The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-26
LONDON, England, July S, 1873

.. ,.
yessers. Editors Bulletin:
When tod Percy were going TO England
- tho State OF LOUISIANA, he congratulated M
Nd our containing in the State till we stepped or
English soil. i surlnisc he had pun in view
He could hardly have been 80 cruel az TO predic
List, in all She passage across the ocean, forty
oIne hundred and fifty miles, we should suffer the
anxiety the tribnlation and distress resulting
rom impending ruin, which il the fate the cti
sans Of Lou -siana now endure Yet, like MANY 1
cord spoken in jest. it was a prediction
When iyung round in the river and wcr,
t.rly under way towards the mouth, we consid
srra the iirfl great trouble over and had but On,
apprehension 20 shadow us. We feared nigh
sick on The BAR. Once over that, we gave the
rest Of the Foyage no thought About O'Clock
10 the evening of the l4th, we cast anchor at The
1south Of tia river to wait for the tide the follow
lag morning The night was fearfully hot and
abe mosquitoes unremitting in their attacks.
However. we pulled through the sultr,
watches, ansi crawiet on deck the next morning
A. witness t.le passage of the bar.
We went over without ton. and il a littlc
while the rcll OF the ship gave token We we're IN
bic surf The Tortugas, with their genial REM
ssccntes OF rebel prisoners; Key West, the Fed
5rrS rect lying ut anchor resting from the sport
u playing 81 war the Bahama banks, with - The
Old DOMINION stuck fast, like huge turtle on
si~ back these in turn we passed, with thc pleas
are yOu experience IN counting mile stones on
sour journey, measuring your progress and draw
sug tho end nearer.
Tho same weather stayed with us for about ten
1aysaftbr leaving port, after that, oycrcolts and
rugs were Id rcquistiDn; all the while running
sith the Golf Stream, and bearing cast, north
east
On the 2Gta Of June we were in latitude 40 N,
about the latitude of New York. Towards eve
ing, observed the wind on our starboard quar-
aar unusHaily biting and cold, and being in the
region sorDesime frcguentcd by iccbergs / fell to
sslking with the Captain about these, with view
d learning something about their habits, the
chances Of detecting their presence or neIghbor-
anod, and tie danger thry bore with them.
You remember ono OF the inducements I've
uged in favor of trip to Europe, from South
port was the immunity it afforded from col
tss,on with IN iceberg. These mountains. You
tnnw, loosoncd 10y the spring from Greenland.
Rehring Straits and the Northern Sea, come
toating down southwards, borne by the Arctic
Imrrcnt, sonDtimes grounding and remaining on
she banks Of New Foundland sometimes going
frthor soutst and more to the eastward, till they
gradually dissolve and disappear.
had crossed the Atlantic seven times without
ceins one; and, to tell the truth, had no desire
~ undergo that pleasure. Still like children who
wl talk Of ghosts shivering all the while of fear
talked on about icebergs, and went over the
5ssrnes of SHIPS who had gone TO sea, and had
nsver boon h.lard of again, and shuddered think
nE how aw:al it must be to run headlong into
ke jaws of sn Icy death, without warning and
without the slightes imaginable hope Of escape.
1ud worse still, TO leave no sign behind not a
remnant 10 tsll your fate but as the waters close
sser you. 10 Ecel you were passing away. simply
~ !. yoa had never boon
The Captain said he had often encountered
Dom while in the Montreal trade. And as he
5rd had such experience he could dsting uish
ire three miiss off, the darkest II ght that could
-. That thss appearance Of an iceberg was pocu-
isr thoro wHs nothing like it. II was blush
gray, clearly TO be distinguished from the, water
Sod the sky. The only thing to be appreilended
wss the risin, of fog while in an iceberg neigh
oorhood. Teen. indeed, there was peril. For
tca were inio II before you could discover its
rroAimity
When turned in, about o'clock in the even
'ea,, the sky though not clear was partially hight
~ ny the moon, which forced enough of it's RAYS
tIoagh the clouds 10 make the horizon visible
srd to give a good lookout ahead. Tie wind was
hesh on port side. The forcsail, topsa and
s.rgallant were up and drawing well so were
snc comfort sou feel when you have Il good wind
~ VIC right direction, and your vessel steaming
~ sree from peru. with the end Of your voyage
atmost in view
STRIKING AN ICEBERG.
