San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-12-02

and nights there wasn't puff of wind with
the cold SO intense that ice formed to the
thickness of seven feet alongside the bark.
At Daylight on the morning of the 5th a
squall came out of the southwest, accom-
panied by snow, and before noon the ice
field was broken up. At noon the wind
died almost out, but within an hour il
shipped to the north, and away went every
thing to the south. A wilder sight than a
sea covered with great cakes and blocks of
ice, each one tossing, grinding and crash
ing on its own account, no one ever saw.
We dared show only rag of sail-just
enough to give her steerage way-and the
smas hing she got that afternoon seemed
enough to break every timber in her bows
At night the wind fell again, aud at
o'clock the thermometer marked AZ dogs.
below. AS soon as the heave of the sea
subsidized the ice was firmly welded to-
gether again, and when morning came
there were hills and hummocks in sight as
big as the ship. The men were now told
by the mate that our position was about
ninety miles north of Smiths bay, and
that our foe was no longer drifting. This
siguitied that the southern edge of it rested
against the shore ice, and that we were in
for it, unless some unlocked for streak of
luck came to our aid.
Next day there were heavy wind squalls,
but the ice did not break nor did the ship
move. That settled it. For the next week
we had Gains and squalls, with the tenn
perature ranging from % to IS dogs. be
low, but the pack was as solid as a rocky
ledge We were housed in by this time
and had established the winter routine.
and the arctic night had come. For the
next month. not to weary the reader with
details, our life was that so often described
in the books. Then a sudden and terrible
interruption came. The bark began to
heave out. The first movement occurred
at about 10 o'clock in the forenoon. and
filled everybody with dire alarm. After
five minutes she heaved again, lifting right
out of the solid field, with great cakes
clingng to her. as if machinery was at
work. As she lifted she canted 20 star
board, and at noon her decks were
at an angle of 10 degrees. 1t has
always seemed TO me that powder
ought to have been used to blow up the ice
around her and let her back. Indeed, had
not our captain got so badly ratified we
could have cut and sawed and dragged
half an acre of ice in half day. The car.
penter, who had little plan of his own,
reported that the heave had shattered
several planks in her bottom, and that she
would fill if she was Graded back. She
took one more heave, canting over until
almost on her beam ends and then we got
the order TO abandon her.
We got out clothing, bedding, provi-
siOns. a compass and four boats, and at
midnight headed away in four gangs for
Smiths bay, each gang having a boat,
which was dragged and lifted over the ice.
The order to abandon ship has the same
effect on the sailor that the order TO re-
treat does on the soldier IL creates a
panicky feeling and he loses his judg
ment. We had not gone five miles before
some of the men began to curse the cap
tains stupidity in leaving the neighbour
hood of the bark, and others expressed
their doubts of the carpenters reports.
However, all pressed forward, and after
making ten miles we went into camp.
Fortunately for us there was no wind,
while the thermometer was only about Is
dogs. below. After rest Of six hours we
pushed on again, and now our marches
and rests were marked by hours. 1t was
terrible hard work crossing those ice fields,
and five hours Of pulling hauling, climb
ing and sliding were enough to wear out
the best man in the crew.
We had mace forty miles or more, and
were sUTduss out Oh the pack for mile or
more, when man named Tinkerson and
myself, who were ahead to pick the route,
turned large hummOck or hill of ice to
find ourselves humping up against three
masted ship There she lay, broadside to
us and not over fifty feet away, looming
up in the darkness like mountain. We
rubbed our eyes and looked again, but ii
was not deception. We sent the news
back and waited till all had come up, and
then Capt. Tree went forward with his
mates and hailed her. There was no re,
Spouse, and after hailing again the first
mate climbed in over the bows. In three
or four minutes he reported her aban.
doned, and we all went on board We soon
found her to be the Bristol ship Endurance,
a whaler of course, and two-thirds full of
blubber and oil She had slight list to
port, and after looking her over the officers
said that she had hove out, the same as our
bark, but had settled back again She
had also been abandoned in u hurry, as
there were many evidences; but an inspec-
ton showed plenty of provisions aboard
and proved her perfectly sound. We had
our bedding and clothing, and when it was
decided to take possession of her the crew
were pleased. In three hours after first
sighting her we were as much at home
aboard as if we had formed the original
crew. She was a larger craft than ours
and also better found, and we profited by
the change.
We had been aboard of the Endurance |
about a month when the carpenter fell !
sick. In his case it was pure homesickness |
and nothing else. He was moody and tact. |
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