The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-19

| several days the drift was northward until
the field got out OF the current. 1t was then
caught by the wind and blown east for
some time, then southeast, when it caught
| the current again and was carried north
! through Boring Straits, when the ice took a
westerly course as far as Cape Surge.
While passing north, near Diomede Island,
some of the crews Of the steam Whalers
! kariuk and Orca tried to get to the vessel,
| but, although all the steam the vessels
| would carry was put on, the Ice was too
heavy and they had to give il ur the AL
| ton drifted al the rate of four knots an hour
for hfty-seven days and covered distance
OF nearly 500 miles.
The Alton at one time was tugboat, but
was changed 10 whaler and TO that fact is
| possibly due her arrival here safely. She
is sehooner-rigged Of eignty-foGr tous regis
ter and was commanded 10y Captain Z. W.
Newth There were on board twenty-five
men all told.
There was not much danger while the ice
was drifting. 1t seemed as if the vessel was
motionless and the mea amused themselves
playing bali and other games to pass away
the time.
During The northern passage dead whale
was sighted about two and a half miles from
the vessel. The men went to work and got
ali the bone out OK its mouth and dragged 1t
across the ice the entire distance TO the
ship. Ii relieved the monotony of the trip
as well as adding a large amount 10 the
cargo.
When Cane Surge was reached the ice
field began to break up and then the dan
ger began. For days the men were in readl-
ness to leave the vessel. and they expected
to have to do so at a moments notice.
When the ice began to break gale
spraDg up from the northwest and the en-
tire field seemed to pile up against the YES
sci. She was squeezed in and her deck
split from stem to stern with sound like
the explosion OF a cannon. 1t was sprung
al H. 10. h. l.a0r ODD
the try works had to be thrown overheard
to tighten the vessel. Then the vessel be-
gan to leak at the rate of 10000 strokes a
day. The pumps were kept going day
and night and the men were about worn
out; but they had TO pump or drown.
The ice field could be seen for miles in
every direction. and as the wind increased
it began to get in motion and bumped
against the vessel on all sides.
The captain realized that the vessel
would soon be broken TO pieces and that
there was but one way out OF the difficulty
and that yey slim chance, which was only
successful because the schooner was such
staneh little craft
BE put Oh all sail and went before the
wind. The men describe these days and
nights as something terrible. 1t was bump,
crush and grind all the time, and occasion
ally the vessel v ould strike a chunk good
deal larger than it seemed. The crash was
something terrible, and the schooner would
tremble Ike man with the ague.
There was no slee ping while this was go
ing on, and the gale keptincreasng in fury.
When they had get almost back to Diomede
Island piece OF keel was lost, and at st.
Lawrence Island the gale became burri-
cane and carried away the dingy and also
smashed the rudder. 1t was not rendered
| quite useless. but managed to last until they
reached Port Clarence. where it was taken
Of and repaired.
The vessel took on such fresh provisions
as were needed, and went back through the
straits to the eastward of Point Barrow.
where two whales were caught. Two other
whales were also obtained by trading pro-
visions with the natives, the entire lot
yielding about 10000 pounds of bone.
After the whales were caught the vessel
made good tine all the way home, arriving
here sixteen days from Fox Island.
Besides the cargo OF bone there is large
quantity Of different kinds Of skins, ivory
and furs.
The Alton had as a member of the crew a
young MIN named Hill, who is a nephew of
Ex-Governor Hill of New York. He went
whaling for the experience and be got 1t.
He intends going directly East, as he SAYS
the life of sailor on whaling ship is lot
what his fancy had painted il.
All the men on the vessel are in the best
OF health aud the cabin Of it is in a neat
and clean condition.
The catch of the season TO September
19, as far as was known by the captain of
the Alton, is as follows, showing a great
gain for some of the vessels: A lice Knowles
2. Alaska 2, Andrew Hicks g Balena q
Beluga IL, Bevedere 10, Bounding BlIow 8.
Thrasher IL, Mars ], NarwhaI ., Newport 3.
Percy Edwards /. 0rca 10. Rosario 2, Sea
Breeze l, Bonanza 1, Grampus g. Helen
Mar /. Hunter 10. James A. Allen ], Jesse
IL. Freeman 2, La Ninfa 1.