The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-08
xrIANCHoLy DISASTER.
~,,e Boats Besct by Drift Zee "a New
foundiand.

- JoESs. y. f.. February Ga shock
.,,,, disaster 10 human life among the bleak
;r,-6elds that now and again intrudc upon
49, waters ~ the eastern coast OF New
,corIlsnd has very recently occurred. II
ho. nearly outstripped in magnitude the
'i,.,,si jcc-Aoe tragedy OF April two years
20 an account Of which was published in
49,, J{,rod at the time. The sad >tor! OF
,hc pre-cnt is briefly told:
FuE UL-FATED EXPEDITION.
AN ,he first day Of tho last week IN JAM
.,,r, nine Skifs, with their crews. left
49,, A, Grave, n town on the northwest
IA, ~ Conception bay. 20 proceed to Top
IN on The south side. The number Of
,,,.n manning these skiilS has not Yet been
.,.ors.;ned with any accuracy. but the az
.r,e.ie number would probably he hity.
MIR destination was the neighborhood OF
.r,u.all Big Pond, where from the sur
r.tindipg forests they were accustomed 10
.pi frames of houses, flake pieces. stage
fimhcr. and winter firewoOd. They crossed
me- lnv without accident. and having COM
,ic,.d their work left for home on thc
morning 81 the lSt instant. The wind was
llo,,ing moderate breeze from The cast
uorA. and there was a strong westerly
,cf = TIE Arctic current.
PERILOUS SITUATION.
geior, they had reached the central lire
of fhc hay they found that the northern
dr,fi-i,e Wa running In with great rapidi-
q, both along the northern and southern
.hor,., of Conception bay. Borne along
loih ly wind and current. II then appeared
to thcn as we'll and rs hopeful 10 proceed
5,ior,treat. They accordingly determined
% rccp on their homcward-bOund course;
huf ,ii. was a fatal decision. In q few
i,iirs they were literally imprisoned IN
sea, N ice seven Of the skis which had
mai uarted company energctically united
th,;, whole forces. and. after hours OF ter
,itle struggling. succeeded in liberatinS
themselves from their icy bondage. TINS
nm. ioipt crews effected by dragging their
skin, alternately over The icc-pans and
through the watery slatche> TIL they event.
mll, reached the inner western edge oil the
lrc. and succeeded in making the harbor Of
kllip1TcWs in safety.
Two CREWS CAUGHT IL TIE ICE.
III. other two skins that were nearly
ni,c further advanced in the hay were Us
hppclo.ely caught, with all retreat cat OF,
l, would be- an unfortunate sailor over
board fallen into The coTpse-lihc embrace Of
,dr,i-i>h. The two Inflated >kiti~ were
commanded by men named respectively
Porter aud Mangan. The precise number
o} ihr crew in each skid, or their names,
bl,. moi been able 10 ascertain. There i
r. Geographic communication with that
partition Of Conception bay where the
disaster occurred, and although five days
have chpscd, Il was only last night
hy I'D cNprts. courier that the news
reached your correspondent. The I'M
u4r,llclrd snowfall. along the line Of
road has interrupted al communication
during fhcpgst week. The wind blowing
from The eastward while the ski0s were
crossing the bay. il was earnestly hoped
%, the peoplr looking on from the shore
that they would be able 10 effect landing
on Kelly's island, but that hope has been
di-prlied.
PROBABLE SUFTEEINGs OF TIE LOST.
Wednesday night last was one OF terrific
Storm md wind and frost, and those skiil>
were unlocked and unproyided with fuel
or means Of kindling a fire. They had
barely one days provisions on board. In
der favorable circumstances they could
have reached their homes in iour 10 tiye
hour. and hence their absolute lack Of re-
sources in food and fire.
4 traveller on foot who arrived on last
Thursday evening from the gullie> Of Fox
Trap reports having seen the two skiiis,
locked in the embrace of the ice-floeS.
about ten miles from the highlands OF
Bigu>. When looked at through Il glass
there Was no yestige OF human life visible,
and the unfortunate crews must have per-
shed by the most cruel Of Deaths frost
and starvation. No rcscuing party could
reach them, as the ice plain WAS Of that
fatal mixed chanctcr-a compound OF
SHOW and ice-oyer which q human foot
could not travel, and through which no
yc.>d save powerful ice steamer could
ucudraie. Far from their friends and
homes. embedded in sea Of ice, their
bodies are doubtless rigidly entOmbed in
their Trail -kifls. and the wintry winds may
lone moan requiem over their suffering,
.uN I'D lat.