The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31

New Bedford Opinion or the Chances OF tho
fleet NIpped In the lee.

New BEDFORD. Oct. 3o.-Nowhcre was more
concern felt than here over the alarming news
contained in The Sun last week to the effect
that several ships of the Arctic whaling iie t
had been caught in the ice and that their crews
were in danger Of starvation. For besides the
fact that New Bedford money Is still invested in
Arctic whaling there are New Bedford men on
board the ships. and the wives and relatives Of
the men ON board see before them months of
suspense. AT the same time this city con
tains hundreds of men who have faced death
in the Arctic regions. and they are able to weigh
the chances of the mon and n ship supposed to
be imprisoned in tho ice pack. In the case Of
tho abandoned wha!or Navarch. they rightly
predicted that more than eight Of the crew would
be heard from. and now they are inclined to take
II hopeful view in tho case OF tho ships reported
in the ice.
"It all depends on the condition Of the ice"
said one former Arctic master. "You see, no
two seasons are alike. and at this season the
weather changes in all sorts OF ways. rcmcm-
Der that | tried once to get out pnst Point Tan.
gent, the worst place Tor ice blockadcs in the
Arctic. and found the coast perfectly clear.
while the Bear. which started TO comc out three
days before. had been Obliged to pound away
for a couple OF days getting through. The
winds arc very clnngenblc. | guess what they
say about having only two months provisions
on hand is all right. for when | sailed from San
Francisco for the Pacific Company We seldom
had moro than that quantity on hand nj any
time, and il we had been nipped the IOrd knows
what We would have done"
Another old whaler ventured the assertion
that the enforced Arctic winter would prove u
blessing in disguise. II the vessels are east Of
Point barrow they are only 400 miles from the
Klond!kc regions, and 1t would he possible for
the rrevG in utukp thpir wnV thitbpr in thn
winter. There has been trouble from dcser.
tious among the whalcmcn of the lIcrschcl
Island fleet for several seasons. the men running
away 10 the gold fields, and a couple of seasons
ago Il big batch of dcscrtcrs were pursued by II
force from the ships and a battle cnsucd. There
may be some similar dcsertions this year.
In September, 1888. thirteen vessels of the
Arctic ilcct were ~, a similar p~rodicament in
the vicinity OF Herald Island. On sept. 20. six
days after tho vessels were nipprd, u relief
party was sent out from Fox Island with wood
and clothes In rho whaling steamers Jesse A.
Freeman and Thrashcr, hut if a storm had set
in all Efforts AT. relief would have been use,
less. The vessels were soon swept oward
the siberian coast, following to the
course oi tho unfortunate bark Napoleon,
incrcdihln harGslIips in the region of ice aud
snow. The situation OF the Vessels VAS almost
identical with that Of the present Arctic fleet.
for they were supplied with PROVISIONS only up
toNoy. !, whom the cruise would have ended al
sdH u fdl'leiO. W IlCH VIC ItNo N'S l'ANlNt ~ III
NGw Bedford the opinion OF by far The greater
humber of Arctic whalcmen was mat the only
hope of he ,rews to escape was to abandon the
ships and make for HE shore. This course was
not followed, and yet every Vessel eventually
iiict with tho ice. The officers oi the vessels
had practically abandoned hope when on Sept.
aud every vessel set sail determined to hight
her way out or break up in the attempt. On
Oct. . all were free, all moro or less battered,
bur still Tree.
The only hope OF the fleet, had the wind moi
changed, would have been through st. Peters
burg. An expedition organized from the Rus
sian coast might have reached them. but NOT
from any other point, The sending OF The United
States cutters would have been sO much wasted
money.