The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-10-23
THE ARCTIC OCEAN.
Lost In the lee

whaling bark Florence arrived this after
noon from the Arctic Ocean with 100
men on board, being part OF the crews OF
the Arctic whaling feet, twelve of which
she reports lost in the ice with = portion
of their crews. The following is q
synopsis of the written reports OF the
master of the feet: On our arrival
at Behring Sea We found plenty
of ice and extreme Weather and but few
whales were tx at the first
part of the sesso We commenced
taking wslrusses June Is. The ships
thus engaged soon got sll they ha d casks
| for. Between the 10Th of July and the
lst of August the ships worked over to
the eastern shore and north toward Point
Barrow, as fast as the ice opened. The
bark Arctic was crushed by the Ice July
7th, of Sea Horse Islands, eighteen miles
from land. The crew escaped TO land
and were finally taken on board thesbsrk
Onward, and subsequently distributed
among the feet, Captain Whitney going
on board the bark Rainbow About
the lst OF August the fleet, fHr '"en in
number reached Point Barrow. North, m
| Light and Norman stayed south walrus-
sing and escaped the disaster that follow
ed. They had to stand from Point Bar
row several times owing TO the ice stand
ing on the shore. On August l4the breeze
| from the north and northwest broke up
the ice. Whales made their appearance.
and soon all the ships were actively en-
| gagged northeast of Point Barrow. The
wind was half from west to ortheast till
the night of August Is, when 1t began
blowing fresh from east and northeast
| All the ships stood in shore and anchored
to avald to hdriftinf ice. The evening OF
the 18th the wind increased and hauled
to the north, bringing the ice on shore,
and we all run under the south side OF
| Point Barrow, where we found lee for
four hours, but next morning we were
Obliged to run south "a far as Cape Smith.
The Rainbow and Three Brothers re-
mained at Point Barrow for the next
three days. Whales were numerous at
Cape Smith, and the ships were busy
taking the same. In the meantime the
wind set from the west, causing an un-
easy feeling. The space occupied by the
ships extended seven or eight miles of
shore, running along by the land. This
space kept steadily closing.
On the 23d the wind treshened from
the west northwest, ana all
ships, except Rainbow and Three Bro
thers, who were still anchored at Point
Barrow, surrounded by drift OF ice;
beat TO southwest In the afternoon the
wind began hauling of TO the west, but
still hoped before the ice closed on us 10
reach open sea, or at least SeshOrse
Islands. where we could find shelter. AT
sunset the ice stopped our progress. On
the morning of the oath thick log SET
in. heavy ice reached along the coast
for about two miles leeward. The ships
were all lying in an open strip OF
water between that shore. The
Clara Belle lost rulder,
ran near shore and anchored. The ice
closed around her and large bevy
grounded south of her, and formed
breakwster, behind which she lay. The
ba,k Florence drtted up to Cape Smith
and got under the lee ol a grounded ice
berg, which proved her salvation. The
shIps Josephine, St George, Cornelius,
Rowland and the barks Camilla, james
Allen and Onward were enclosed by
pack ice during the afternoon, aud DRIFT
ed To the northeast, between Woody and
Refugee lnlets. The ship Marengo, under
all sail, got within three ship lengths OF
the open water and then the ice closed
on her. AS we neared Point
Barrow the current slackened, and
Tor two days drifted slowly. The Rain
bow and the Three Brothers, under
Point Barrow, lay in comparative safety,
watchers of our distress, but unable TO
render any assistance. The Msrengo,
ST. George and the barks Acers and
Barnes each sent boat ashore intend.
ing 10 follow with others, containing
SUI plies, in case OF disaster, but, owing
to the ice starting atresh. they were un-
able 10 do so. On the 2Otb, the first
officer of the Three Brothers, with a
crew, took the wife of Captain Hack
mott, of the bark Acers Barnes, TO his
ship for safety. Next day the st. George
men attempted to haul the boat over the
ice, but were caught i'll the log. Thirteen
of them got on board the Rainbow and
the Three Brothers and the others re-
gained the ship except one who perIshed
on the ice. The mex. day the thirteen
tried TO get back TO the st. George, but
never reached her Eleven Of them
we're rescued by Capt. Owen Of the Three
Brothers, the other two being frozen 70
death on the ice The prospect now Is
very gloomy and the Is held heIplessly
IN the ice and drifting rapidly north
east. On August 18th we reached
the enI # the bank and the current
changed to the east. The ships a. Point
Barrow were no longer visible and the
.tuatieR was worse than ever, the only
nope being IN An east gale o. August
2g.h We found ourselve, off Point Target.
The crew Of the Msrengo attempted to
get ashore, but returned unsuccessful
Next day the masters held II council, on
the Java, and concluded that there was
no further nope OF ssy ing the ships, some
OF which were already badly ripped BY
the ice. This was on Y n touch OF what
might he expected. The ships altogether
had about three months provisions, not
enough 10 last through the winter.
After discussion, seeing 10 way out
Of the trouble, We decided tnsL the only
way 20 save our lives was . reach lsnd
before escape became imp s.Tble. sep
tember the 5th was chosen for the day
Of starting. The ships were twenty or
thirty miles from land, abreast OF West
Head, Smiths Bay. All being ready on
board the c. Rowland, -. George,
Msrengo Desmond. Acers Barnes and
Onward, the signsl for departure was
given. The bosis had been put in the
best possible condition. The bssgsgs
CONSISTED of Us days rstions, bread and
meat. and change OF clothing and
blan ket for each man. Everything else
but guns and ammunition was left on
board. Ou- Hsin hope was 10 find open
water enough inside the ground ice TO