Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-06-13
F OUND IN THE ICE
By C. B. Lewis en-. Quad.

$2J0.0O0. She had in her treasure room
gold in dust. bars and coin aggregating
N,3OO.0O. AS she was one of the largest
and finest of the Australian liners she was
crowded with passengers, the list counting
up over two hundred. Six days after sail
iEg the Princess was spoken by a craft
bound to the east, but that was the last
heard of her for many long years. When
She did not reach the Cape of Good Hope
vessels were sent out to search for her,
but though this search continued for
Year. and hundreds of ether craft kept
watch as trey voyaged to and fro, not the
slightest trace of the lost ship was dis
covered.
1t was firally concluded that she had
struck floating wreck in midocean and
gone down so suddenly that no one could
escape. Had she sprung a leak or caught
fire a part Of her people must have got
away in the boats, and it 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-
nent people among the passengers, and
there was mourning in England and Aus
tralia for many a month after the ship
was posted as lost.
In June, 1865 sixteen years after the
less of the Princess. l was one of the
crew of the Boston whaler Talisman, which
was trying the cruising ground to the
south of Cape Horn. We had had fair
north which lasted for four days and
nights without a break. This drove us
away south among the ice and on dozen
different occasions the ship was within
hairs breadth of being cast away or over
whelmed. After the fourth day of the gale
there calm, lasting thirty hours.
During this interval the Talisman lay be-
tween two monster iCebergs. with her
boats down and res dy to tow her out of the
way should they close in on her. Then we
got . strong breeze from the east, which
lasted for day and went clear around the
compass to the west.
Sometimes we lay moored to berg for
several hours; again We were pounding
among the great cakes of ice. which threat
ened every moment to crush in her sides.
We had been driving to the southeast for
three days, when the breeze fell and left
US on a EeaVing sea, with a monster ice
berg abou. two miles away to the south.
The ship had thus far sustained little
damage, but the crew were exhausted with
the hard work and constant vigilance. The
men were given an all days rest. and no
incident occurred until late in the after
noon. This me IS of ice had a front mile
long on cur side. with ar average height of
three hundred feet. What it's width was
we could not say Over it was floating a
quantity of smoke. The smoke did not
rise from its crest. but from the far side.
No one doubted that 1t came from fire
lighted By shipwrecked sailors, who had
caught sight of the Talisman and were
making her a signal
The third ate ard three men We're
ordered off in one of the whaleboats to
investigate. and 1 was one of the three
selected. We took with US fresh water a
bottle of rum. bread. meat, blankets.
boat compass and a lartern, and darkness
fell as We lulled away from the ship.
we pulled to pass the western face of
the berg and found it to be about half IA
mile long. AS we reached its southern linz
It and turr ed to the east We caught sight
of small fire on ledge about hundred
feet above the ter. AS as we got
up to it the mate hailed. and was promptly
answered that there We're two men on the
ledge. one of whom had a broken leg.
Tnereupor l WAS ordered to remain by the
boat and hold on, while the mate and the
two men landed on the berg and began
making their way up to the ledge.
The evel.ing was perfectly quiet, and
there was surf on the south side of the
berg, but the tragedy that followed was
brought about from, causes far down in the
depths of the sea. The T. en- had not yet
reached the ledge. when the great berg
suddenly canted to the north, and to pre-
vent the beat being lifted out of the water
l had to let go of the painter, which had a
turn around lump of ice. AS l did SO l
was shot away to a distance of two hun
dred feet and flung down on the thwarts.
I had just got oar in my bands when
the berg came back at nee, and there was
such cracking. crashing and grooming
that l was frightened almost to death.
Hundreds of pieces of ice fell into the sea
around ne, and | heard cries of terror
from: the men who had landed.
In my fright / may have pulled the boat
some distance away, or the SEND of the
waves NAV nave carried her bcyond dan
ger. Be that as it may. the berg split fair
in half with a report like that of dozen
cannons fire d at once, and each half turned
bottom side up. This movement kicked up
tremendous sea for few minutes, ard
anything Iut a whaieboat would have been
swamped out of hand. l must have been
ri1 mil or MOI tn ha 9
waves.
Tho mate had taken the bearings of the
ship by the compass when he turned the
corner of the berg and I knew that she
would also run lantern aloft as a guide.
but when the quieted down looked for
her in vain. AS matter If fact, | was so
confused and frightened that might not
have seen the light had she been only
quarter of a mile away.
Twenty minutes after the berg split a fog
Sc tiled down, and with it came Il breeze. /
did not know what to do, and so laid in my
oar. wrapped myself in blanket. and sat
down on the bottom of the boat You will
think it queer that 1 fell asleep under the
circumstances. but that is exactly what
happened. did ] awake until daylight
came again. Then I found myself in ;,n ice
foe extended to the east and ioIth far
as could see. but only a mile 20 the north.
Beyond that was clear watac, but the
Talisman was not in sight. 1t was not to
be expected that she would leave the locali-
ty without making a daylight search fer
the boat. and during that long day. which
was full of sunshine and with but a noier-
ate breeze. I constantly hoped and expected
to sight her. 1t was three years before I
learned what happened aboard of her that
night after We pulled away When the
berg was rent in twain size almost
swamped by the heavy seas, and when the
breeze came she ran to the north to get out
Of the ice. Next day she returned to search
the foe, but hit it too far to the east to
sight me.
If she passed me. which may have been
the case, the mist rising from the ice
which is called the "ice blink shut her
from my view. In the edge of the foe she
found an oar from my boat and some
boards, which were believed to be a part of
the fral craft and judging from these
relics that the boat had been crushed and
the crew lost, she gave over further search.
AS to the two men on the ledge. no one has
ever ascertained to what craft they belong
ed Or how they came there
/ am not a. all sure how long l drifted,
but the general direction was SOUTH and
the time at least four days and nights.
Had we left the ship without food l should
have starved to death. Had we left it
without the blankets / should nave frozen
to death within the first twelve hours. AS
it was, 1 made myself fairly comfortable
and being helpless to better my position,
passed much of the time in sleep. On the
morning Of what was probably the fifth day