The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-06-10
A Terrible Wreck on the Coast OF
Labrador,

The following details have been re
ceiyed OF the loss OF the sea.hshing veBsQ
Huntsman, with forty-fve men, on tn,
coast Of Labrador, April 2Sth:
A tremendous gale set in from thu
northeast, and the ffeld.ice was quickl.
broken up into foes, and formed int
one of those drifting "packs" that art
so dangerous. Scores of huge iceberg
were also moving about, rending the
ileld.ice with their blows, us 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
uge shores OF Labrador. The only chance
Of the Huntsman lay in battling her way
through this pack near the shore, so as
to reach the more solid ice at some dis
lance, where she might find harbor Of
refuge. For time she fought her way
blyely, dOdging the onsets OF the foes,
escaping marvelously the crush Of the
meeting icebergs, and seemed to have n
charmed life. But before she could
clear the dreadful pack Of ice.monsters
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 the crash
ing foes was awful. The ill.fated Hunts
man was now ut the mercy Of the waves,
and in the grim darkness nothing could
be done to avoid peril. About 0 O'Clock
tremendous sea struck her, hurling
her bodily on Fish Rock, where she
began Immediately to break up. Three
of the crew leaped overheard, hoping Ia
escape, Just MS she was about to strike,
but the poor fellows were struck by q
foe ani killed in n moment. The re-
manning fifty.ninc men took to the rig
ging, MS the sea was breaking over the
ship; but they were only few minutes
there when the masts went overheard,
hurling the whole of them into the seetli.
ing chaldron. Forty-fve 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 broken legs and ribs.
Only three escaped uniniured. What an
awful situation for human beings Lying
maimed on the ice, writhing in agony,
the sen drenching them, the fierce nor
caster chilling them, darkness around,
the blows OF the frost giants resounding
on all sides and making night hideous.
TAT any moment the ice on which they
lay might be rent in pieces, and they
hurled into the boiling surges. No won.
der they almost envied the iate Of their
comrades, now at peace beneath the
waves. When morning at length broke,
after the drenry hours OF that terrible
night, they saw vessel at some distance
with the apspicious name Of Rescue.
The poor fellows managed to crawl along
the ice, aiding one another rs best they
could, the sound men half carrying the
others with broken limbs, and so they
passed over nearly mile Of broken ice,
and ut length got on board the Rescue,
more dead than alive. One OF the sad-
lest features in this case is that the whole
Of the men who persisted belonged to
one little fishing village, called Bay Rob.
erts, which is now literally n "place Of
weeping, for there is hardly family
but has lost connection or member.