Evening star., 1876-10-23
Perfls or the Polar Sea.
rwILvE WHALING vEsSELs LOST ~ TIL

ICE.
The whaling bark Florence arrived In san
Francisco yes teruay from the Arctic ocean,
With 100 men on board, being part OF the
crews of the Arctic whaling feet, twelve OF
rhich che reports lOet In the ice With q por-
tion OF the crews. The remaining Survivors
nave gone 10 Honolulu on the BARK Three
Brothers. A report OF the disasters Is made
oy the masters who have arrived here; Toe
following is synopsis OF the report; On our
arrival In the Behring's sea We found plelty
4 ice and extreme cold weather. We COM
neDced taking walrus June 1. Between July
20 and August the ships worked over 20 the
asst shore and north toward Point B .rrox
As fast as the ice opened. Toe bark Arctic
was crushed oy ice July .. The ere es-
csped 10 shore and afterwards went on the
other vessels. August the fleet, II in num-
Der, reached Point Barrow. The Northern
Light and Norman remained south walrus-
'ng and escaped the disaster that folio we'd.
August ii the ice broke up and whales APP
peaTed, and soon all the ships were actively
Il gsgec. Tue space occupied by the vessels
extended seven or eight miles OFF shore.
On the 2,id The wind freshened from west
northwest, and all the vessels, except the
Rainbow and Three Brothers, which were al
Point Barrow, were
SURROUNDED BY DRIFT ICE.
Efforts TO make the open sea failed. On the
lith thick fog set In. The ships were IN an
open strip of water. The Clara Bell lost her
Tudder and ran near shore, where the ice
closed around her, and large berg grou uded
oy her aid formed q break water behind
which the Florence drifted up aud got under
The lee OF the iceberg, which proved her sal
walton: The ships Josephine, st. George,
Cornelius Howland, ana Marengo, and barks
Camilla, James Allen, and Onward were in-
closed by pack ice. The Rainbow and Three
Brothers Witnessed our distress, but were at
The time unable to render assistance. On
the 18th boat from the Three Brothers took
The wife OF Capt. HaskmOtt OF for safety.
Next DAY the ST Georges men attempted TO
, get boat 20 ~, ashore over over the Ice, but were
FROZE TO DEATH ON THE ICE.
August % the ships at Point Barrow were
invisible. On the 3Oth the masters held q
node Of saving the ships, some Of which
we're already badly ripped by the ice. The
ships had about three months provisions.
they were thirty miles from land. Septem
rs days rations and q blanket. Everything
else but guns and ammunition were left on
board. We would nrBt carry the baggage
half mile ahead; then return and drag the
then men would break through and they
suffered much from the intense cold. The
irst night we camped miles from the ships.
binding snow storm. Several men deserted
10 despair and returned toward the ships.
Or their fate we know nothing. We worked
till the 9Th, when We sighted the ships At
Point Barrow. Here We prepared TO winter,
as 1t would be madness 10 attempt to reach
the open sea $50 miles of. We prepared for
on the night OF September Is the ice COM
Inenced breaking, and the Florence, the
Three Brothers and the Onward got away
with the survivors Of the various crews.
The following Is a list OF
THE ABANDONED VESSELS:
BsrkS Onward and Clara Bell, San Fran
cisco, ships st. George and Marengo, and
haIks Cornelius Holland, James Allen aud
lava, New Bedford; ship Camilla and
harkentiDe Josephine, Boston; bark Acors
Barnes, New LOrdon, and the Hawaiian
parKs Desmond and Arctic.
The vessels had on board altogether 1000
barrels OF oil, besiGes a large amount OF
Shalebone and ivory. 1t Is the undivided
opinion OF every master that no hope An be
entertained OF the rescue OF the shi ps or who
remained on board OF them. All are uu-
iouotedly lost and carried away to the
1ortheast In the ice pack which closed them
n for miles around.
The masters Of the abandoned Arctic feet
Express uncertainty as to the number and
Games OF the men who stayed by the ships
or returned to them after beginning the
homeward trip, but so far as can be ascer-
aimed 1t seems probable nfty or sixty were
LEFT bebin many OF whom were Kanakas.
The loss on the New Bedford whalers in
be Arctic is nearly $500 900, mostly Insured
Boston and New York offices.