The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1882-10-05
The Loss Of the Ezra.

York Heratt gives the following detailed
account by Leigh Smith of the expert
ences in the Arctic regions of the crew
Of the lost steamer Ezra: uI.
On the 18th of June, 1881, the Ezra
left Peterhead. The ice was very far
south. No opening could be found to
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 | decided to return to
Gray Bay and wait till more favorable
opportunity should present 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 I'M
able to pass to the eastward OF Barents
Hook, was made fast to a land foe off
Cape Flora. The next few days was
spent in collecting plants and fossils,
which, unfortunately were lost with the
vessel. On August 81 the Ezra was
heavily nipped. About ten a. m. leak
was discovered and all hands were 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 flour and about
800 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 saving
the stores in the after-cabin, which con-
sisted chiefly of vegetables. Rarely 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 a few spars and young
polar bear in a cask. Some of the sails
were cut away, and with them and some
oars a tent was erected on the ice. A
fire was lit and coffee made, which, with
some bread and part of pudding that
had been made for the days dinner,
made somewhat spare meal for twenty
five men who had been working nearly
the whole day without any food. Nobody
grumhled, 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 at Cape Flora, and
the crew went to bed with lighter hearts,
as two bears had been shot during the
day.
1t was soon evident that the winter
would have to bespent 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 floated out by the rain, at others
spending most of the night endeavoring
to keep up the tent during heavy gale.
Before the wind set in sixteen walrus
were shot and several bears. Our prin-
cipal food consisted of walrus and bear
meat, which, boiled with vegetables, was
served out three times a day into twenty
five plates made out of old provision tins.
Cooking had to be done inside the house.
The fire was mostly made by means of
blubber and rope, as very little coal had
been saved from the ship. Many times
everybody 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 ex-
element during the long dark days.
They would often prowl around the tent,
and many 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 always gave good warn
ing 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 wiggling his
tail and barking furiously until some of
them followed him. To their delight
some walrus 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 hours
exciting hunt, five were killed.
In January, again. a dog aided in saw
ing the lives of the Ezra crew and found
some walrus on the ice. Three very
A.sa 81 duiiAbio NcTc kIlleu. AlLnOuVl
there were seventy 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 con-
slderably in preventing the excessive
cold for the next few weeks being so dis
astrous to the crew as it 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 a shot
Good fortune, however, seemed never to
desert us. Before the end of March
eight bears had been killed, and in April
the birds came back. Every effort was
made to climb the cliff. The land foe ex-
tended 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 in
hundreds. Five were killed in one dav.
For some days nothing was done but
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