Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-06-05
MOUNTAINS OFFICE.
Arctic Experiences of Incoming
EHrOpean steamers-The
midas Bow Crushed BY a
fSerx-SurrOunded By Ice.
New York Herald. l.

ILoLLAA1N ARECA
the exception of icebergs and fogs
The French steamer st. Laurent
which left Havre on May 20, sighted
several very large bergs on the 9th
ult., while of the lower point Of the
Banks. gThe steamship India, O. Carr;
Direct Hamburg line, had an actual
contact with one Of the floating ice
mountains, and great patch of plank
ing on her starboard bow showed
where q great hole had been torn
through her iron she'll by the collision.
The vessel, under command of Cap
tain Hoberland, left Hamburg May
Ia, with a general cargo of assorted
merchandise to Seager Brothers, and
492 steerage passengers.
The voyage was u%ueventful until
the morning Of May "A, when in lati-
tude Al degrees % minutes, longitude
81 degrees 81 minutes, two very large
icebergs we're encountered. They
we're about three hundred feet square,
and rose up above the surface of the
sea some fifty feet. The engines were
at once slowed up, especially as a fog
at that time settled down. When the
outlook became once more clear, full
Roadway was given the steamer; but
ID the morning efthe 18th the iceberg
difficulty became very serious. In the
words Of Captain Hoberland: We
knew from the excessive cbilliness Of
the atmosphere that we we're near
some of the icebergs, and we were
going on very slowly, when suddenly
one of the two men kept on the look
out cried out that we were close upon
one Of them. VIZ put the helm hard
a s~tarboard, and We struck with a sort
of slowing motion. | knew that the
blow was well forward of the first
bulkhead, so | did not feel any uneasi-
ness. The passengers were on deck
just after breakfast singing and some
of them dancing, and there was no
excitement worth mentioning, as they
had faith in me and took my word for
it when | told them that there was no
ground for apprehension. l found
that O hole about two by six feet had
been stove in above the water line,
and as the sea was calm we at ence
planked it up from the outside, calking
the work well, and then from the
inside we placed in a temporary cell
ing and shored 1t well, so that we did
not take in more than fifteen buckets
ful in the twenty four hours after the
blow.
SURROUNDED BY ICE.
"Within an hour and a half after
the accident we aeemed to be in the
midst of a field of icebergs, and at
times we could not look in any direc
tion without seeing them. We counted
at one time in sight no less than thirty
five monster ones, while there were lots
little ones, say about fifty feet square.
These latter are really very dangerous,
as they are likely to have points pro-
jecting out from their body under
water, and as they are big enough to
stave a hole in a vessel, they must not
be touched or an opening below the
water line may result. We did not
have so much fog that day, though at
the time we struck it was impossible
80 see the lookout from the bridge.
At times while We we're in the field it
was necessary to 80 hard astern in
order to secure a new passage way
when several bergs blocked up our
way Ia front. | have been at sea twenty
feur years and have been many times
about Cape Horn, but | never saw
such a collection of floating icebergs
before. We we're keeping we'll 10 the
south at the time, as | had passed over
the same track a few weeks before and
remarked how clear it was. The pas
sengers enjoyed the free show afforded
them very much.
Some of the icebergs assume very
fantastic shapes. There was one with
a great pointed top, which We styled
the Bishop, as it was a very gooc
representation, on a gigantic scale, O.
q priest with a long gown and havins
amitre on his head. There we're othel
curious forms, and then the melting O
the great masses would every now anf
then lead to the topping over of som,
towering projection, and they woulC
come tumbling down with a thunder
Ing noise and make a big splash a
they went into the sea, rolling owe.
and over for a while until they 90
balanced in the water. All the nigh
Of the 18th we were compelled to la,
10, as it is very difficult to see tn
floating masses of ice at any time, an
especially at night. We lost in all.
should say, about sixteen hours on &C
count Of the ice. On the 18th, in lat
itude AZ deg. % min, longitude 8
deg, We passed three rousing big ice
bergs, but it was then daylight an.
they were some distance away. In al
u iceberg region was about tire
hundred miles long. 1t was in tn
course Of steamers skirting the lowe
edge Of the banks. They must 70
good deal further south, as they wer
OF a size to stand a good deal Of mel
age, and they were very hard ice, too.
The steamer Habsburg, Capital
Warnkes, from Bremen, reported thi
on May q, between latitude 43 de
~ min, longitude AZ deg. 81 min,
latitude 43 deg, "A min, longitude
deg, 70 min, no less then twenty thr,
~icebergs Of formidable proportion
were passed. The weather was clei
at the timo.
The steamship Batavia, Capta.
Talbot, from Liverpool. also passed
close proximity TO the floating mou.
tains Of ice, meeting them on the q.
ult. between latitude AZ deg. OIL mil
longitude AZ deg. Is min. and latitu.
Al deg. AZ min, longitude 81 deg,
min.
Mrs. GarfieId's Wealth.
A Clevelander says: Mrs. Carrie
has $4,000 Q in government bonds. I