The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-10-23
IN THE ICE.
Destruction of the Whaling Fleet.
TWELVE VESSELS LOST.
Frozen In at Point Barrow.

Frozen In at Point Barrow.
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 21-The whaling bark
Florence arrived this Afternoon from the Arc
tic ocean with 100 men on board being part of
the crews of the Arctic whaling fleet, IL of
which she reports We're lost in the ice with
ors have gone to Honolulu on the bark Three
Brothers. The followingi is synopsis of writ
ten reports of the masters. The fleet on their
arrival in Behring's sea found plenty of ice and
extreme weather, but few whales were taken
first spart of the season. Commenced taking
walrus June LIST and the ships engaged soon got
all they hadcas for. Between the Goth of July
and August the ships worked over to the east
shore and so north towards Point Barrows as
fast as ice opened. The Bark Arctic was
crushed BY the ice July 9TH off Sea Horse
Islands, 18 miles from the bend. The crew es-
capped to the shore and finally were taken on
board by the bark Onward and subsequently
distributed among the fleet. Capt. Whitney
going on board the bark Rainbow. About the
first of August a feet fourteen in number,
reached Point Barrow Northern Light, land the
Normaptstayed south warusng and escaped the
disaster that followed. Had to stand from
Point Barrow several times owing to ice stand
ing on shore. August 18th the breeze from the
northwest broke up the ice and whales made
their appearance and soon all the ships were
actively engaged Northeast of Point Barrow
the wind held from west to northeast till the
night of August 10th, when it began blowing
from the east northeast. All the ships stood
in shore and anchored to avoid the drifting ice.
On the afternoon ofthe 10Th the wind increased
and hauled to the north, bringing the ice on
shore and we all run under tie south side OF
Point Barrow where we found lee for four
hours but next morning were obliged to run
south as far as Cape Smith. The Rainbow and
Three Brothers remained at Point Barrow for
the next three days aud whales we're numerous
at Cape Smith, and the ships were busy taking
in some Meantime the wind set in from the
west causing an uneasy feeling. The space &C.
cupied by the ships extended seven or eight
miles off shore. running along by the land
south. This kept steadily closing. On the I'D
the wind freshened from the west northwest
and all the ships except the Rainbow and
Three Brothers, who were still anchored at
Point Barrows, were surrounded by drift ice
and beat to the southwest. In the afternoon
began hauling south of west, but still hoped
before the ice closed upon us to reach the open
Sea Horse Islands, where we could find shelter.
At sunset the ice stopped our progress.
Morning of the oath thick fog set in. At
this time the heavy ice packed and reached
along the whole west about two miles leeward.
The ships were all lying in an open strip of
water between that and the shore. The Clara
Bell lost her rudder, ran near the shore and
anchored. The ice closed around her, her barge
being grounded south Of her and formed a
breakwater behind which she lay. The bark
Flaorence drifted up to Cape Smith and got
under the lee of a grounded iceberg, WHICH
| George, Cornelius Rowland and the barks
| Camilla, j. Allen and Onward were enclosed
| by pack ice during the morning and dritted
! rapidly to the northeast between Wood Yard
and Refnge Inlets. The ship Marengo,, under
all sail, got within three or four ship lengths
of the open water and then the ice closed on
her. AS we neared Point Barrow the current
sackened and for two days we drifted slowly.
| The Rainbow and Three Brothers, under Point
Barrows lay in comparative safety, witnesses
of our distress but unable to render any assis-
lance. The Marengo, st. George, and bark,
| Acors Barnes each sent boat ashore intend
| ing to follow with others containing provisions
and supplies in case of disasters, but owing to
| the ice starting afreeh were unable to do so.
On the 18th the first officer of the Three Broth
| ers, with boats crew. took the wife of Capt.
Hockmott of the bark Acors Barnes to his ship
| for safety.
On the next day the St. Georges men at
tempted to sail a boat ashore over the ice, but
were caught in fog, and Is of them got on
board the Rainbow and Three Brothers, and
the others regained the ship except one who
| persisted on the ice.
Next day the 10 tried to get back to the St.
George, but never reached her. Eleven were
| rescued by Capt. Over of the Three Brothers.
| The other two were frozen to death on the ice.
The prospect was now very gloomy. The ships
| were held helplessly in the ice and were drift
ing rapidly to northeast On August 18th they
| reached the end of the Banks and the current
| changed to east. The ships at Point Barrow
| were no longer visible and the situation was
worse than ever, the only hope being an easter
ly gale.
Sargent. The crew of the Morengo attempted
to get ashore, but returned without succeed
| ing
| The next day the masters held a council on
the Java and concluded there was further hope
Of saving the ships, some of which were badly
crippled by ice. This was only touch of what
might be expected. The ships altogether had
about three months provisions, not enough to
last through winter. After full discussion.
seeing no way out of the difficulty, they decided
that the only way to save the lives of all was
| to reach land before escape became impossible.
September 9th was chosen for the day of
| starting. The ships were twenty or thirty miles
| from land abreast West Head, Smiths Bay.
September 9Th, all being ready on board the G.
Allen, Acors Barnes and the Onward, the sig
] nal for departure was given. The boats had
been put in the best possible condition. The
| baggage consisted of about twenty-five days
rations, bread and meat, change OF clothing
| and blanket for each man. Everything else
| but guns and ammunition was left on board.
| The main hope was to find open water enough
| inside the ground ice to navigate boats south
ward and SO reach two ships which we supposed
to be outside the pack.
1 oo
ahead, then turned and dragged the boats
along the ice, which is very rough in some
places, and there were many holes which
would not bear the weight of the men. Many
Of the men fell through and suffered much
from the cold. The first night we camped on
the ice, about four miles from the ships. The
| next nothing we resumed the march in a
binding snowstorm from the northeast. The
| prospect was most discouraging Several men
| deseIted and returned towards the ships, where
/ m hpr of fha oirod vEhn IN
| face the hardships of the journey toward land.
| OF their fate We know nothing. September
| 9th we reached strip Of open water. We
| launched the boats and pulled toward land,
and all that day and the next we kept working
through and over the ice, and at p. M. we
made land two miles west of Point Sargent.
We continued working along shore, and at noon
| on the 9th we sighted the Three Brothers and
| the Rainbow at Point Barrow. We reached
| them before night and found the ice all solid
beyond. The only chance of escape was to
drag the boats overland to the open sea-a dis
lance, as afterwards proved, of 100 miles. We
| made sleds and attempted the journey, but on
reaching Cape Smith we found the bark
Florence there. After a consultation, it was
decided that any effort to proceed would be
Madness and preparations were commenced
for wlntering as best we could at Point Bar.
row. Boats were prepared for whaling, as
tha4 was our only resource for food and work
On the night of the 18th the ice began to
break up before the strong east wind. The
next day the Florence was able to get under
way. All hands and the baggage were put on
board, and we ran down the coast and Joined
the Clara Bell, frozen fast in the ice Her
captain said he would stay by her till the 18th,
when, if there was no prospect OF getting out,
he would leave in boats for clear water, where
the Florence was to wait for him. We made
Sea Horse Island that night. The next night
we made Wainwrights Inlet, and we waited
there for the crew Of the Bell and to get water
On the afternoon of the 18th the Three
from Point Barrow, joined us, the former
bringing the crew of the Clara Bell, which
remained fast in the ice with no prospect of
getting out.
Part of the people in the Florence were then