The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-21
= esss.arE HeA!=-e. Crusos

- EaSsSSS seSSss.Gs CK0e00s
By the arrival 81 the rsS6656sff' Ni!S: :kg
New London, Conn:s from her csuise9 10
the South Shetland IslaAds, sltuatsd sin
tho Antarctic regions, whs he has bean
sfhe Capture: of for Me
English market the folloHip9. iantA @fe-
latipg how fve Of the crew bf fhA He33et
Franklin passed, the winter on one OF
these ice. bound fales, and hq6 only one.
of them survives 80 tell the story 81 st6eii'
terrible sufferings, have been obtained.
King, boat steerer, aged thitty-fonr
years, a native OF New York, where bis
wife, sister and brother, employed in
the fire department. are now living.
In the year 1871 the schooner Frank
lin, Captain Holmes, left New London
as one OF the pioneer vessels from that
port, to engage in the seal fishery at the
South Shetland Islands, which are stu.
ated at about ten days sail to the south
ward OF Cape Horn, in latitude 81.
After an uneventful voyage of four
months the vessel arrived at it's destina-
ton. The following day the captain
ordered boats Grew OF ave men, under
the orders Of James A. King, boat steer
er, to proceed to the shore aud COM
mence killing seals at Window Island,
Fof which place the vessel was anchored.
In tho boat were placed provisions for
seven days, and big club for each of the
men, with which to kill the seals by bit.
ting them on the head. Captain Holmes
instructions were: ''Kill all you can, and
we will be back for you within week. "
The Franklin then sailed away, and the
men commenced slanghtering all the
seals they ::could find, and so successful
were they that at the expiration 4 the
fifth day they had killed and skinned
1000 seals. When these skins were
piled on the rocks ready for shipment
the seal crop was found to be exhausted.
and the men, after holding q consulta
ton, resolved, with their remaining pro-
visions. to set out for st. Georges Is
land, which is situated in the immediate
vicinity OF Window Island, where they
would carry on the war against the seals.
King wrote, before leaving. with q piece
OF chalk on small piece of board. 1--WE
have left for st. Georges Island. Call
for us there." The rich booty of seal
skins was left on the beach. and the
party departed for the island, where it's
members safely arrived and commenced
operations. Meanwhile the franklin
retured from q cruise to Livingstone Is
land, (where it had made large haul of
SEALS to Window Island, expecting to
find her five men there, take them on
board and sail for home. A boat was
accordingly sent ashore to bring them
on board, but, OF course, they were in
visible; but after travelling considera-
Bile distance along the rugged shore the
pile OF seal skins was discovered by the
crew, and also the notice written by
King. to the effect that the party had
left the island. By this time the weather
was becoming boisterous and cold, and
it was found imncssible to take all the
seal skins on board ail;,;. They were,
consequently. abandoned, and the Frank
lin proceeded to st. Georges Island in
quest of the missing men, who, the cap.
tain judged. il not relieved, would soon
perish. For several days the vessel
cruised in the vicinity of the island, the
captain constantly studying it with his
glass, but in vain, to see if he could per-
oeive any sign OF human life. This
group OF islands is totally uninhabited,
and it is only from the middle OF Janu-
ary until the middle Of Maroh that the
so-called summer reigns. Nothing could
be seen Of the boat or OF tho men, but
in spite of this. guns were fred con-
stant!y, fog horns weee blown. and at
night rockets were sent up; but no re-
sponse Of any kind came from the shore,
and the captain of the franklin, seeing
the futility of his efforts, was forced to
abandon the men to their fate, aud
sailed for home. No boat was sent
ashore, on account Of the breakers and
the ice which had already formed. After
q rough passage the franklin arrived at
New London. and the LOGS Of her five
men was duly chronicled.
In August, last year, q New London
sealing feet left for the South Shetland
Islands, and it was mutually agreed that
the captains Of the vessels should do NIL
in their power to discover what had be-
come OF the five lost men. When the
bark Nile, commanded by Captain Will
liams, came to an anchorage off Potters
Cove, st. Georges Island, the captain
and number of his men went ashore to
see what had happened to the men. The
captain expected, owing to the frightful
cold Of this region of perpetual snow
and ice, that none of them wonld be
alive. Walking along the beach for
some distance, the exploring party were
astonished to find small wooden hut,