The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-11-02
OCEAN PERILs.
Thirteen Whaling Vessels Imprisoned
in the Northern 0oean--Their Crews
Resolve to Journey Home
Thrilling Narrative of the
Survivors.

SAN FRANCISCO, October 2l.-Ihe
whaling bark Florence arrived this az
ternoon from the Arctic Ocean, with I90
men on board, being. part of tie crews
of the Arctic whaling fleet, twelve OF
which she reports being lost III the Ice,
with a portion of the crews. The re-
naming survivors have gone to Homo
lulu on the bark Three Brothers. The
following is a synopsis of the written
report of the masters of the fleet: On
their arrival in Behring' Sea they found
floating ice and extremely cold weather.
But few whales were taken in the first
pait of the season. They commenced
taking walrus June LIST. The ships en-
gagged soon got all they had casks for.
Between the Goth of July and LIST of
August, the ships worked over toward
the east shore, and so north towards
Point Barrow, as fast as the ice opened.
The bark Arctic was crushed by ice July
T off Sea Horse Islands, eighteen miles
from land. The crew escaped to the
shore, and were finally taken on board
by the bark Onward, and subsequently
distributed among the feet, Captain
Whitney going on board the bark Rain
bow. About the 1st of August, the fleet,
fourteen in number, reached Point Bar
row. The Northern Light and ornan
staid south, walrusing, and escaped the
disaster which followed. They had to
stand from Point Barrow several times,
owing to the ice standing on shore
August 18th breeze from the north and
northwest broke up the ice. The whales
made their appearance, and soon all the
ships were actively engaged northeast OF
Point Barrow. The wind held from the
west to northeast until the night OF Au-
onst 1S. when it began blowing fresh
from the east-northeast. All the ships
stood in there and anchored to avoid the
drifting ice On the evening OF the 18th
the wind increased and hauled to the
north, bringing the ice on shore, and we
all rim under the south side OF Point
barrow. where we found lee for four
HOJ1rS, DtlD IlC uGAt SlAtS1AAOOiA "O-o
Obliged to run south as far as capeSmlth.
The Rainbow and Three Brothers re-
NAMED on Point Barrow. For the next
three days whales were numerous al
cane Smith. and the ships were busy
taking some. Meantime the wind set
from the west, causing an uneasy feeling.
The space occupied by the ships extend
ed seven or eight miles off shore, run
ming along by the land south. This
kept steadily closing. On the 23d the
wind freshened from the west-northwest,
and all the ships except the Rainbow
and Three Brothers, which were still
anchored at Point Barrow, were sur
rounded by drift-ice. Beat to the south
west. In the afternoon the wind began
hauling south of west, but we still hop
ed before the ice closed on us to reach
the omen sea, or at least Sea Horse
Islands, where we could find shelter.
At sunset the ice stopped our progress.
On the morning of the Oath thick
fog set in. At this time a heavy ice
pack reached along the whole coast about
two miles to leeward, the ships all lying
in an open strip of water between that
and the shore. The Clarabell lost her
rudder, ran near the shore and anchored,
the ice closed around her and large
berg grounded south of her and formed
q breakwater, behind which she lay.
The bark Florence drifted up to cape
Smith and got under the lee of the
grounded iceberg, which proved her
salvation. The ships Josephine, ST.
George, Cornelius Rowland, and barks
Camilla, James Allen, and Onward, were
enclosed by the pack during the after
noon, and drifted rapidly to the north
east, between Woody and Refuge inlets.
The ship Marengo, under all sail, got
within three or four lengths of open
water, and then the ice closed on her.
AS we neared Point Barrow the current
slackened, and for two days we drifted
slowly. The Rainbow and Three Broth
ers, under Point Barrow, lay in COM
parative safety, witnesses of our distress,
The Marengo, st. George, and bark
Acers Barns, each sent boat ashore,
intending TO follow with others, contain
ing provisions and supplies in case of
disaster, but owing to the ice starting
afresh, were unable to do so. On the
Goth, the first officer of the Three Broth
ers, with boats crew, took the wife of
Capt. Hackmott off the bark Acers Barns
to his ship for safety. The next day
the ST. Georges men attempted to haul
boat ashore over the ice, but were
caught in fog Thirteen of them got
on board the Rainbow and Three Broth
ers. The others regained the ship ex-
cept one, who persisted on the ice. The
next day the thirteen tried to get back
to the st. George. They never reached
her. Eleven were rescued by Captain
Owen, of the Three Brothers the other
two were frozen to death on the ice
The prospect now was very gloomy.
The ships were held helplessly in the
ice, and drifting rapidly northeast.
August %, reached the end of the
bank. and the current changed to the
east. The ships at Point Barrow were
no longer visible. The situation was