The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-12-19
Arctic Perils.

The whaling bark Helen Mar, Captain
Bauldry, eleven days from Fox Islands,
arrived in port on Wednesday evening,
bring the crew of the whaling bark Mer-
cury,> which was abandoned in the ice
October oath, in latitude II degrees, 10
minutes north, longitude 172 west, Just
II rth of Herald shoals. These two barks
had been hunting in company in the Arc
tic. The whaling feet has been ex-
tremely fortunate thus far this season,
the only loss up to date having been that
of the Newton Booth. On October 9th
these vessels, together with the Mount
Wallaston and the Vigilant, were an
chored off Herald Island, small islet
but little larger than Goat Island. The
day following the Vigilant and Mount
Wollaston parted company with them
and beat their way north. On the 18th
they spoke the Thomas Pope, which was
then steering for the straits. On the
following day they encountered school
of whales, and both vessels attempted to
capture some of them; without success,
however. Cold weather had been COM
ing on gradually since the 10Th, and new
ice had begun to form. The vessels
were then, on the 18th, in longitude IA
degrees west, about eighty miles from
Herald Island, and, as far as the sight
could stretch to the westward the ocean
was one glittering mass of ice. Occa-
sionally the ships would find small
stretches of clear water, and then again
they would encounter large blocks of old
ice. Their trials from the time the ice
began to form are graphically told by J.
Carter, the chief mate Of the Helen Mar.
He says: On the 18th of October we
found lot of new ice just to the west
ward of Herald shoals, and went through
it, and finding clear water, thought we
were all right, butwere disappointed, for
that same evening we ran into heavy ice
and had to wear ship. We headed to the
northeast, shortened sail and anxiously
waited till daylight. The next morning
we steered first to the east and then to
the west. but found ice all around us,
and had to give it up. We were then in
company with the Mercury. After
consultation, the two captains concluded
to go back and try to get round to the
eastward, as it seemed as if the ice made
toward the northwest. A strong breeze
carried us into clear water, after passing
through some new ice. We then
thought that we had got past
all the ice, but met it
again, after passing through occasional
clear water. On the morning of the 21st
we found that it was all around where
we wanted to go, so we put the ships
into it, with heavy hearts, and worked to
the south. The ice was very close, but
at night it became SO thick we were
stopped. The thermometer was then
down to s. The next day both ships
were imbedded in the ice, with all sail
set, but motionless, in eighteen fathoms
of water, and a current drifting us to the
northeast about two miles an hour. The
ships were then made fast to each other
with cutting falls and the anchors
dropped. The ships were held and the
ice passed us until the afternoon, when
the current ceased to run. There were
no signs of clear weather; it was freez-
ing hard; the ice was thickening; all
looked gloomy, and we all thought we
should have to winter there, and we
knew what that meant. 1t was simply |
this: we must all die, as we had neither |
provisions nor fuel enough to last us,