The Republican journal., 1873-07-03
ALONE ON THE ICE.
Horrors of the Antarctic Niqht.
From the New York Herald. |

Horrors of the Antarctic Night.
From the New York Herald.
II is probable that the whole range of
history fails to afford parallel to the
of the modern Selkirk, James
A. King, who was left on the South Shet-
land Islands, among the snow and ice, by
a vessel which visited that almost un-
nearly sixteen months, part of the time
with helpless companions and part of the
time alone, he battled against death
any tangible hope of rescue,
with the most horrible of deaths staring
him in the face, he lived and returned to
the civilized world The story Of those
months OF hopeless life, Of hunger, priva-
tion cold and despair, would be worthy
the pen OF a De Foe Simply as showing
how much a man can endure and yet live,
the narrative is deeply interesting; but
when we try to realize the terrible soli-
tude OF this lone man, in 4 region where
the very sun himself seems frozen to the
Polar cliffs, the mind wanders and the
senses refuse the bidding OF the will The
narrative of Alexander Selkirk, mariner,
rs well as the idealization Of the same un-
der the form OF Robinson Crusoe," falls
far short of this story of {; New ork bov
who went to the South Seas in IL New
London schooner. 1t is merely new
rendering OF the motto, Truth is stranger
than fiction"
The survivor of the six unfortunate
sailors who were, through willful neglect
OF carelessness, left to starye or freeze to
al ipl,
turned to this city, where he was born
and raised, a few days since. King is a
strong, muscular man. of more than
medium height, and with great breadth
Of chest. His hands are almost blue from
frequent frosting, and his face indicates
long and continued exposure. He dresses
neatly in citizens clothes, and has very
little OF the sWagger or Importance Of a
sailor about him. He has visited Wash
lngtOn and his case has been laid before
the general government 1t is stated that
a suit will be at once brought against the
captain of the vessel to which he was at
tached, for neglect in allowing the men
to perish. The narrative given below,
stripped rs it is OF any verbiape, is sub
stantially as it came from the lips of the
only man saved from the unfortunate
boats crew who went ashore at the South
Shetland Islands from the schooner Frank
i'm, i'll May, 1871.
THE SURVIVORS, NARRATIVE.
1 shipped in this city on July 26, 1870.
rs boat steerer, and was sent on to New
London to complete the crew OF the
schooner Franklin, which was then fitting
out IN that port as tender to the bark
Peru, then in the South Seas The Frank
lin, Captain James NJ Holmes, sailed a
few days alter, and, after being nine DAYS
out she was forced to put back ton re-
pairs having sprung n leak She was
put on the ways and repaired The
Franklin sailed again on August 2Gth of
the same year, and sighted the Faulkland
Islands after a hundred days voyage.
We met the bark Peru. Captain George ID
Gilderdale, about one hundred miles off
the Falkland Islands, and her comman-
der thinking it wise for Us to 60 TO Cape
Horn for wood and provisions, we did so.
Our stay there was characterized by the
utmost despatch in getting our stores on
board, after which we sailed for the Shct-
land Islands, reaching there after a yoy-
agr OF eight days Running into Polters
Cove found the schooners Francis Allen
and Golden West After coming to
anchor, the stores were put ashore The
bark Peru remained in port while the
Franklin went
IN SEARCH OF SEA ELEPHANTS.
Remaining twenty days at South Beach
and getting 200 barrels Of blubber, we
sailed for Penguin Island, leaving two
boats crews ut this place-onc under com
mand of Captain James Hone, and the
other under James NJ Buddington, second
mate OF the Peru. Owing to Il heavy
northeast gale, which sprang up soon at
ter, we Were brown off shore, 50 that we
could not come to their rescUe for twelve
days. We were forced in the meantime
to put INTO Desolati0n Island. When we
returned to Penguin Islands we found a
board stuck mp by which we We're in
formed that the two boats crews had left
for Potter's Cove. Captain Gilderdale
decided to leave two men at Desolaion
Island, and detailed third mate Townsend
and an Indian named Chas. Pierce, ci
Groton, Conn. The Franklin then
RAN INTO YANKEE STRAITS
and finding n humped-back whale, we
lost twenty-five days in getting him cnt up
and on board. Upon our return to South
Beach third mate Townsend came on
board and reported that he had found a
seal lookery on the other side of Liv-
ingston Island, known to whalers as
North Beach This was the first instance
OF finding of seal at that place. The fol-
lowing six named men were to 90 ashore
James A. Walsh, alias King, of New
ork; Edward Townsend, of Glen Cove,
l.. L.. Chas. Gardner, Moth Stonington,
Conn; Charles Pierce of Groton, Conn
Pedro Montaro, OF Bravo Island, Cape de
Nerdes; and VIM. Hess, Of Camden, N J.
Whaleboat was launched and these men
left the ship to seal Five OF them, as it
afterwards irauspirti left the vessel tor
ever. Mortimer H. Cassidy, second mate
OF the schooner Franklin, and James NJ.
Buddington, got 600 skins which had been
left by Townsend and took them on
board. The schooner was then lying at
anchor in u bay called Rugged Island
Cove. The vessels sent out boats crews
about ten days afterwards, and the men
who had been on shore was one of the
numbcr-turned over 1,767 skins.
DESERTED BY THE VESSELS.
Provisions for six days were then put
on shore, after which Captain Gilderdale
promised me to return in ten days at the
furtherest We We're then at place known
as Windsor Island, and remained twenty
two days awaiting the return of the bark
Peru. At the end of that time, neither of
the vessels having returned, we started to
90 to Potter's Cove, which we knew to be
a general rendezvous for the fur gathering
vessels Before leaving, we stuck up a
keg on Window Island, saying that we
had gone to Potter's Cove. As it was
daylight all the time, we had lost our
reckoning of time, so | cannot be ex-
actly certain as to the number of days
that we waited Arriving at Potter's
Cove, st. George Island, we found that
both the Peru and Franklin had gone. We
were then utterly alone.
THE HORROR OF THE SITUATION
was then fully realized. We We're beyond
all hope of relief from stray vessels, for
we were out Of the usual track, and there
was no likelihood Of any vessels, only
those to which we were attached, visiting
the place. The terrors of the Antarctic
winter were also before us. We found a
seli-regstering thermometer at Potter's
( tnun and tho :. bnE