New-York tribune., 1876-10-23
stated. Do business men think they can afford
to overlook it 7
THE ARCTIC DISASTER.

THE AHtIIt DINhNJFh'
Another dismal story of loss, suffering, ana
death has been added to the annals OF the
whale-fshery. With the increase OF the IN
terest, the huge, oily cetaccans nave Deen
driven. like our Western buiialoes from theIr
old baunts out of the safer and more con-
vcnient waters of the Indian ana Pacllc
Oceans and must now be followed to their
retreats among the ice-foes guarding the ap-
nroocb 70 either Pole. But neither this TACT,
nor the development Of the earths unsnSpected
Iavcrs of blubher in the lands OF petroleum,
have been able to cxtrpatc branch OF ad-
vcnturons industry which has lasted for so
many centuries. Nature, in the first place,
cannot duite produce an equal article; ana
Man. in the second place. instnctiycly clinSs
to whatever brings great reward once, though
he he nine times deceived. The excitement of
a whale-chase is not less than that of a stag
hunt, apart from the value of the booty.
And so men go down to the deep, and under
90 hardship, and long absence from home, end
manifold dangers, for the sake Of the sport
and its chances.
The last disaster which has overtallen a
whole whaling fleet in the Arctic Sea is no
less tragic than expensive. Fifteen vessels,
having passed through Behring's Straits in
search of walrus and whale, were gradually
forced by the cr-fclds over to the northern
shore of Alaska, which they reached in the
ncighborhood of Point Barrow (betwcen lat.
10 and TO- north) about the 1st of August
Then commenced a series OF misfOrtuncs
which lasted for more than six weeks. The
feld-ice, brought down upon them by western
ward Law tbp
Asiatic Gulf-strcam slowly incloscd them.
One vessel was crushed even before reaching
Point Barrow, the extreme northern hcadland
of the continent, beyond which the shore
trends eastward and southward. The Others
driven beyond the point, were caught aS IN a
trap. On the 1ith of August north
wind broke up the ice, whales made thelr
appearance and the impcrilcd crews, forget
ting their dangerous position, gave themselves
up To the chase. Possibly they may have lost
their best chance of escape from the coast
but il is easy to understand how difficult 1t
must have been for them, after vcnturng 50
far, to give up the prey which now offered
itself 70 their hands. ON the 23d their strus-
Gle bccan,-a vcritabe struggle for life and
DEATH which was prolonged until the oth OF
september. NtD, ont ~ ! = N'N''iN' VIM! W"
barks Florence and Three Brothers came forth
from the jaws of the lee, leaving - vessels
and parts of their crews locked uP for Win
ter which, in their condition. Ia, hardly any
other meaning than death.
We are not informed who the men were
who remained nor how many they were. They
were probably left by their own choice, in the
desperate hope of keeping themselves alive
until next Summer and saving their property
The Imagination hcstates to follow them to
that dread, unpopulatcd coast which Hes Just
under the zone of EXTREMIST Arctic cold. Ii IL
possible that next year may return some OF
them to us to tell sad story of suffering;
but it is more probable that they never will he
seen again alive. Upon Ncw-Bcdfcrd once
more, as in former days, falls the heaviest
share of loss and SORROW; but that Stald old
town holds fast 20 her traditions, and her
whalers will still 60 forth ~ Of old.