Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-08
DISASTER IN THE ARCTIC.
Two Whaling Banks and rIany Lives Lost
in the Drifting Zee.


[San Francisco Bulletin, August 9Th
The whaling schooner James A. Garfield
which arrived from the Arctic last evening
with a cargo of whale oil, bone, etc
brought sad news. Two vessels. the bark
Napoleon and the bark Gazelle, were
crushed by the ice and lost. Many lives
are reported to have been lost. Several
vessels other than those named were dam
aged more or less.
The particulars of the loss of the bark
Napoleon were brought by Captain Muir
ray, Master of the Garfield The bark Ma
poeon was stove by the zee in Behring Sea
at P. NJ. on May 9TH, in latitude 1909.
longitude 177o 40 east. While working
through lead she struck a piece of ice,
and in a few minutes was discoveredsto be
full Of water in the lower hold The
boats were cleared. and what little provis-
ions could be found thrown into them. In
ten minutes after the vessel was discovered
to be stove i'll she rolled over. Captain
Smith, second and fourth mates, with two
boat crews, we discovered May OH, at | P.
NJ. Three of the crew had died of ex-
posure and in less than twenty-fours hours
all would have been dead. Two boats are
still missing, without any chance Of ever
being heard from. The missing boats con-
tanned the first mate, w. A. Rogers, and
third mate, Thomas Pcare, with seventeen
men. Captain Smith reported that after
leaving the Napoleon he encountered a
severe gale from the north northeast,
which came near swapping the boat
Captain Murray also brings the following
account of the loss of the GaZelle, which is
signed by Captain F W. Newth. late Master
OF the Gazeiie; The Gazelle was stove in
the ice about twenty miles S. s. L. of S. W
Cape st. Lawrence Island, at 3:f5 A. NJ, on
the morning of June 3D. She was going
along under easy sail through scattering
ice. when the second mate reported the
ship full of water. Immediately all hands
were called, and manned the ships pump
and two folce-pumps, but in spite of all
efforts found the ship rapidly sinking. The
boats were ordered cleared, and the vessel
abandoned at \. NJ The water was then
eighteen inches above the between decks.
and as the ice was rapidly closing about the
vessel it was deemed useless to remain
longer. Had a strong breeze from w. 5. W.
and thick fog; steered northwest by the
compass for six hours, and landed at
Southwest Cape at y NJ. Camped for
short time, and then worked along the
shore for few miles, when three boats
hauled out on the beach for the night On
the morning of the 9th again took to the
boats and after a sail of thirty miles were
picked up by the bark Arnolda and the
oSHOOilSI a: "a iIdlii4ltOil' "ucIl We 4edTncu
that the other two boats had been picked
up the day before by the bark Abram Bar
ker, and | thank Captains Marvin. Nc
Gregor and Hayes for their kindness to my
crew and myself while on board their yes
sell"
The Gazelle was one of the San Fran
cisco feet OF which James Sennett q Co.
were agents. The Napoleon belonged to
the New Bedford feet-Jared Jernigan.
agent The Young Phoenix, Dawn Eliza
and Arnolda were more or less damaged.
The Balena was badly stove, but was able
to repair.