, 1876-10-22
Twelve Whaling Vessels lrnpris.
oned in the Arctic Ocean.
A Perilous Journey OF 1870 Miles
to Reach the Land.
Kanv Of the Men Remain on Board
and Are Supposed to Have
perishea.
Startling Narratives from the Log.Books
OF the Survivors.

crews Of the Arctic whaling feet, twelve Of
which she reports lost in the Ice, with portion
Of the crews. The remaining survivors havo
gone to Honolulu on the bark Three Brothers.
The following is d synopsis Of the written
reports of the Masters OF the fleet;
On their arrival in Behring's Sea
they found floating ice and extreme
cold weather But few whales were taken the
first part of the season. They commenced
taking walrus June /. The Ships engaged soon
got all they had casks for. Between the 10th Of
July and 1st Of August, the ships worked over
to tho cast shore, and so north towards Point
Barrow as fast as the ice opened.
Tnc bark Arctic was crushed by ice
July 7, off Sea-Horse Islands,
eighteen miles from land. Tne crew escaped to
the shore and finally were taken on board By
tho bark Onward, and subsequently distributed
among the feet, Capt. Whitney going on board
the bark Rainbov. About the 1st of August
the fleet, fourteen in number, reached Point
Barrow. The Northern Light and Norman staid
south, walrusing, and =
ESCAPED THE DISASTER.
that followed They had to stand from
Point Barrow several times owing to the ice
standing on shore Aug. Il, breeze from the
north and northwest broke up the ice. The
whales made their appearance, and soon all the
ships we're actively engaged northeast Of
Point Barrow. The wind held from the west
to northeast until the night Of Aug.
IS, when 1t began blowing fresh
from the east-northcast. All the, ships
stood in there and anchored to avoid the drift
ing ice. On the evening Of the 18th the wind
increased and hauled to the north,
BRINGING THE ICE ON SHORE,
aud We all run under the south side of Point
Barrow. where We found lee for four hours,
run south as fur as Cape Smith.
The Rainbow anu Three Brothers remained
at Point Barrow. For the next three days
whales were numerous at Cape Smith, aud the
ships were busy taking some. Meantime the
wind set from the west, causing al uneasy feel
ing. The space occupied by the ships extend
cd seven or eight miles off shore, running
along BIZ the land south. This kept
steadily closing. On = the 28d the wind
frcshened from the west-northwcst, and all the
ships except the Rainbow and Three Brothers,
which were still anchored at Point Barrow, were
surrounded by drift-ice. Beat to the south
west. In the afternoon the>wind began hauling
south OF west, but we still hoped before the ice
closed On us to reach the open sea, or at least
Sea-Horsc 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 heavy ice pack reached along the
whole coast about two miles to lccward, the
ships all lying in an open strip Of water between
that and the shore. The Clara Bell lost her
rudder, ran near the shore, and anchored.
THE ICE CLOSED AROUND HER
and large berg grounded south Of her and
formed breakw ater, 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 Jose
plne, St. George, Cornelius Rowland, and
barks Camilla, James Allen, and Onward were
incloeed By the pack during the afternoon, and
lriftel rapidly to the northeast between Woody
and Refuge in1cts./ The ship A(arcngo, under
all sail, got within three or four ships lengths
Of the open water, and then the ice closed on
her. As we neared Point Barrow the current
slackcueu, and for two days we drifted
slowly. The Rainbow and Three Broth
ers, under Point Barrow, lay in con-
paratiye safety, witnesses OF our distress,
but were unable to render assistance. The
Marengo, st. George, and bark Acers Barns
each sent boat ashore, intending to follow
with others, containing provisions and supplies
in case OF disaster but, owing to the ice starting
afresh, were unable to do so. On the 10Th,
the First Officer Of the Three Brothers, with
a boats crew, took the wife Of Capt. Hackhlott
oil the bark Acers Barns to his ship for
safety. Tho next day tho st. Georges men at
tempted to haul a boat ashore over the ice, but
were
: CAUGHT IN 4 FOG.
Thirteen of them got on board the Rainbow
ana Three Brothers. The others regaincd the
ship except one, who perlshcd on the ice. The
next day the thirteen tried to get back to tue
st. George. They never reached her. Eleven
were rescued BY Capt. Owen, of the Three
Brothers; the other two we're frozen to deatn
on the Ice.
The prospect now was very gloomy: The
ships were held heplessly in the ice, and drlit-
ing rapidly northeast, Aug. 25, reached the
end of the bank, and the current changed 10
the cast. The ships at Point Barrow we're no
ever, the only hope being an easterly gale gale: -
August 29, we found ourselves OH
Point Sargent. The crew of the A1arcnco at
tempted to get ashore, but returned unsucccss,
full. The next day the masters held council
on the Java, and concluded there was no fur
ther hope Of saving the ships, some OF
which we're already badly nippcd by the
ice This was only touch Of what
might be expected. The ships altogether had
about three months provisions, not enough to
last through the winter. After inll dlscnssion;
seeing no way out Of the difficulty, they decided
that tho only way to save the lives OF all Was TO
reach land
BEFORE ESCAPE BECAME IMPOSSIBLE.
Sept. was chosen for the day Ut starting.
The ships were twenty or thirty miles from
- Inf Cs,,i+