The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-24
WRECKED IN ARCTIC ICE.
Ths Cartain's wIre Endure. nardships Lake =
Msn--The Weak ana Helpless Abandoned ts
Their Fnte-Ore Party on DrlrtinE nco r.
Twelve l~baJa-Muny Periis Met with.

Ths Captain's wire Rndurca Iiardships Lake =
Man-Ehe weak ana Helpless Abandoned ts
Their Fnte-Ore Party on Drlrting Eco 70
Twelve 1'aJs-MunJ Perils Met with.
San FRANCISCO. Oct, 15.-One OF tho most
dramatic stories ever told of wreck and disas-
ter in tho Arctic has been brought here by the
survivors Of the whaler Navarch. Fourteen
Of the crow spent twelve days of misery on the
drifting ice foe. and all who escaped suffered
bardships that would have made them well
como death as q pleasant relief. No fewer than
fourteen Of the crew had to be abandoned by
the two parties who escaped. These men fell
exhausted and helpless on the ice and the sur
vivors could give them no aid, as any delay
would have been fatal 10 all.
OF tho Navarch's crew nine renamed on
board the vessel, and their fate is unknown.
The chances are that they persisted. rs thore
was no way OF getting relief to them over tho
leo and they could scarcely have made their
way to any Of the far northen stations. Among
the survivors were Capt. Whitcsides and his wife,
The latter shared all tho hardships Of the men,
and her endurance proved equal TO n fearful
journey over tho ice and an equally hard and
dangerous voyage in n canvas boat until the
party was picked up by the revenue cutter Bear.
The Navarch was caught in the Ice Off Point
Barrow on Aug. IL. Her hull was badly dam.
aged, and after careful inspection the Captain
decided that she must be abandoned. as any
breakup OF the ice pack would mean her sink
ing. Only two boats were saved when the Ice
pack closed in about the vessel. The Captain.
his wife, the first and the fourth officer, one
boat leader and three seamen SGT out together
with a small canvas boat which they expected
to float. The others had II heavier boat that
they counted on dragging to the edge of the
foe and then launching.
Mrs. Whitcsidc, the Captains wife, who has
rnn,l. lnr Intt,, la IA ,tt tnl1u m rilit
story of her experiences on tho ice. For four
days the party of eight tried to cross the iioe.
vessel Y@sn '1 aSd sG sot a TIE '. canvas as,s"bB Boat te'" wien 70 ,h 1es
left the ship the second time the open water
could be plainly seen; This put hear, into
mocky ice was killing. Chief Engineer Sans
suddenly weakened on the second day and fell
down. They lifted him up and tried 10 put
heart into him, but his strength was gone and
they left him propped up on q small hillock;
lying on tho hillock waiting for death, which
surely came with the bitter cold Of tho night.
The Captain gave strict orders that only
would not safely carry much weight. Mrs.
Whitcsidc was not allowed to take an extra
who insisted on taking a tooth brush had IT
contisc4ted. Thirty, pounds of, ships biscuit
the gunwaies were only an inch aboye the water
Three days they were in this light boat, cx'
posed to rough seas and to ono storm of sleet
TO keep from swampIng, and at last their sig.
mails OF distress were seen by the Bear. The
cutter, cruised around in the vicinity for several
days, but saw nothing OF the others.
1t was thought that all had persisted unit
the steam schooner Bonanza reached this port
bringing news that twelve of the crew had beer
picked up BY the whalcr Thrasher, when they
were ALMOST st, dead de from cold and hunger on a. ar
Bonanza. He was one OF the twelve and was L
raving maniac when taken of the ice foo
iyyzed his Vocal Chords. bias joined the part,
Of sailors who started out with the other boat tt
were beaten back by storms. When thes,
were over the ice seemed about to split up
the middle Of a great foe. This foe soon spill
off from that on which the ship was fast ant
they had the pleasure of seeing a long lane o
with the boat and launch it. A dozen otheri
were lying about on, the ice; They begged pitc
could help themselves. were allowed to hav
places in the boat. That night a great storm
1 They % We're tdi Ti1sSS w With t tcffif iS"f force Scs ssniSs
several ice foes. They We're pinched betwce
tMo big ice tiHes and their boat was srUshRe
had nothing to eat, as their few bags of ship
stronger kept watch day and night to proven
cannibalism. They cbcwcd on their skin boot
backbone Of a seal which they found on the foe
To add to their misery the water dashed owe
c cham a.I from MS' one .f fioe to oG another which, Mf.' the Z
thought was being carried in the direction q
land. Assistant Engineer SCynlan stepped upo
a piece OF ice which broke of. He was left on
little foe which was carried by "a strong curren
in a dire, ton contrary to that of the big foe
When he saw that he was separated he begge
j, for help, but nothing could be done. as The
had no rope to throw him. and no one coul
have lived in the cold water. Scynlan was /
:, sight nearly all one day. Then a sleet storr
came on. and in the morning he was gone.
, When they had given mp all hope. the Thrash
er appeared and took them off the foe. Dias II
members nothing of the rescue. rs he bccam
insane two days before and he didn't regain hi
faculties until several days after he had bee
chance Of ever hearing again Of those VIII
stayed by the ships.