The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-10-07
DEAD ON AN ICEBERG.
THE BODY DlSLODeED BY A CANNON
SHOT FOUND BURIAL IN THE SEA.
A scientist's Story of What He Saw on a
Cruise or the Coast of Labrador-The-
cries to Account For the Strange POSI-
tion of a Dead Sailor.

ton of a Dead Sailor.
While the Peary expedition steamer
Hope was lying in Boston harbor the
writer had long chat with n young New.
foundland scientist who had already
made several trips to the northern regions.
Among other interesting experiences he
related TO me the following:
ION the coast of Labrador two years
ago we sighted one of the largest icebergs
had ever seen. 1t was, in. fact, a perfect
island of ice, with bays and promontories,
tremendously high cliffs and caves and
grottoes innumerable. The ice island was
divided into almost equal parts by great
valley running through it's center, and
this valley was half filed with snow. Near
the top of the berg-it must have been 400
fee6 up-there was n vast, smooth, CLASSY
plane, inolining rather steeply toward
the sea and terminating abruptly in
great overhanging precipice. AS we gazed
at this plano we observed upon its surface
small black spot The captain turned
his glass to the object and presently ex-
claimed, Good heavens, it is mani
Instantly all was excitement. Orders
were given to approach the iceberg as near
as possible, and all eyes were strained to
catch any motion that might be made by
the solitary figure. Going as near as we
could to the iceberg without having, our
view of the plateau shut off by the over
hanging cliff, we hove to. The man was
now plainly visible. He lay ON his back,
with one arm folded in an unusual man
ner under his head, his attitude being one
of easy repose. Except for the marbly look
ON his face and hands, as seen through the
| glass, we could have fancied that he was
simply taking quiet nap.
He was dressed, like one of the better
class of seamen, in rough blue pilot cloth,
with large horn buttons. He had no hat,
and by his side lay small boat hook to
which was tied n strip of red wooden stuff,
| apparently II piece of the same that he
wore around his neck This no doubt he
had intended TO plant on the heights as u
signal. In the thin, clear atmosphere the
| glass showed the mans features distinct
! ly, and we could even see his iron gray
hair moving in the wind. Our second
mate stoutly declared that he recognized
the man as an old chum and shipmate
''We turned our eyes to the base of the
iceberg, looking for II landing place, but
| quickly saw that the idea of landing was
out of the question. The thing would have
] heavy sea, which was now on, it was inn
| possible. We saw no sign of boat or spar
or wreck of any kind. 1t was picture
of utter desolation.
"Turning our gaze once more to the SOL
itary figure, we asked ourselves: Who and
what is hep How long has no been there
and how did he get there? The general
conclusion was that he was one of the crew
of some vessel which had dashed into the
! iceberg in the dark and gone down like a
| stone.
Perhaps suggested one, ho was
aloft when she struck and got pitched up
| where he is now.
" AS like to be pitched into the moon,
rejoined another contemptuously. why,
that precipice is three times as high as the
loftiest mast ever rugged.
Maybe now, said third, it's some
awful cruel skipper who's been i'll using
| his crew till they couldn't stand il no lon
| ger and was drove to mutiny and put him
ashore all alone to die.
"But the speaker whose opinion com
manded the most respect was the old boat
swain. He said: IN tell ye. That there
ice island warn't launched yesterday, mol
yet last year, nor the year before perhaps
and by tho looks of him he's been for q
! pretty long cruise in warm latitudes-last
summer maybe-and then come back
home for the winter. If you look away
yonder there, just this side of that high
point like a church steeple, only lower
down, there's place looks darker thar
the rest. Now it's just there / expect
that n great piece has broken off and drift
ed away, and l calculate twas lower ant
| more shelving off-not so steep and rocky
like as it is now. 'Twas there that poo
chap was cast ashore from ship or boat
He was trying to make his way up to The
heights to look around and hoist sigma
when he lay down and went asleep an6
never woke up again, only where he Ii
now, you see, must have been covered will
snow then or he couldn't have kept hi
footing.
Having said this, the old boatswaii
walked forward.
"There was no earthly use in lingering
round, and yet the captain seemed loatl
to start away If the poor fellow had |
spark of life in him, suppose he wonlC
have moved before this, he said, but
supposing he did move, it would only b.
| to slide down over the precipice, unless hi
clothes are frozen fast to the ice. / don
see any more of EN-, and we couldn't sc
'em off if we did. Then thought strucl
him, and he gave orders to get the forwar'
gun ready When it was loaded, he said
"Firel'' and in few seconds a loud ech
resounded from the icy wall. For an In
slant afterward all was still, and thel
camo noise like rafting of loud thun
der, proceeding from the center of th
berg.
"The danger of our proximity to thi
vast object now became more and NOR
apparent, and the captain put on ful
speed for good ofling. We had barrel.
proceeded quarter of mile when tn
same noise was heard again, only louder
more prolonged and accompanied by
rending, crushing sound. The huge ic
island was parting in the middle, dowi
the course of the deep valley have alread
mentioned Slowly and majestically th
eastern half rolled over into the sea, up
beaving what had been its base, In whicl
were imbedded great masses of rock GOV
cred with seaweed. The other part of tn
berg still remained erect, but was swayini
, to and fro as if it also must capsize Tn
convulsion caused less foam and tossing
, than might have been supposed, but raise'
/ - s,ch trape pdous mnppit udp tina