Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-09-19
FOUND IN THE ICE


On the Tth day Of October. 1852. the
ship Princess left Australia for Lon
don with a cargo OF wool and other
articles valued at S25O.O0o. She had
In her treasure room gold in dust. bars
and coin aggrssating S1,3o,Oo0 As
she was one OF the largest and nnest
of the Australian liners she was
crowded with passengers. the list
counting up over 200 Six days after
sailing the Princess was spoken by
craft bound TO the east. but that was
the last heard OF her for many long
years When she did not reach the
Cane Of Good Hope vessels were sent
out to search for her, but though this
search continued for a year and hun
dretis OF other craft kept watch as tley
voyaged TO and fro. not the slightest
trace Of rhe lost ship was discovered
1t was finally concluded thar she had
struck a floating wreck in mid-Ocean
and gone down so suddenly that no
one could escape Had she sprung q
leak or caught IRE part Of her peo-
pie must have got away in the boats.
and il could be figured on that at least
one would have reached some island
or been picked up Aside from the
money loss there were many promi-
neEt people among the passengers. and
there was mourning in England and
Australia for many a month after the
ship was posted as lost
In June. ISts. sixteen years after the
loss Of the Princess. was one of the
crew Of the Boston whaIer Tslisman.
which was trying the cruising ground
20 the south OF Cape Horn We had
had a fair run Of luck, when we got
sale from the north which lasted for
four days and nights without break
This drove Is away south among the
lee and On dazen different occasions
the ship was within hairs breath Of
being east away or overwhelmed
After the fourth day OF the gale there
was a calm lasting thirty hours Dur
Ing this interval the Talisman lay be-
TWEEN two monster icebergs, with her
boots down and ready TO tow her out
81 he way should they close in on her.
Then we got a strong breeze from the
east which lasted for day and went
clear around the compass TO the west
Sometimes we lay mOored TO a berg
for several hours: again we We're
pounding among the great cakes Of ice.
which threatened every moment 10
crush in her sides. We had been driy-
Ing to the southeast for three days.
when the breeze fell and left US on
hseayinx sea. with a monster iceberg
about two miles away TO the south.
The ship had thus far sustained lit
tie damage. but fhe crew were ex-
hausted and given an all days rest.
and no accident occurred until late In
the afternoon. This mass Of lee had
a front mile long on our side. with an
average height Of 300 feet. What its
width was we could not say. Over il
was floating quantity Of smoke The
smoke did not rise from its crest. but
from tie FAR side. No one doubted
that IL came from a fire lighted by
siaipwrecked sailors. who had caught
sight Of the TaIisman and were max
ing Ter a signal
The third mate and three men were
ordered OF in one Of the whaleboats
10 investigate and was one Of the
three selected We took with Us a
breaker Of fresh water, a bottle Of
rum. bread. meat, blankets, a boat
compass and a lantern, and darkness
fell as we pulled away from the ship
We pulled y pass the western face
Of the berg and found il TO be about
half q mile long. As we reached rs
southern limit and turned 10 the cas-
we caught sight Of small fire on 4
Ledge about a hundred feet above th'
water. As soon a. we got up TO II tn.
mate hailed and was promptly an
sUered that there were two men Of
tie ledge, one Of whom had broker
ks. Thereupon ! was ordered TO re
Th2in by the boat and bold on, whil'
the hate and the two men landed OF
the berg and began making their wal
~ TO tie ledge.
sSAe evening was perfectly quiet ant
there was no surf on the south side D
the berg. but the tragedy that followe,
was brought abegt from causes ia
s4dgHn In tie dspths Of the sea. Tn
zen had not YET reached the ledg
when the great berg suddenly cante'
10 the north, and TO prevent the boa
being lifted out Of the water I had Z
let 20 Of the painter. which had tur
around a lump Of ice. As I did 50
was shot away 10 distance Of 20
feet and flung down On the thwarti
I had Just got an oar in my hand
when the berg came back at me an
there was such a cracking, crashin
AMI grOaning that ] was frightened a
most 70 death. Hundreds Of pieces {
Zee fell into the sea around me and
heard cries Of terror from the men VII
had landed.
In my fright may have pulled II
bat some distance away or the sen
% the waves may have carried HI
beyond danger. BE that as 1t ma
siie berg split fair In half with repo
like that Of dozen cannons fired
once, and each half turned IJott0
side up. This movement kicked up
tremendous sea for a few minutes, ar
anything but a W,halebOat would ha'
been swamped out Of hand. I mu
have been driven mile or more
the south By the waves.
The mate had taken the bearings
the ship by compass when we turn
the corner Of the berg, and I kne
that she would also run lantern alo
as guide, but when the sea quiet
down looked for her IN vain. AZ
smatter Of fact / was 50 confused al
frightened that might not have SCI
the light had she been only a quart
OF q mile away.
Twenty minutes after the berg So
"a fog settled down, and with IL car
"a breeze. ] did not know what to 4