Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-16
GRADED AMONG lCEBERGS.
a Young Whaleman's Remarkable story
OF "A Spectral Frozen Ship.
fGOldcu Daysl


Although the sea has not the diversity Of
the land. being destitute Of mountains and
valleys, forests and deserts. II Is none the
less the scene Of romance and mystery A
most remarkable story Of spectral frozen
shin. Graded among the icebergs Of tho
Arctic regions, and floating deserted and
alone throughout those frozen seas, has
been brought TO New London by young
whaleman who has recently returned from
a threo-vcars' cruise in Behrlng sea.
One day. in the early part of Mag, 1889, n
man named Leavitt, who has charge of the
Pacific Steam Whaling COmpany's station
Al Cane Smith, nine miles to the southwest
of Point Barrow, was astonishcd to see q
shin standing toward the shore. about a
mile in the citing, hemmed in by towering
icebergs.
Leayitt had spent the winter in the ice,
and the apDea-ance Of a ship there, at such
an unusual time of the year, nearly scared
him ont of his wits. Visions OF that tabled
ship. the Flying Dutchman, darted across
his mind, but he finally recovered him
self. and he walked down toward tho
beach. As be did SO the fabric drew nearer
to the land.
He SAYS it made charming picture to
his furnished eyes, appearing as If formed
of frosted glass.
The mast continued TO approach him,
and he finally made out the complete out
lines Of the fuli-rggeds ship Young PhUnlX,
vessel with which he was familiar
She was whaler Of 335 tons, from New
Bedford, and was lost in the ice-pack IN
the Arctic over year ago. She WAS
crushed and set TO leaking by the ice. 50
that II became necessary TO abandon her
hastily. az she was thought to be sinking.
This occurred "a long distance 10 the north
of Point Barrow. -,
When Leavitt sighted her LAY Graded
immovably. with her deck just above the
level of the icy valley where she reclined;
Her three masts lowered alOft with still
perfect rake. and shrouds, backstays,
braces. and STAYS. covered with ice cont
iugs in fantastic shapes, brought out in the
sunlight in bold and beautiful relief
AGAINST the blue mountains OF the ice be-
hind
The silent ship lay stern to the sea about
fifty wards from it. and slightly heeled to
mort. The prismatic effects OF the spectral
scene were heightened by heavy burdens or
snow, which numbered the decks, the
/ hawser, and the sails of the vessel. Two OF
/ the sales were shaking their stiffened tat
ters idlv in the breeze. while the rest had
/ the snug man-of-war furl of year before,
and were frozen tightly 70 the yards. The
vessel looked literally q ship OF ice, for a IL
the world like the toy ship enshrouded III
/ CRYSTALS by the glass-blower's art.
! plucking up his courage, Leavltt finally
went out to the ice-pack and boarded the
/ ship. He found everything intact upon
/ The decks as 1t had been left. Not even
/ the polar bear OF the Arctic fox had paid
| her visit. and the ropes were coiled on
/ the belaying-pins az the crew had placed
/ them. There were no traces OF the
/ boats. which had evidently been
/ torh from the ships davits 10y
! the ice. but the great quilt OF snow when
enshrouded the Young PhGnix from stem
to stern revealed the fguration of the
+ matches aud paraphernalia, which showed
that she had at no time since desertlon
/ been rolling IN seas heavy enough to dls-
turb any of her fittings. 1t IS supposed IN
fact. that she was picked mp free from the
water by the same ice-pack winch crushed
/ her. -.
Ieavitt went down into the ships cabin
/ end found several articles, when ne
! dragged over the fields Of ice to his boat
and conveyed to the shore.
He would have continued stripping inc
vessel, but the ice-hoe containing hei
drifted of shore on the following day. II
remained in sight several days aiter"aru'
and then vanished 10 the northyard.
Various theories are advanced as 10 the
probable course the Young Phoenix Will
now take, and as 10 how long it Will be De,
fore she is seen agair. 1t is very likely oil
Arctic whalemen say, that the island OF ice
now surrounding her will be built up by
the addition of floating masses, and IN
time she NAV become fixture somewhere
around the North Pole dry-docked in the
ice, for it is said III those remote fields the
ice may possess an age of hundreds OF
years and may be continually accumu-
lating in one quarter while breaking on
and dissipating in another.
The incident is said by old whalemen 70
be without parallel in the annals Of whale.
fishery, and they also add thatas the founs
Phoenix seems, from the accounts. 10 Be
literally dry-docked in icebergs, there Is
but little doubt that she will 60 swinging
around the Arctic in intense cold for years
/ perhaps for centuries, for the very elements
/ there will constitute her protection.