliness. The ice
had wedgef in the intervening space be-
tween the position of the vessels and the
shore Upon the rudely heaped boulders
ami liakes OF ice were strown mats. wards
rigging, clothing and broken bulls IN the
widest disorder
orse sui, were the biOOi-smeared
c"rpses, crushed to death 10y floods oil ice
closing on them. The siffend bodie. Law
-trewn around in most ghastly attitude.
while many OF them could be hardly rec
ognlzed' they had been so mangled
In consequence Of this wholesale ruin to
the seaihunting fleet Of Newfoundland it
will steep that country again in poverty
and misery from which it has but recently
arisen. The drcary news OF so many
wrecks, and the long catalogue of dead
spreads dcsolation over the Island, and
have visited many a home with bitter grief
aud despair. But says Captain Allston.
the whole has not yet been told Hundreds
of the fleet are still to be heard from. and
Their fate may he even a. gloomy az that
OF the forty seven vessels of which this nc
count is presented.
LATER.
BOsToS. May 2S.-The rerorted whole
sale destruction Of the Newfoundland
whaling fleet is not credited here A let
YER rom st Johns by the last mail SAYS
tina; twelve vessels in all are lost or miss
ing but two or three Of the missing have
not been out 90 long ~ to he given up Tor
lost he crews OF the vessels known TO be
destroyed were all saved except forty five out
o. Sky men on the brig Huutsman. -
l"enty-nine OF these men leave widows.
with about $50 children, and subscriptions