The morning call., 1893-04-17
NIPPED BY ICE
Round Cape Horn Under
Difficulties.
A STEAMERS NARROW ESCAPE
Captain TaIIaEt's Plain Story of an
EventfuI Trip of the Steamer
Empress EGgenie.

Captain Tallant of the Hamburg-Ameri-
can line of steamers is visiting friends in
this city. The captain tells an interesting
story of how his steamer, the Empress Eu-
genie, was nearly smashed by Icebergs
while rounding the Horn in the early part
of last November.
The Hamburg American Company op-
crates a line of steamers from Hamburg to
New Orleans ana from the former place to
Valparaiso and IquiQue. Chile.
"Our steamers" commenced the captain.
never come ground the Horn, but usually
come through the Straits of Magellan, but
tie Empress EXPERIENCED such heavy
weather when off the coast of Patagonia
that we were driven past the cape and
determined to try 10 weather 1t.
"On November we encountered fear
full southeast gale. which lasted two whole
days and nights.
''The seas were something terrific and
washed over US so frequently that we were
in mnmentary danger Of being swamped or
having our fires Put out.
II was obliged TO head the steamer to the
wind under full pressure OF steam, aud
even though tile Empress Is lne weather
boat, with powerful engines, we were
drifted several hundred miles to the SOUTH
east out of our course.
"On the morning of the 9th the weather
seemed 10 have turned number OF degrees
colder than usual. came on the bridge at
8 o'clock in the morning and was appalled,
by seeing icebergs and iceflOes at every
point of the compass.
Although the wind had died down the
sea was very nasty, being broken and
choppy and filled with floating ice.
Upon taking observations l found that
we had been driven sOutli nearly 400 miles
by the storm to a position which, at that
time of year, is Il very dangerous one.
I'VE changed our course TO the north
west in order to escape the bergs that tow
cred above us on every side.
I'VE passed in close proximity to one,
which must have covered an area Of several
square miles aud was several hundred feet
high. lis edges were worn in a fantastic
manner into cayerns of great beauty,
thrown into bold relief by icy pillars, which
seemed TO support the tops of the caves,
while their bases rested on the sea.
There were bergs of all shapes and
varieties; some with sharp, Dinnacle-like
tops and sides that rose abruptly out of the
water and others which receded gradually
from the waters edge into c0ne-shaped
mountains of CLASSY Drilisncy.
Toward evening the broken ice became
thicker, and appeared in chunks large
enough to be dangerous if struck by a vessel
going at full speed.
although we had slowed down consider
ably when the icebergs were first sighted,
gave orders % go ahead at half speed.
The hergs seemed to be getting thicker
and our situation began TO assume serious
aspect. We sInwed down so that the screw
was scarcely making thirty revolutions
minute.
"a double lockout watch was detailed
forward. The night was very dark,
although the stars shOne brightly. Sud
denly the heavens would be darkened on
iceberg would drift past US only a fraction
of a mile distant.
"At 10 80 was wakened from the few
minutes sleep L was trying to catch below
by feeling the vessel strike heavily; then
followed a crushing. grinding noise and the
shouts Of the first officer giving orders 10 tie
sarboard watch.
II heard the clang of the gong in the
engine-room signaling to step and back
Il rushed on deck and saw what looked
like level field of ice some hundreds of
yards wide straight ahead. This plain
terminated IN what appeared in the dim
starlight 10 be mass O. broken rocks. l
took in the situation at a glance. We had
run into an icetioe, which was joined TO an
iceberg.
"On our port bow was great berg
gradually drifting upon us, while the arm
Of the icefiOe on the starboard cut us off
from the open sea. There was no time to
be lost. l gave the order to back at full
speed, but we were stuck fast.
"Our bow had partially grounded on the
foe. and 1 was afraid that some of the
plates had been punctured.
III was a question of sink or swim, so I
changed my tactics and rang to give her a
full head of steam.
''Ihe ship groaned under the terrible
pressure, T. t ice at the bow cracked and
snapped iik> the reports of rife and loos-
ened little
'By this time the big mass of ice on our
port bow was within quarter of mile of
us, and, II we could not eXtricate the ship.
she, with all hands on board, would be
crushed into fragments in thirty minutes.
The crew rushed frautically about the
decks. and l could scarcely restrain some of
them from jumping onto the foe, where
they would undoubtedly have been frozen
to death in few hours.
The moment of crisis had come. l gave
the signal to stop, then to back her. When
the engines had been reversed l gave orders
10 throw her wide OPEN
with erunchng sound and noise like
the crashing of mbers we slid into deep
water. The big iceberg was nearly on top
OF us; II stood between US and the stars
like thing of evil.
I'VE slipped clear of the ice1oes. came
about and headed for the north, soon !eav-
ing the object which came so near being
our destruction far astern.
We managed to keep clear Of icebergs
till morning. when we got out of their
course and were soon safely steaminG up
the South American coast toward Val
paraiSo."