Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-24
The Paruvtan Safe lin Port.

The Peruvian Safe lin Port.
 QUEBEC, May 23.-The steamer Peruvian, which has been twenty-six days out arrived at this port at D. m today in tow of the tug Rocket and the steamship Arcadian, from St. Pierre. Mlquelon. Her passage was both an eventful and tedious one, owing to ice, severe storms, fog,,and damage to her screw and at one time she owed her safety to a providential change in the wind off Cape Ray. Her difficulties began few days previous Icebergs were seen, but on the morning Of could be seen ahead but an immense field of ice, extending far as the eye could reach, and about dozen ships were passed during the day which had come to anchor, waiting for the ice to break At Il o'clock that night the Peruvian was unable to proceed any fur ther The next morning she put on full steam and made desperate effort to break her way through the icy barrier, but had not gone far before she broke her screw, and lay helpIessly fast bound. The steamship Lake Huron lay in sight behind, and two other steamers, one of which was supposed to be the Polyneslan.
 On May snow storm set in, whose dls- piriting effect it took all the efforts of the most persistent Mark Tapleys on beard to counteract. On the 10th the outlook was still far from cheering. The stesrage passen gers were reduced to short rations on the event of the vessel being detained in the ice for month, which then appeared to be by no means an unlikely event. Biscuits were ordered to be served out only every other morning and oatmeal gruel was altogether dispensed with, hardship which was keenly felt by the women and children. On the 11th the ice began to move, but the vessel made but very little progress. The weather was beautifully clear and at night northern lights made magnificent display. Nothing event. full occurred to disturb the monotony on board until the 14th, when a commotion arose over the apprehension of 8 man trunks. The Irish section would have lynched him had it not been for the Intervention of the steward and for the remainder of the trip the man had to be escorted to his meals and to go on deck for safety immediately after. The Flake Huron" had by this time got up steam and cleared her way through the floating ice On the 18th not vessel was in sight and the ice became thicker than ever and she was blown so close to the land that it was feared she would go ashore, but the wind veering round she was enabled to get out in the open sea again On the 17th schooner hove in sight and was signalled,a boat was lowered and the purser got on board with instructions to make for the nearest telegraph station to send news to Quebec At p. m. he had not returned though anxiously expected, andarockets were | fired every ten minutes. On the 18th 8 schooner came in sight, but could not get l alongside owing to the ice and the captain 1 and purser walked over the ice, which was in 1 Jumps of about forty feet thick and fifty 1 wide. to the steamer from which boat was 1 lowered and they were taken on board The &Io 41~A4
 steamers were on the lookout for the dis. tressed vessel since the 11th. After hailing a couple of steamers which proved to be strangers the crew and passengers had the delight of being hailed by the Griffin and l shortly afterward by the Acadian with provi- i sions on board. The Peruvian was taken in | tow by the Acadlan, the Griffin keeping alongside and on the 21st the tug Rocket | also came to the rescue and in tow of the | Arcadian and Rocket she came in port this afternoon. Thus ended this prolonged voy. age, with, fortunately, no loss of life, but ar i addition to the living freight, for two infants ] first saw the light amid those untoward cir 1 cumstances. One of them was christene6 Allan, after the steamship company. About eight hundred passengers were on board
 most of whom are bound for Ontario an6 the northwest. The above account Is taker from the diary of one of the steerage passen l gers, and gives but an inadequate idea of tht scene of anguish and hope deferred whicl must have taken place during this prolonged voyage.
 The powerful tug Progress, which had
 been first sent to the assistance of the Peru
 vian, took fire opposite Green Island and was completely destroyed. Three of the crew are missing. About six sailing ships also
 came in to day. One, the George Gilroy of Grunock, was twenty days
 in the ice. The captain reports the icebergs
 the largest he ever saw, being from three
 hundred to three hundred and fifty feet
 high and in full from one to three miles il
 length. When off Cape Aquila he not1ced :
 ship of 1000 tons ashore with her masts all
 gone. The crew could be seen ashore walk ing up and down with their hats and coats
 spread on the ground as if to dry. Owing
 to the large quantities of ice it was impossi
 ble to approach the shore. He passed some
 fifty sailing vessels and three steamera.