Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-12-01
WRECKED UPON ICE.

Some twenty years ago, in consequence
OF the encroachment of the fishermen
upon the fishing grounds on the coast of
Newfoundland, the commandment chief
of the North American station hired and
equipped number of small fast-saihng
schooners and dispatched them from
Halifax, Nova Scotia, to cruise on the
banks for the double purpose of stopping
encroachment and also to prevent the
Newfoundland fishermen from snug
Cling capelin Ga small fish used for bait
for cod to the French island of St.
Pierre, on whose rock-bound coast it is
not to be caught. Of one of these
schooners / was put in charge, and it was
while running through the straits of
Belleisle that the adventure / am about
to relate occurred to me.
had been visiting the stations on the
coast of Labrador, and was returning to
st. Johns, Newfoundland, through the
straits, when one evening / was caught
in a heavy northerly gale. AS night
closed in [ reduced our sail to treble
reefs, and knowing that ice was knocking
about placed extra lookouts on, and re-
manned Oh deck In charge of the vessel
myself.
To say the night was dark would give
no idea of the inky obscurity in which
we appeared to be sailing. One could
scarcely see an arm S length, and as for
discerning anything ahead that appeared
impossible. I say appeared, because
there is much difference IN having some
thing to look at and nothing; because,
In the latter case, you fancy that nothing
could be seen, even if anything were
there to be seen.
Meantime, the breeze kept increasing,
and had the close reefs taken in. At
midnight we were heading well out of
the straits, and / thought [ would go
below and endeavOr to snatch an hour 8
sleep, and was in the act of giving my
orders to the officer of the watch. when
lookout men of, ga sail ahead, stand
ing right for us, sirl'' startled me-
Rushing forward 1 saw the heavy. indis-
tinct form of what [ thought to be a
large vessel under a press of canvas,
within cables length Of us.
"Luffi luff all you camp I beloved
to the man at the helm; but he, either
misunderstanding my order, or else hav-
ing caught sight of the object we were
approaching, was too terrified to carry it
out, and instead of putting the helm
down, put it hard aweather. The
schooner fell off, felt the full force of the
gale and few with redoubled speed
through tine water.
In almost less time than 1t has taken
me to write the above half-dozen lines, [
saw that it was no sail, but gigantic
iceberg Had the helmsman luffed. we
might perchance have weathered it; but
it was now too late, and, with loud and
fearful crash, which threw myself and
all near me on the deck, the schooner
struck full upon it, her foremost going
short off by the board, but fortunately
injuring no one.
Cries of horror and distress arose from
all parts of the vessel. The watch below
rushed up on deck, many OF them with
out their clothes. All was for a moment
dlsmay and confusion, and as the schoon-
er rose and fell with the heave of the
sea, the crashing forward showed that
her bows were stove IN, and I at once
saw that, unless she fixed herself upon
the ice, she must, If she backed off it, 60
down. Most fortunately, she showed no
sign Of doing this, and, as the force of
the vino, aided by every heave of the
sea, forced her still further on the berg.
[ began to entertain some slight hopes
of saving my crew.
Collecting all hands, told them that
the only chance we had Of escape was by
their regaining their GOODNESS and strictly
obeying nay orders, and that, could we
but land on the berg, we should be COM
parahvely safe.
/ then directed one watch to get up
provisions, while with the others I got
the mainmast safely cut away This
done, secured the end of the deep sea
Headline around my body and, laying
out along the bowsprit, [ lowered my
self by a rope-end. and landed on part
of the ice which the waves did not reach,
and with some difficulty succeeded in
scrambGng up perfectly clear of the
spray. Here L found tolerably level
space. The schooner had struck on the
least precipitous side of the berg, and
having run nearly half her length up
ont OF the water, had become firmly
fixed; but this, of course, L did not dis
cover until the day broke.
Returning cautiously, | hailed for O.
stronger rope, and regained the deck.
found that during my absence quantity
of provisions and clothing had been got
on deck, which / directed to be made
into bundles, and, having directed each
person to secure one to his body. I
caused the men to land on the berg in
the manner l had done myself. Had L
known how firmly fixed the schooner
was, we might have been spared that
nights discomfort; but, not knowing.
deemed it advisable to abandon her at