News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-03-02
Narrow Escape from Ieebergs.


While our ships were lying quietly at
the foot of this immense and wonderful
creation of ice, it happened that on the
morning of the 10th, the bergs immedi-
ately to seaward. of us commenced
whirling along in all directions, acted
upon either by different sets of the tide,
caused by quiet avalanche at some
short distance away, or else by vast
bodily pressure outward from the gla-
cier itself. However that may be, our
danger was imminent. The wind was
blowing strongly, so we double-reefed
the topsails, cast off and made sail. The
only passage of egress was between two
bergs that lowered loftily over our
mastheads. These were fast closing to-
gether; we had to run the gauntlet,
and not one moment too soon in fact,
ten seconds later, and believe we
should all have persisted, and the ship
have been smashed into pieces.
1t was sight to be once seen and ever
remembered. Sir James Ross standing
near the men at the helm, directing by
the motion of his hands, perfectly self
possessed, more handsome and noble
looking in his then cool and command
ing attitude than ever, every eye fixed
upon him, or painfully watching the
close distance between the majestic ar
biters of a fearful doom. Our very
breath was held as each and all seemed
to await the inevitable fat of the angel
of destruction. Moments became hours
as the vessels length forged through.
Crash crash not word, not a move
ment.
The lofty giants had closed on our
quarters, thrown one of our boats in
board on the deck, crushing her and
her davits the ship, checked, staggered
for moment the noise of her rushing
through the water reverberated up the
sides of the bergs, when, just as we ex-
pected to be overborne and flung into
eternity, our noble vessel, that seemed
to si.are in the exquisite tension of the
moment, slipped through, clear of the
splendid masses, that, losing all their
teirors, now commanded our admiration,
with full liberty of breathing action re-
sumed. Life was before us again. The
very ship was endeared to her crew from
that moment, for had not her very tim
ber assumed vital energy in the peril
ous moment? Did she not seem almost
to share our Joy and relief when. as it
were, passing through deaths icy grip,
she so nobly plunged again into clear
water? But fresh scene had arisen
before our eyes.
Countless icebergs of enormous mag
nitude had gathered round in all direc-
tions, obliging us again to yield obedi-
ence to their sway, unable to thread our
way to the open sea. Most fortunately
the mysterious commotion in the water
had ceased, and these colossal monu-
ments of arctic solitude had become mo-
tionless. We looked up to their sum-
mits with mixed feeling of wonder and
awe, and gazing among the tortuous
passages formed by the accidental variety
of their positions, were fully impressed
with the certainty that no such mighty
display or marvellous panorama would
ever again confront our astonished
senses. The everlasting glacier, in
quiet repose, during storm or calm,
passing ages failing to alter a feature,
kindles the idea of a convocation of
chaos CONCEALED into continent of
order, o'erspread by winding. sheet
descendant from heaven, and purified
by glance of the Almighty.-"Cona-
o1o nm dion, Tbo,t,oo -