The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-09-30
CRUSHED IN TuE ICE.
A Captains Story OF the Loss of Whaling
SiPampr


Steamer.
The iollhwing letter appears in the Bng-
hamton Republican Of a recent date:
BARK MABEL, OFF PoINT BARROW, Arc
TIC OCEAN, July %, lSS2.-In haste will
drop you line by the bark Thomas Pope,
giving Arctic news up to date. The
whaling bark sappho was stove and
wrecked by the ice in May last, aud about
July SthNhe steamer North Star, new
ship just off the stocks, and built as strong
as iron and wood could make her, was
crushed by the ice like an egg-shell, giving
the crew barely time to jump out on the ice,
This ship was built for Arctic ice hamg F;
no expense was spared to make her strong,
and when the day of trial came she proved
that she was well built, for before
the final death-struggle came the ice
hove her clear from the water several
times on top of the foe ice. Then the
pressure would relax and she would settle
back in her native element. But at last
there come one solid mass of ice of about q
thousand acres, which had broken off from
the main field along the land. The captain
said 1t came on with that slow but ire
sistible force that all whalemen who come
to the Arctic ocean dread so much. I'm
fortunately there was no small ice between
| 1t and the doomed ship. Had there been il
would have been forced under her, and she
would have been thrown on too OF the ice
once more, but il was not to be. Onward
il came like the day of doom; il caught
her between it and the immoyable land
field, and in fifteen minutes it had crushed
and ground the gallant ship into shape
less mass OF ltindllng wood. The crew had
| Just time to pick up bag of bread for each
man, throw it on the ice and follow il on
the double quick, when her immense deck
beams were broken in two and came
crashing up through her decks. The
pressure was endwayS, hut they broke
| like reeds. Then her tail masts and yards
| fell over on the ice with crash, the men
barely getting out ofthe way in time. The ice
/ opened, and all that was left of the gallant
North Star gave one plunge and diSaD-
peared beneath the ice never to be seen
! again by man. She was crushed near Cape
Smith, where the United States govern
ment has weather signal station ia COM
mand of Lieutenant Z. IL. Raw, brother
ln-law OF DR.. Andrews, OF Biughamton
! Lieutenant Ray heard the crashing of the
ships timbers on shore, some two miles
distant, and fastened over the ice to the
| wrecked crew, who stood on the ice without
a home, and IL seemed to them without u
| friend. But the generous hearted Ray told
the crew to come on shore to the signal sta
ton and as long as he and his men had a
ration they would share it with them
| Captain Owens and his crew feel very CRATE
! full to the brave lieutenant and his kind
ness toward them until they were able to
| get oil to the ships, which could not get to
| them for some time The lieutenant and
his men are well, and have enjoyed good
health all winter shall never again look
ut Old Probability's predictions of the
weather, but | shall remember Lieuten.
ant Rays long winter up here in this cold
and dreary Arctic station, for | can assure
| you thai it is no siuecure. They stand
watch night and Jay, and take obscrya-
| tions every other five minutes during the
twenty-four hours. But the wind is rising,
| the ice coming in shore so | must close
this hasty letter to fight ice,