Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-08-26
LOSS OF PIE EZRA.
The Vessel Crushed In the Ice-A
Narrative of Endurance.

nppeu IN the Ice and sank on August
p, last year, off Cape Flora. The crew
wintered at Cape Flora, suffering consid-
cradle hardships. They were picked up
on the Nova Zembla coast by a Dutch
schooner and conveyed on board the
Hope.
Mr.. Leigh Smith gives the following
narrative On the 18th of June, 1881,
the Ezra left Peterhead. The ice was
very far south. No opening could be
found to enable her to get north until
the middle of July. Franz Josef Land
was reached July %. The Ezra steamed
along the coast to within fifteen miles
of Cape Ludlow. The ice was closely
packed to the north. So l decided to
return to Gray Bay and wait until
more favorable opportunity should pre-
sent itself to go north.
On August the Ezra was made fast
to land foe near Bell Island. A stone
house was erected of material taken out
in the Ezra. On August Is the Ezra
left Bell island, and, being unable to
pass to the eastward of Barents Hook,
was made fast to land foe off Cape
Flora. The next few days were spent
in collecting plants and fossils, which,
unfortunately, were lost with the vessel.
On August the 21st the Ezra was heavily
nlpped. About ten a. Ii. a leak was
discovered and all hands set to the
pumps. The donkey engine was also
started, but was soon disconnected from
the pumps and by means of the steam
winch six casks of -four and about three
hundred weight of bread were saved
from the main hold. BY this time the
leak had gained to such an extent that
nothing more could be saved from the
lower deck. The engines again started
to pump but were soon drowned out.
All hands were then engaged in saw
ing the stores in the after cabin, which
consisted chiefly of vegetables. Barely
two hours elapsed from the time the
leak was discovered till the time when
the vessel had to be abandoned. All
the boats were saved. Most of the men
saved some clothes and bedding
Hardly had the last man left the ship
when the ice eased, and the Ezra rapidly
sank. Nothing came up except few
spars and young Polar bear in cask.
Some Of the sails were cut away. and
with them and some oars n tent was
erected on the ice. A fire was lit and
coffee made, which, with some bread
aud part of pudding that had been
made for the days dinner, made a some
what spare meal for twenty-five men,
who had been working nearly the whole
day without any food. Nobody grum-
bled, as every one knew he would have
to learn to govern his appetite. as the
stock Of meat would only suffice for
three months at the most. Next morn
ing everything was moved to the land.
A tent was put up Mt Cape Flora, and
the crew went to bed with lighter hearts,
as two bears had been shot during the
dav.
1t was soon evident that the winter
would have to be spent at Cape Flora.
SO house was built of stones and turf.
covered with sails. For sixteen nights
all the crew lived in the tent, sometimes
almost tloated out by the rain, at others
spending most of the night endeavor-
ing to keep up the tent during a heavy
gale. Before the wind set in sixteen
walrus were shot and several bears.
Our principal food consisted of walrus
and bear meat, which, boiled with vege-
tables, was served ont three times a day
into twenty-five plates made of old pro-
vision tins. Cooking had to be done
inside the house. The fire was mostly
made by means of blubber and rope, as
very little coal and wood had been
saved from the ship. Many times every
body was compelled to rush out of the
house to avoid being suffocated with
the smoke which the fire emitted when
ever an inexperienced hand took upon
himself the duties of cook.
Frequent visits from bears were the
sources OF excitement during the long
dark days. They would often prowl
round the tent, ard many a man got
scared on rushing out in the dark. The
only safe plan was to send a dog in
front OF anybody going out, as he al
ways gave good warming when bear
was near. One day about the end of
October two men were walking on the
ice in front of the hut when a dog
rushed home wagging his tail and bark
ing furously until some of them fol-
lowed him. To their delight some wal
rus were seen lying on the ice. The
two men returned to the house and
every rifle was prepared to give the
walrus heavy volley. Several were
shot, but nearly all fell into the water.
A boat was launched and, after an
honr's exciting hunt, five were killed.
In January again dog aided in saw
ing the lives OF the Ezra crew and found
some walrus on the ice. Three very
large animals were killed. Although
there We're 20 degrees of frost at the
time everybody worked with will until
meat and blubber were safely slowed
alongside the hut. This good fortune
enabled an extra amount OF meat to be
cooked every day and aided consider
ably IN preventing the excessive cold
for the next few weeks being SO dis
astrous to thecre as 1t otherwise might
have been. 1t was at first thought that
food would be easy to obtain, but in the
middle of March there was scarcely two
weeks meat remaining. Every bear
that was now seen was eagerly watched.
Woe to the man who missed q shot
Good fortune, however, seemed never
to desert us. Before the end of March
eight bears had been killed and i'll
April the birds came back. Every effort
was made to climb the cliff. The land
foe extended seven or eight miles. so
no walrus could be killed. Bears were
very scarce, but in June strong gale
cleared the ice away for twenty-four
hours and the walrus were swimming in
the water i'll hundreds. Five were killed
in one day.
For some days nothing was done but