Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-12-01
that she Was so firmly fixed that. unless

| SA-O
heavy weather again came on, We might
yet make her our home for some time tc
come, although it would be quite out o.
power to make her seaworthy again, ever
if it had been possible for us to launch
her, which 1t most decidedly was not.
Climbing on board, the cook at once
set to light the galley fire and prepared
breakfast, and then I cast about fo]
means OF securing her in her position
and this determined to do by laying thu
bower anchors out on the ice and heay
ing in taut on the cables.
Breakfast over we rugged a pair OF
sheers, and dislnounting one of our two
guns, got it's carriage over the bows, an6
lowering the starboard anchor into It
contrived by the aid of a deck tackle tc
drag it up to the level space we had
spent the night on.
| This done, we served the port anchor
the same, AMI then dragged the ends OF
! the cables to them and reshackled them.
We then. by the aid of pickaxes, buried
the anchors securely in the ice. and
bringing the cables to the windlass hove
them tant. Doing this occupied us
nearly the whole day.
Again night approached, and again we
assembled-but this time on board the
schooner-to offer up onr prayers for de-
hIer"nce; and then, having set watch,
turned in and slept the sleep of the
! tired.
Another dawn brought no change in
the weather, the fog hanging like pail
| around us, and the sea continuing smooth
and calm; but toward night the wind
sprang mp again from the north, and
clearing the fog off gave us hopes Of be-
! ing able on the morrow to determine
our position, which I had every reason
to believe WAS not very far from fire.
quented fishing grounds; but we were
again disappointed, for before daybreak
the fog came down again, and another
day was passed in uncertainty and doubt.
During the afternoon endeavored to
form some idea of the size of the berg,
but was unable to 10 so. The highest
point we could see appeared to be about
one hundreu and fifty feet in altitude;
but it rose up so preclpitiously from the
little plain on which we spent our first
night that we could not ascend it, SO we
were unable to form any conjecture as to
its shape or size. One fear alone haunted
me, and that was that it might capsize,
and could not help remembering that I
had on previous occasions seen icebergs
Go 50 without giving any warning. save
premonitory rocking; but this was not
destined to be our fate, and our third
night passed unmarked by any accident,
About noon OF the fourth day the
glorious sun shone out and quickly dis
PEELED the fog, and our eyes We're glad
ened by the sight of the distant shores of
Newfoundland.
Anxiously was the horizon scanned for
fishing vessels, but none were seen; and
then I remembered it was Sunday, and
that most of the boats would have made
their ports the night before. Our own
boats were stove and useless, SO all we
could do was to hold the usual SUNDAY
service, aud patiently await the event OF
another day.
Next morning we were up betimes;
but hour after hour pissed, and still no
welcome sail hove in sight, and we felt
the full truth of "hope deferred maketh
the heart SICK" but Just before sunset.
the welcome cry of "Sail, oh!'' sent a
flood of Joy to our bosoms, and a couple
VI uSuluS, UUilS were seen meaning well
up for us.
To charge our remaining mounted gun
and fire it was but the work Of moment,
and before the smoke had cleared away,
we had the Joy Of seeing them steer direct
for lis.
All was now happiness and JOY, and I
thought no better time could be chosen
for sending up our thanks for our almost
miraculous preservation.
Soon after was done the boats hove to
close under the schooner's stern. and
heaving lines to us were brought along
side.
Unbounded was the establishment of
the fishermen. and hearty and warm
their congratulations on our escape.
l at once chartered them to convey
ourselves AMI RS many of our stores as
could he saved 10 st. Johns; and, next
day, having removed into them as much
as they could carry. We set fire to the
wreck and made sail for that port, where
we arrived safely, and from whence T
returned to Halifax by packet. Arrived
there, We we're tried by court of in
quiry for the loss OF the schooner, fully
acquitted Of all blame, and congratulated
on our fortunate escape.