The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-11-09
ICE-BOUND.
The Arctic Whaling Fleet Surrounded
by Icebergs and Twelve Vessels Aban-
dOned-Particulars of the Disaster.

ton of their crews. The remaining
survivors have gone to Honolulu on the
bark "Three Brothers," The follow
ing is a synopsis of the
WRITTEN REPORTS
of the master of the feet. On arrival
in Behring's Sea found plenty of ice
and extreme weather, and but few
whales were taken in the first part Of
the season. Commenced taking wal
ruses on June 1; the ships engaged
soon got all they had casks for. Be-
tween the goth of July and the LIST of
August the ships worked over to the
east shore, and so north toward Point
Barrow as fast as the ice opened. The
bark Arctic was crushed by the ice July
9TH, of the Sea Horse Islands, eighteen
miles from land. The crew escaped to
shore, and finally were taken on board
by the bark Onward, and subsequently
distributed among the feet, Capt. Whit
ney going on board the bark Rainbow.
About the 1st of August the fleet, four
teen in number, reached Point Barrow.
The Northern Light and Norman staid
at the South, walrusing, and
ESCAPED THE DISASTER.
Those that followed had to stand from
Point Barrow several times, owing to
the ice standing on shore. On August
IA breeze from the north and north
west broke up the ice. Whales made
their appearance, and soon all the
ships were actively engaged northeast
of Point Barrow; wind half from west
to northeast, until the night of August
IS, when it began blowing fresh from
the east-northeast. All the ships stooC
in shore and anchored to avoid drifting
ice. On the afternoon of the 10Th the
wind increased and hauled to the north,
bringing the ice on shore, and we all
run under the south side of Point Bar
row, where we found a lee for four
hours, but the next morning were
obliged to run South as far as Cape
Smith. The sRainbow" and "Threc
Brothers" remained at Point Barrow
for the next three days. Whales were
numerous off Cape 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 eX-
tended seven or eight miles off shore,
running along by land south. This
kept steadily closing. On the 23d, the
wind freshened from west-northwest,
and all the ships except the Rainbow
and the Three Brothers, which were
still anchored at Point Barrow, sur
rounded by drift ice, beat to the south
west. In the afternoon the wind began
hauling south of west, but still we hoped
before the ice closed on us to reach the
open sea, or at least the 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 the heavy ice
packed and reached along the whole
coast about two miles to leeward. The
ships were all lying with open strips of
water between that and shore. The
Clara Bell lost her rudder, ran near
shore and anchored. The ice closed
around her, and large berg grounded
south of her and formed a breakwater,
behind which she lay. The bark Flor
ence drifted up to Cape Smith and got
under the lee of grounded iceberg,
which
PROVED HER SALVATION.
The ships Josephine, St. George,
Cornelius Rowland, and banks Ca
mile, James Allen and Onward were
inclosed by pack-ice, during the after
noon, and drifted rapidly to the north
east between Woodyan Refuge Inlets.
The ship Marengo, under all sail, got
within three or four ship-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 dis
tress, but unable to render assistance.
The Marengo, st. George, and bark
Acers Barnes, each sent a 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 26th the
first officer of the Three Brothers, with
a boats crew, took the wife of Capt.
HackmOtt off the bark Acers Barnes to
his ship for safety. The next day the
st. George men attempted to haul the
boat ashore over the ice, but they were
caught in fog. Thirteen of them got
on board the Rainbow and Three Broth
ers. The others gained the ship, ex-
sept one, who persisted onthe ice. Next
day the thirteen tried to get back to the
st. George, but never reached her.
Eleven were rescued by Capt. Owen, of
the Three Brothers. The other two
were frozen to death on the ice. The
prospect is now very gloomy. The
ships were held helplessly in theice and
drifting rapidly northeast.
On August % we reached the end of
the Bank, and the current changed to
east. The ships at Point Barrow were
no longer visible. The situation was
worse than ever, our only hope being
an easterly gale. On August 90 we were
off Point Targent. The crew of the
'Marengo"
ATTEMPTED TO GET ASHORE,
but returned unsuccessful. The next |
day the Masters held council on the |
. JAVA" and concluded there was no |
iurther hope of saving the ships, some |
If which were already badly nipped by
he ice. This was only touch of what
night be expected. The ships alto
yether had about three months pro-