about a Quarter past l O'Clock was awakened
ny shock and sitting up in my berth telt the
vessel rocoil, then stop. If its heart had ceased
. h'at and oil its P'wcr gone My state room
wing AT the soot OF the companion way, mounted
h steps in bound, without stopping to dress
ess knew at once had struck an iceberg !
tJs. N. awaac nod at the same time, and rema rl- !
a. Al we haze hit an iceberg" On deck some
Sen were pulling away at rope to loose the !
r@tn trysah The night was dark but no fog. |
"ent TO Tho hde OF The vessel and looked over and
aM huge b!ckH Of ice packed in close to the |
-s1es OF the ahp and heard that grinding crunch |
Pc sound pccn lar 70 floating ice.
Invoked ~ To VI" masts. The vessel was float !
nG freely and The mssts were swaying slowly |
@oEc side t. side with the level of the sea The |
Dap conduit h, sinking. She WAS too huoyant |
There was no lurchjng or heavy rolling such as
T1celns a'ttlina vessel. turned about to see
sI~U othcer " make inquiry Of the extent Of the
.'sitscr. The Captain was on the bridge No
va ,sear me appc AIRED to he ordering or control
ne erythin..
\ could hsar the screw revolving in the en-
Rsyac 10 back when suddenly the men who
se,e n.s the %a lnt 40 the rope, and crying out:
7Eu the hoas to ihe boats, to the boats, began
@ rloSnt tie tive lie-boats swung on the quar-
ee6onk, sud 20 cut the canvass covering and to
ssoh at ue ropes ihat held the boats to the deck,
'oshnS on. give me knives, will somebody give
Ne d Frlite;;'t run down, sir, and geN knife to
mt away tht; hosis II"
thought ihis an extraordinary proceeding.
Yer NJ, the while had heard no officer give any
ueh comma 3D. though supposed 1t must have
Neon given.
brt to abandon the ship without knowing the
sodins the carpenter below to sound the water
o the hold, without An effort to repair damages
y thc use 81 eais or tho pumps, and the engines
'nf ITopclc. yet ~ good order, seemed Ia he 80 .
81 ", |
'"fsped under circumstances of a like nature |
coul6 only account for it by surprising that an
,aherg collision is 50 far more dangerous than
- other tliat, when once it happened. there .
'as 70 hope ~ The ahip, and if any chance for /.
fe remained IL w@s 20 be found in the boats. +,
10 won't back to the stateroom and told Mrs !
! to dress herscE with all the clothing she "
onld possibly put on, and proceeded To put on :
~ boots AMI Clothes that we might keep warm. .
. by chan'e, we could get in the boats Though ,,
rom what J bad witnessed in the navy. those
slinws ON deck were young at it, l had con
'udod thero was worry little thought of the q
assengets in their minds, and the extent of !
heir aim Wa 10 cave themselves Mrs. N. was
5 cool as stone. J
Miss d., Miss u, AMI Mrs. H., who had come to I
mr. state-roon to inquire the cause of the uproar
lone, when informed, went back and dressed f.,
aad came and sat down quietly. wait !
V Tor directions what to do. apparently no more !
sturhej thsn if waiting for 4 carriage 70 take !
rive.
DR. MERo,KR INJURED IL
told hem to stay just where they were. and /
MIL they were instructed not to move Mountinc i
e deck again, m Or. Mercier, who inquired i
me, what was the matter. told him We had
.ruck an 'ceoerg. He rushed down and seiz- G
TX his dang Eter Nina II camn nm I,.,E a,,,ir