The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-03-23
Caught in the Ice.

A shocking disaster to human life
among the bleak ice fields that now and
again intrude upon the waters of the
eastern coast of Newfoundland has very
recently occurred. 1t had nearly out
sstripped in magnitude the dismal ice-foe
tragedy of April, two years ago, an ac-
count of which was published in the
Herald at the time. The sad story of the
present is briefly told:
On the first day of the last week in
January, nine skiffs. with their crews,
left Porte de Grave, a town on the north
west side Of Conception bay, to proceed
to Topsail, on the south side. The num-
Der of men manning these skiffs has not
yet been ascertained with any accuracy,
but the aggregate number would proba-
bly, be fifty. Their destination was the
neighborhood of Topsail Big Pond,
where, from the surrounding forests,
they were accustomed to cut frames of
houses, fake pieces. stage timber and
winter firewood. They crossed the bay
without accident, and having completed
their work left for home on the morning
of the LIST instant The wind was blow
ing moderate breeze from the eastward,
and there was a strong westerly set of the
Arctic current.
Before they had reached the central
line of the bay they found that the north
ern drift-ice was running in with great
rapidity, both along the northern and
southern shore of Conception Bay.
Borne along both by wind and current, it
appeared to them as well and as hopeful
to proceed as to retreat. They accord
ingly determined to keep on their home
bound course, but this was fatal decis-
ion. In few hours they were literally
imprisoned in sea of ice. Seven of the
skiffs which had not parted company en-
ergetically united their whole forces, and
after hours of terrible struggling, sue
ceeded in libearting themselves from
their icy bondage. This the joint crew
effected by dragging the skiffs altern-
ately over the ice. pans and through the
watery slatches till they eventually
reached the inner western edge of the ice
and succeeded in making the harbor of
Killegrew in safety.
The other two skiffs that were nearly a
mile further advanced in the bay were as
hopelessly caught, with all retreat cut
off, as would be an unfortunate sailor
overheard, fallen into the corpse-like
embrace of devil-fsh. The two i'll
fated skiffs were commanded by men
named, respectively, Porter and Man.
gan. The precise number of the crew in
each skiff, or their names, bave not
been able to ascertain. There is no tele-
graphic communication with that portion
of Conception Bay where the disaster &C.
Cured, and, although five days have
elapsed, it was only last night by an ex-
press courier that the news reached your
correspondent. The unparalleled snowfall
along the line of the road has inter-
rupted all communication during the
past week. The wind blowing from the
eastward while the skiffs were crossing
the bay, it was earnestly hoped by the
people looking on from the shore that
they would be able to effect landing on
Kelly's Island, but that hope has been
dispelled.
Wednesday night last was one of ter
rife storm and wind and frost, and those
skiffs were unlocked ard unprovided
with fuel or means of kindling fire.
They had barely one days provisions on
board. Under favorable circumstances
they could have reached their homes in
four or FIVE hours, and hence their
absolute lack of resources in food and
fire.
A traveller on foot who arrived last
Thursday evening from the gullies of
Fox Trap, reports having seen the two
skiffs locked in the embrace of the ice
foes about ten miles from the highlands
of Brigus. When looked at through o
glass there was no vestige of human life
visible, and the unfortunate crews must
have persisted by the most cruel Of
deaths-frost and starvation. No rescu-
ing party could reach them, as the ice
plain was of that fatal mixed character
compound of snow and ice--over which
q human foot could not travel, and
through which no vessel save power
full ice steamer could penetrate. Far
from their friends and homes, imbedded
in a sea of ice, their bodies are doubtless
rigidly entombed in their frail skifis, and
the wintry winds may long moan a re-
QUEEN over their sufferings and sad fate.
n. Y. Herald.