The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-02-25
Dreadful Suferings.

The severe cold OF the past few weeks
has brought a season OF Arctic severity
upon the hardy fishermen especially of the
Massachusetts coast, and great suffering
and priyatlOn has followed Miles of I'M
ending ice stretch along the coast and pre-
venting the frozen fishermen and crippled
coasters from making q harbor or obtain
ing the friendly shelter OF some land-locked
inlet. The crafts that have attempted to
make land have been barred by an i'm
pregnaOle ice foe, which, drifting on upon
the dictated vessels, have bound them fast
in a sea Of Ice, and cut them Oft from sue
cor, and 50 flags Of distress are flying at
mainmast heads along the ice-tringed
coast, and their mute appeal floating on
every breeze remains unanswered A ter
rble sight truly, and unless some soft
southern breeze comes to undo the freez-
ing work of the past fortnight an urpar-
aIIeleG disaster may occur.
Never before, within the memory OF any
inhabitants OF Provincetown or any OF the
settlements along the Cape coast, has ice
formed III the bay to such an extent as at
the present time Proyincet0wn harbor is
closed up entirely, and vast field of ice
ILLS the area between Wood End and the
southern ptrt Of the monument at Sand
witch, twenty-five miles across, and ex-
tends clear up to Brewster and Orleans, a
distance of thirty miles from the water
line. he sight is a strange one Where
always before III eye has seen the blue
wave Of ocean toss is now a plain OF snow
white ice, only broken here and there by
vessels, wrapped and well-nigh hidden in
the cold embrace Of the new element, and
high, jagged piles Of ice thrown up by the
action OF the wind and tide
The scene is dreary and desolate, but it
affords no mint OF the awful peril which
threatens the lives of one hundred and
fifty or more fishermen, as fast imprisoned
upon their vessels as ii hung with chains
behind bolts and bars. Here are twenty
light vessels varying in size from five
hundred to twenty-five tons, held immoy-
able. Most OF them are fishing schooners
Of about 100 tons burden, carving from
zen to fifteen men and provisions for a
three or four days cruise and they have
already been bound in nearly that time
Food and water are fast giving out, aid
cannot reach them, nor can they in many
instances reach it, The ice which crowds
about their vessels, fastening upon them
with relentless grip, resists the efforts OF
the powerful steam cutter to force her way
through it, but soft and treacherouS, will
not bear their weight, so that they cannot
escapeiupon it. Many OF those who can get
away Will not attempt it, for their craft is
all the property they possess, and they
cannot abandon it and 90 back to poverty
while there is the slightest hope of saving
it. Twenty signals OF distress, TIE Ameri-
can flag with the union down, could be
counted from the lte-saving station al
Provincetown on Saturday. The revenue
cutter Gallatin has been doing excellent
service, by breaking out those vessels
nearest the edge and the help at the life
saving station has rendered such assistance
as it could The great danger, aside from
that of starvation, is that a northeast gale
will spring up. If it does, nothing but a
miracle can save the vessels from destruc-
ton, and the loss Of life must be very
great If, on the other hand, the weather
should moderate, and a southern wind
should blow, they may all escape.
Details of one disaster have been re-
ceived, brief mention of which was made
in the Geographic dispatches yesterday
Schooner John Rommell, DR., with crew
of five all told, sailed from Mosquito Inlet
three weeks ago lor Charlestown Navy
Yard with a load of live oak. Nothino
happened until four days out. when in the
Gulf Stream the foresail was lost in a gale
of wind. This was but the preface to a
terrible chapter of accidents. The voyage
northward proved slow one, and when
one week ago Monday they sighted the
Cape, Captain Brown felt much relieved
He tried to make harbor in the teeth o.
a gale but all efforts proved futile, and the
Rommell was blown to sea again On the
Wednesday following the attempt was
again made to find harbor The weather
was rather warm with rain storm from
the southwark; and the men had not YET
premonition Of the intense cold that was
so soon to greet them. Provisions began
to run short and preparations were at once
made to economize in everything. But 9
strong wind blowing from the north pre-
vented the accomplishment Of the captains