The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-14
The Frozen Shin.

The Frozen Ship.
One serene evening in the middle Of Au-
gust. 1775, Captain Walrens, the. master of
the Greenland, whale-ship, found HIM
SELF becalmed among an immense number
{ of icebergs, in about seventy seven degrees
OF north latitude, en- one side, and within a
mile Of his vessel These were of i'm.
mense neighth, and closely wedged together,
and succession of snow covered peaks
appeared behind each other as far as the
eye could reach; showing that the ocean
was completely blocked up in that quarter.
and that it had probably been SO for long
period of time.
Captain Warrens did not feel altogether
satisfied with Ills situation, but there being
no wind, he could not move one way or the
other, and he therefore kept a strict watch
knowing that he would be safe as long as
the lcebergs continued in their respective
places. About midnight, the wind rose to
gale, accompanied by thick showers of
snow, while succ ession of tremendous
laundering, grinding and crushing noises
gave evidence that the ice was in motion.
The vessel received violent shocks every
second, for the haziness of the atmosphere
prevented those on board from discover
ing In what direction the open water Law.
or if there was actually any at all on either
side of them.
The night was spent in lacking as often
as any cause of danger happened to present
itself, and in the morning the storm abated,
and Captains Warrens found, to his great
joy, that the ship had not sustained any
serious injury. He remarked that the &C.
cumulated icebergs which had on the pre-
ceding evening formed On impenetrable
barrier had been separated by the wind,
and that in one place canal Of open sea
wound its course among them as far as the
eye could discern. 1t was two miles be-
yond the entrance of this canal that ship
made its appearance about noon. The sun
shone brightly, and genie breeze blew
from the north.
Captain Warrens was struck with the
strange manner in which her sails were
disposed, and with the dismantled aspect
OF her rigging. She continued to go before
the wind for a few furlongs, and then
grounding upon the low icebergs, remained
motionless. Captain Warrens Immediately
leaped into his boat with several seamer.
and rowed toward her. On approaching
he observed that her hull was terribly
weather. beaten, and not soul appeared
on the deck, which was covered with snow
to a considerably depth. He then hailed
her crew, but no answer was returned,
Previous to stepping on board, an open
portfolio near the main. chains caught his
eye; and on looking into it, he perceived
man reclining back in . chair, with writ
ing materials on table before him; but
the feebleness of the light made everything
very indist1nct before him.
The party went upon deck, and, having
removed the hatchway, descended to the
cabin. They first came to the apartment
which Capt. Warrens viewed through the
port hole. A terror seized him as he en-
tered it; its inmate retained it's former posi-
ton, and seemed to be insensible to strang-
ers. He was found to bea corpse, and a
green damp mould had covered his cheeks
and forehead and yelled his open eyeballs.
He had pen in his hand, and log-book
lay before him. The last sentence on it's
unfinished page ran thus: Nov. 18th,
1862. We have been inclosed in the ice
seventeen days. Our fire went out yester-
day, and our master has been trying ever
since to kindle it again without success
His wife died this morning. There is no
relief" Capt. Warrens and his men hur-
RED to the spot without uttering word.
On entering the principal cabin the first
object that attracted their attention was the
dead body of female, reclining on bed
in an attitude of deep interest and attention.
Her countenence retained the freshness of
life, but contraction of the limbs showed
that her form was inanimate. Seated on
the floor was the corpse Of an exceedingly
young man holding steel in one hand and
a flint in the other, as if in the act of strik-
ing fire upon some finder which lay be-
side him. In the fore-part of the vessel
sel eral sailors were found lying dead in
their berths and the body of a boy crouched
at the bottom of the gangway stairs. Meth
er provisions nor fuel could be- discovered
anywhere; but Captain Warrens was pre-
vented by the superstitous prejudices of
his Seaman from examining the vessel as
infinitely as he wished to have done.
He therefore carried away the log-book,
returned to his own ship, and Immediately
steered to the southwark, impressed with
the awful example he had Just witnessed
Of the danger of navigating the Polar seas
in the high northern ATTITUDES. On return
ing to England he made various inquiries
respecting vessels that had disappeared in
an unknown way; and, by comparing the
results of those with the information which
was afforded BY the written documents in
his possession, he ascertained the name
aad history Of the imprisoned ship, and
of her unfortunate master; and found that
she had been frozen in thirteen years pre-
vious to the time of his discovering her
among the ice.
SuJff,TnE M uED % CUD nn,uUn