The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-26

ing her propeller and her helm and to all OBJ
servaton freed from the ice. and unhurt by the
shock. The Captain who had come back to the
stern to see if the propeller would b. injured by
the ice in backing, called my attention to the
| main iceberg, short distance on the starboard
quarter, and wanted to know how in the HI,
the offic r on duty could fail to distinguish such
mountain Of ice as that
/ certainly had no difficulty in seeing it, as it
lay stretched out on the sea, huge monster,
whose cold breath made me slllver; dull blush
gray in the star light then shining. l dare say
the officers on duty saw it too then its astonish-
ing how easy it il to an iceberg after you
have been into one, provided Won live long
enough. When day broke | had good view of
the iceberg. Imagine a huge round hill Of ice,
not PERCEPTIONS and broken into craSs and peaks,
az I had always fancied, extending say about
three blocks in length and about thirty feet high
Very like whale. How calm and stern and
impacabo it showed glttcrlng III the earl y dawn;
the waves dashing against 1t and springinS up
into the air, as beating on rock bound coast. |
shall ne'er look on its like again, ! hope.
Did he strike the main iceberg?
The Captain and first officer told me we had
run into the main iceberg. cutting off huge
slice, which fortunately was not hard to do the
ice was rotten. The Captain further assured me
he the imprint of one prov on the iceberg as
the vessel swung around.
The second officer, who on the bridge on
duty at the time Of the collision, told me We did
not strike the main bulk, though came within
half the ships length Of doing it; but that we
into the ice lying around the base of the iceberg
and were going on to finish the business, when
he reversed the engines and put tie helm hard
to the starboard.
HOW DID IT HAPPEN?
The Captain who had lost "a great deal Of sleep,
turned III about III o'clock In the written III
Structions to the officer on duty, he cautioned
him to look out for icebergs, as we were III
their neighborhood. He told the fourth officer
on duty, on the quarter deck to call him if there
was any fog. Instructions here given to test
the water with the steImomctcr every hour.
AT II o'clock that night, the Goth Of June, the
fourth officer reported to the Captain the thermo-
meter showed the water of the sea to be 80
Shortly afterwards he reported there was
slight mist. The Captain "A little while after got
up and looked at the weather, and when the
fourth officer came to him again, begged to be
informed ''if he called that mist
AT | o'clock the fourth officer reported the
at -. FoHj-miae degrees, a clear
fall Of eight depees i" az hour.
This, mind you, i'll the rat.r, not the air. The
Captain considering this great fall, turned III
again.
Fifteen minutes aftrrward we were on the ice
and omitted to mention that "a, the Cap
tain came back to the stern he ordered the men.
who were in the boats, to get out and 90 about
their business.
1t was said they were the firemcn of the ship
The sail rs say the tiremcn always behave so.
and suppose he must allow something to a fire
man constitutional antipathy to water. The
Captain made every cXcrtl0n to discover who the
nscreants were. But, though lie promised to
shoot the first one he could find, the Inducement
was not sufficient to tempt any one of them to
;omo forward.
You may be sure there no sleeping on tina
ship that night. The French passengers CT the
opera troupe) were III q state Of fearful excite
nent Not understanding word Of what was
SAID except by Interpretation, they magnified the
hanger 10y their ignorance, and underwent tor
ures OF distrnst and fright. One of the gentle
non was seen running round with his hat-boX in
lis hand. | never could make out what he pro
,osed to do with that box. He may have had an
dea he was going ashore on it,
One of the 8 Intermediates Chat is passcn-
gers, hardly second class, who pay fifty dollars
or the voyage, are fed by the ship, and occupy
'laco between the cabin or Ist-class passengers
md the steerage passengers) was so overcome |
~ terror he lost his reason and for several DAYS
&c was raNlns of icebergs and shipwrock.
DIED OF FRIGHT
A Storage passenger went mad also and after |
few days, actually died of the fright |
When first he felt the collision, he rushed on |
mast with his carpet-bag in his hand. When
atisfed the ship was not settling down, he |
utterly bereh Of reason, and went |
nd laid himself down and died
When any one dies at sea there is very little to /
10 about it. Ihis man was sewed ND in a sail |
10th with piece of coal at the feet as a weight.
eight oc.ock III tho evening was the hour fixed /
or the funeral. At that time the passengers
we're on the quarterback, with Il minister the
rev. Mr.. H., among them The sailors came
marching back from the forecastle, bearing the
ody, wrapped in the English flag, on the top of
hatchWay.
Resting this one end on barrel and the other
n the stern railing the body was placed on
ianh, the feet Just over the edge OF the bniwark.
'hC minister now reads the burial service: the
arc made Icy the doctor. Crowding
lose, the sailors and all the passengers able to
ct on deck stand around, fascinated by tic at
'actlon "f raru spectacle and that interest
iways attaching t. the disposal of the dead
he service closes one end of the plank is tilted
p; the body shoot. on like an arrow strikes the
alter, parts II an instant only and it il gone for
yer. People continue to stare at the spot where
had dlsa peared. a. 1t vaguely onjecturing to
&c the body come mp again, to behold some
ther equally astounding occurrence.
But the ship stcams on, and the poor fellow
no most dreaded death Of all on board was the
rst and only one to meet it.
The effect of this collision among the cabin
assengers, though not fatal, was observable till
ie end OF the voyage.
The gentleman of the hat box went to bed
tor its occurrence He promenaled the deck
'ery night M to the point On jouI, evidently de
rmIncd that the next accident would tind him
repaired.
oac of the young lady passengers. after the
st shock was over, was seized with fanting
,cls, and for days after would suffer over again
e horror of that dreadful night. {
There WAS "a sense of insecurity that could not
) banished. and Columbus never longed for
nd, amidst his mutinving crew more than the I
on the state of Louisiana for the ,
ore Of England"
ABANDONED SHIP. !
Several days afterwards on the Doth of June, .
ming on deck before breakfast deserted q sail :
the port-quartor. with flag flying at her
asthnah. soon eyerybodvs attention was at
acted to it, AMI the captain, bringing to bear i
: long spyglass, discovered 1t was a vessel with {
distress flag flying. The ships course was |
angcd and we bore down upon it. Fancy the Y
citement on board In about an hour we were :
thin rlilcshot OF the bark, for 80 it turned out
be- with Norwegian colors.
Having been IN distress ourselves, and ESCAPED L
by miracle from death, our sensibilities were
usually keen and our sympathies active for a
y other wanderer over the ocean who had suf- t
red damage at its rude hands. 1t was appa- +
Mt the vessel was water-ogged. What had !,
used it2 How long could She keep afoat !.
hat must be the feelings of those on board of l
r rs We approach What reaction from des- $
If to hope from night to day How grateful, Il
we bore down to them, t, their rescuers from S
watery grave! These were the thoughts that
DIVIDED unanimously through us as our steamer
Il