The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-12-28
A WHALING ADVENTURE.
The Iaeapo Of tho Ship Ho1en Mar from
Strong Ribbed Bands of Ice,
ILlnn IIrnnoIano Chronicle

| 4 thrilling tnie Of privntun and hardghip h
| told ny the crews Of tho Helen Mar and Mcr-
curry. tho former of which reached this port
oud Wednesday Inst with tito crew Of the lnt-
Ter nn board. ihny arc Two whaling balltp,
Which had been hunting IN company in tho
Arctic oG"Hn. Cold weather had been coming
| up gradually since October IL, md new icp
had hcEun /" form. Tho ysssoIs were then,
ON ihannctoenth In longitude Il west, about
eighty miles from Herald Island, and MS far
as theEght could strotch toihe westward tho
ocean presented ono gliticiing mass of cr to
tlln view # the hardy mariner Occasionally
the ships would inA small stretches OF elear
WAtor hnd them again th"y would enepupte,
largo hor,s Of old ieo. Tho weather
continued to grow COLOR hour by
hour tli@ young ica grew faster and
faator. mud tho Vessels. seeing tho
dnhEer, wara swung of. so ~ 10 work
through the loo CA thn morning Of tho
twenty second TIA" leo hnd formed so heavy
M to sep tie ahtpa. and lo anchors were
dropped. All around them there was nothing
but ies. aNd II" Arctic eeaa were covered by
winter 4 claak. through which no vessel could
ever hnrG t. break hrr way. On ihe morning
~ tha twrnty-thIrd the leo had become so
solid that it would boar u ton weight. / wna
then dc died. 10 abandon Tho Mercury the
iicI"n Mar being tho strongest vessel, and
m"l" rnpable a. resisting tho death grip Of
tho ronGrH!ng naaReH Ina provlaipuB and
hhalher ~ thr abandoned vessel were placed
ON anlid thHn iITlwn Mar md on the evening
ST October - Capt. Ilckmott for the Inst
ttnr looked upon his gallant vessel and heard
III" ptHtttouE CfC&ks OF her timheIa MS thn sur
rounding inak6"a slowly drove their harden
81 fdgcR infn her pankB. Tho night was II
bitterly cold one. and IA tho hardy aenmnn
heard tho chilly ROugh of the gathering gaIo
giid" through the rigging their hearts lost
loPH. Many, many rnlos from shore, wholly |
tnptHpHrua for tins dismal Arctic winter. |
looked IN between tao ovrIRrinding, saving |
HlhsarH which eventually would rip M
tho seams Of the ship and drive them To take |
refuge upon the vast iiedaof ice. to perish |
slowly 81 cold and starvation tho hope fur |
ltto was slight indeed. But the wind grew
stronger nHd soon blow n perfect hurricane |
frum tho north. Iha surrounding icy fields |
lHGan tp crack Ominouaiy nnh finally began |
/" break. Hope revived. CAhrA md anchors /
SS''r" Illit nht, Sails WE'RE set and the iupiia- |
med yHgHct commenced To GlowIy pick her |
WY toward lthcrt Y and tho open ocean. The /
'"rga 81 tbs hurricane packed NJ the sllfging, /
q indiUG lnH8ars of iCn about tho y,,tqrI
threatening toenRulf tho fragile craft and
iIaW II rs destruction, Tho crows worked
aB t. was their only chance for
lie nnd libHitY. For six days and nights thoY
lrnk" thcti pa@@agc. mOlurHtariIy expecting
lul IN tho bTn, n, when 1htture again. dr.
pitt ail human Labor. In the short space II
III minutcs would have fixed her Icy FangR
Lboilt tbs llolhU Mnr md held her to her sure
destruction. At last after four days Of 0gony,
h. pair and hope. the open s"a was reachud,
md with NIL salts lung TO the breeze, but her
tdeS ripped aud eplintercd by the sharp edges
i the lee, the liberated vessel made her way
d port