The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1882-09-23
Loss of the Steam Whaler North Star.

From the Alta California.
The people at the Signal Service Station, Pt.
Barrow, saw the steam whaler North Star first
on June 29th. She came up by the Sea Horse
Islands, but the ice closed in behind her. She
followed a lead, hoping to get through the shore
ice, but remained in the ice until July Sth,
when she was caught between the moving pack
and the grounded shore ice, and crushed like Il
nutshell. She was literally ground to pieces in
a few minutes. The Illus correspondent was
up the coast about half a mile and was admir-
ing the vessel when he noticed her set her flag
of distress. He Immediately hurried back, but
by the time he got to the scene she was ground
and half an hour after all that could be seen was
a broken mast and her smoke-stack, which hap
pened to fall on a piece of ice. The crew saved
themselves and got ashore safely, and ratiOng
were dealt out to them until the steam whalers
Bowhead and Belvidere came up, when they
were taken aboard and distributed through the
fleet, excepting Captain Owen, the engineer,
steward and Captain Coleson of the wrecked
bark Sappho. These subsequently went aboard
the Thomas Pope.
The following is Captain Ovens own MARIA
tion of his voyage: ''Sailed from Honolulu
March 18th, 1882, for the Arctic Ocean. Passed
Fox Island April 18th, and sailed through Behr-
ing Sea without seeing any ice until we arrived
i'll the Sea of Tensdiz, latitude Ga. north, longi-
tude 49, west, where we saw the first ice, az
north of where we usually found ice, at the
same date other seasons. Worked through the
ice pack to north shore off Plover Bay, May 9TH,
where we saw several whales, the first seen by
us Was boarded there by natives with letters
from Lieutenant Barry and Lieutenant Warning,
informing us of the loss of the United States
steamer Rodgers in st. Lawrence Bay, Novem-
Der 1881, and requesting the first vessel receiv-
ing these letters TO come to their relief and to
take them to some port. Got up steam imme-
diately and pushed through young ice all the
way, but succeeded in getting within three
miles OF their position on the 9Th instant, at
3 am. Set flags at all the mastheads, and was
boarded during the day, across tn ice by a
portion of the wrecked people. Placed the ship
and resources at the disposal of the command
ing officer, Lieutenant Warning. During the
next week We got all the people on board from
the different settlements and their effects, and
started for some port south. In the night we
met the revenue cutter Thomas Corwin, which
was sent after the Rodgers officers and crew.
We transferred them on board and proceeded on
our cruise. We found the natives very shot
of food, and many of the wrecked people told
me the natives with whom they lived deprived
themselves daily to give the food to them. We
cruised in Beripg Strait and Arctic Ocean after
parting with the Corwin until June 25th, it be-
ing a very open season, when we were
beset in the ice off Cape Smith and made fast to
the ground ice about six and a half miles of
shore. The ice remained closed on and pressing
by driving the next twelve or thirteen days.
Having broken off the ground ice to about two
and a half miles wide, had worked in until Q
quarter of a mile further would have placed the
ship in safety. Was there crushed and sunk or
the Sth of July. We only saved two casks OF
provisions and three boats and "a few personal
effects. Landed across the ice at the United
States Signal Station, aud were received there
by Lieutenant p. III. Ray"