The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-22
coon STORIES or THE PRESENT DAE
a Sailor Abnnaoned In the Ice.

dorelict. He had been alone only five days and
the weather had been reasonably fair. and yet
the loneliness Of his situation had driven him
mad, and he gave our mon good tussle to get
him into the boat. II this situation, in sum-
mer weather, right in the track OF vessels, with
tho sun showing thirtoon hours per day, was
enough to drive sailor mad, what must be tho
surroundings OF one abandoned In the Arctic
circle1 l shall tell YOU my story and leave you
TO Judge
l was q hnlo and hearty young fellow OF
% when made tho harpooner Of boat No. 3 on
board tho English whner Search. She was n
stou;-built and vol manned ship and this was
her second voyage to tho north after whales
Our luck. as we proceeded up the Greenland
coast WAS all that could BIO hoped Tor. and
there seemed no doubt that wo would I'll tho
ship and be ont of those seas before sailors
ear was frostJtten. On the day that the cooy-
or announced us two-thirds full We had two
dead whales dashed alongside. and IL
large school OF living onss were
playing within n mile Of US. In one hour
our luck changed completely about. First,
and seemingly without reason, the lashings Of
the big whale on the port side suddenly gave
way, and the fish sank like stone There was
considerable sea ct the time and as this fellow
| let 20 the weight OF the other rolled the ship
| almost on her beam ends and tho lashings had
to be cast of 10 right her. The rattle on deck
fetched away rs she rolled, and ono man was
killed and two badly hurt We were laborng
to secure the whalo again when a souall camo
up and popped at us as you might fire q gun.
No ono had noticed its coming. and though it
was over in ten minutes. it damaged US more
than three-dnys' gallo might have done We
had to let 20 the whale. and it took us fully q
day to make repars
That day was the turning point in the his
| tory OF the voyage II seemed as If the whales
had fled from those waters In terror, for We
| did not see another until the ninth day. Then
| itwould have been better had wa given him
| wide berth. Two boats were lowered to give
him chase and after leading them long dis;
| lance and finally being struck. no turned and
smashed on, OF them and killed two Of her
| crew outright.
coming down from the north. She was chock
| full aud running over with oil and bone, and
further up, Her Captain cautioned us, how
ever that the short Arctic summer WAS on it's
to get out before the Ice began to make. As
for the old ice drifting down with the currents
the Aanc there an hour that
was neither conceited nor pig headed, Every
man aboard was Pecunlarily Interested in the
whether We should go further north and take
our chances, or cruise to the southwark and
nope Tor luck, while sure to be clear Of the ice
The crew voted to go north. We only wanted
four or five big fish to I'LL our last barrel and
square away Tor home, and it was now only the
first days Of September
In tho succeeding ten days we captured but
plenty OF them but they were exceedingly
wild, giving the boats many a long and fruit
the west coast Of Greenland, and there was
every sRn OF change OF seasons. Once more
hang on for four days longer and then SQUARE
away for home. In less than two hours gale
G GTfe1ed up from the northeast tho Afr was
an, and drifting up the arctic Oesan. 1t was
tlpn halnw
point, and we had to get out our winter cloth |
Ing We still nad D!Sn.X of tine nroyidine
seemed t. work against us. The weather
came Of thick and s4uay contrary, winds
tempest, which lost Us all We had gained. On
lie wind lied entirely away; the m eG.
curry Logan to, aIl. and that night |
taken, tho chances and lost. Next morning We
were ing frozen in The Ice stretched away |
TO bear mans Weight x smart sea would would
have broken 1t up in no time, but for the poXt |
When 1t did come II headed US oil again, and It
WAS NO surprise 10 the men to be- told one
morning that the ship would have 10 winter in
tho ice. We drifed slowly toward tho Groen
land coast with great mass OF Ice. and when
the shore ice was reached We cut slip, warped |
the ship into IT, and had then done all we could
toward making her safe. Look in any drec-
ton you might. the sight was the same-ice in
sight Of water or n level spot
Next day after getting tho ship into her dock
we got out II landing plank on each side, hoist
ed out y lot OF STARE lumber from tho hold and
proceeded to build a rude. stout roof over most
cure S and eSery cre"ce and Granny W6ich could
be stopped against the cold WAS made secure
such a mischance as ibis, Ne had lots Of ium m:
her, false doors and window sashes plenty OF
to believe that sshsr h2
or physically. On the fifth day went Off with
Mr ,hampsGn; the t iirft nate on hunting eX;
the sight Of something we believed to Be- bear
was what started us OIL. DAYLIGHT now lasted
calm and the cold had relax ed several degrees
within few hours. We did not Intend to go
Wo Shot fox within half q mile 81 The ship.
we're over TWO miles from the ship in a straight
hours when We heard her signal for US to 70,
turn; This was, done by dlscharRinG three
there must be ErSSs reason for Gf7ins this
signal, aud We at once pushed for the ship.
Ms sHa 6aa @
my head and shoulder and lying unconscious
for perhaps half an hour. When I came. to
aud crashing among the leo, showing that Il
was in motion and hal no idea which way to
stopped to ascertain whether / was hurt or
not. made a guess rs TO which way the ship
with the same result Then knew for certain
that was atloat on foe.
About this lime tho weather changed and
began to grow cold. anI pretty soon there was
a furry OF snow. While | WAS terribly scared
] did not loso al sense piled M a number
OF ice cakes TO make n shelter, aud hanging
fast to the dead fox Cropt under them and
found the place quite comfortable. / folt that
was helpless. and could only hopo thlt ths
cold would set the Ice again, stop my drift and
that might recover the ship before cold and
hunger had finished mo. | slept a b.t nltor
daylight came; The leo had ceased grinding
inc air was siil AMI frosty 3ay and knew that
the top top Of a greGt, hnmmHock o. leo
within quarter oil a mile of me aud In half an
hour had al come pms. W Win her E, Sho rested %
Of Ice all around her. irod OIL my gun and
shouted but got no answer, and oven before /
stood on her decks / Knew that she had been |
abandoned. The dRyit falls We're down and
the boats como while box OF bread FUR
cap, musket and some other things wore |
left on large block of Ice, When, got aboard
the evidences OF n great scare and d hasty de-
mn ri MAJ EINUN |