Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-08
STRUCK BY AN ICEBERG.
Cast Adrift in an Open Boat in
 the South Seas

, ':By dead reckoning" said Capt Bur ton, of the Golden Eagle, rising from the study of the chart, which had lain open on the ca bin table between us for some time-'by dead reckoning that is about our position" and he indicated spot representing something like fifty miles south of Cape Horn. "How is the barometer?"
 : "Steady since noon," replied. "Then we have seen the worst of the gale" he added. "Let us go on deck" Under close-reefed canvas, the Golden Eagle was running before fierce vest ,erly gale. The nurkY light was dark ened by frequent snow squalls.
 The waves, like famished wolves, leaped on our ships quarters as though they would claim their prey; but she, like living thing, plunged into the hollows, throwing off her foes, and rising on the forward wave flew on un- harmed.
 All hands were on deck, and a sharp lookout was kept, for 8 moments in- attention, under circumstances such as these, might mean instant destruction.
 About midnight tremendous squall struck the ship, and I thought for 8 moment that she was on her beam ends; but she recovered herself, and rose to less perilous inclination.
 "All hands shorten sail!" cried the captain.
 The seamen struggled aloft through the wind swept shrouds, but the squaN swept to leeward, and cry of alarm rose from the lookout at the bow:
 "Starboardl hard a-starboard!" l ran forward, and there, like an awful specter, lowered above us huge iceberg.
 "Ice right aheadr' shouted, as fled aft.
 The wheel-chains groaned under our united efforts. The sailors aloft aban- doned their work and came hurrying to the deck. I knew, as they knew, that our ship was doomed, yet knowing it and realizing in some degree all that our terrible position involved, every man was ready to meet death resolute- ly and perfect discipline was main l tained.
 stand by the braces!' the captain shouted.
 Before the men could obey the order another cry arose:
 "Look out! she's into it!"
 And the Golden Eagle, rising on the crest of a wave, dashed headlong into the iceberg. The impact was terrific. The three topmasts snapped short off An immense block of ice fell on the bow, crushing the fo'c'stle-head into splinters
 Amid the roar of the wind and sea the rending of spars and the cries O. I s..s 03n, rang out:
 Clear away the boats"
 There was a gallant effort made tc obey the order. The DOT" lifeboat wa cut adrift and turned upon her keel but the ship gave a violent roll, anC men and boat fell to leeward in a con fused heap.
 The next moment the Golden Eagl trembled beneath our feet. and, withou further warning. sank beneath tn dark waters off bleak Cape Horn. = went down with the ship. con ! scious only of the cries of the seamen 5 which rang fearfully in my ears. M next sensation was one of deadly chill s as rose to the surface, amid tn > tumult of the wind and sea. j; The iceberg was invisible, owing t the flying spray and snow, and tn V night was so dark that nothing coul t be distinguished few feet away. d My boots and heavy clothes wer IT saturated, and the numbness of m n hands told me that could not renal afloat much longer. - Something large and black loome alongside out of the snow-squall, an instinctively grasped at it. It wa the gunwale of the released lifeboa . Several men were clinging to it, an b succeeded in removing their sea-boot and were bailing the water out.
 As she rose, we scrambled aboar,
 and, finding ourselves nearing tf .s berg, we tore up the bottom board
 which we used as oars, and managed
 clear it.
 We were evidently now under u
 lee of the berg, and, therefore, in COT
 paratively smooth water.
 We managed to keep the boat fro
 drifting out to sea again, and, havir
 done all that was possible under u
 circumstances, we awaited the dawn. '0 It came at length-a sickly glea across the wild waste of waters. The n was no joy in it-no warmth, no COT
 fort; yet we were thankful for it.
 was daylight.
 Then we looked at one another-tl
 captain, myself, the second mate al
 three seamen; in all, six dazed al ) half-frozen wretches, barely deliver
 from the jaws of death, whose fac
 had grown prematurely old during tn
 terrible night
 Of the Golden Eagle and the rest
 her crew, not a vestige remained. O eA of ships company of twenty-six,
 told, twenty had perished when o
 gallant ship met her doom.
 Our present position was seriol
 Before us the vast iceberg, piercing