The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19
FROZEN. TO AN ICEBERG.
A Cannon DisIOdgcd the Man, and He
Found Burial I'm the Sea.

Found Burial I'm the Sea.
From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
| Boston.-While the Peary expedition
steamer Hope was lying in Boston harbor
recently the writer had a long chat with
| a young Newfoundland scientist, who had
already made several trips to the north
ern regions. Among other interesting ex-
periences, he related to me the following:
"Of the coast of Labrador, two years
| ago, we sighted one of the largest ice
| bergs | had ever seen. 1t was, in fact
| perfect island of ice, with bays and prom
| ontories, tremendously high cliffs and
| caves, and grottoes innumerable. The ice
| island was divided into almost equal parts
| by a great valley running through its cen
| ter, and this valley was half filled with
| snow. Near the top of the berg-it must
| have been 400 feet up-there was vast,
smooth, CLASSY plane, inclining rather
| steeply toward the sea and terminating
| abruptly in great overhanging precipce.
| AS We gazed at this plane we observed
| upon its surface a small black spot. The
captain turned his telescope to the object
| and presently exclaimed: Good heavens,
| ii is a manr
| Instantly all was excitement Orders
were given to approach the iceberg as
near as possible. and all eyes were strain
| ed 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 oVerhanging cliff, we hove to. The
man was now plainly visible. He lay on
| his back, with one arm folded in an I'M
| usual manner under his head, his attitude
| being one of easy repose Except for the
| marbly look on his face and hands, as
| seen through the Helescope, we could have
| fancied that he was simply taking a quiet
| a u9 Of hot
| ter class of seamen, in rough blue pilot
! cloth, with large horn buttons. He had
| no hat, and by his Side lay a small boat
| hook to which was tied a strip of red
woollen stuff, apparently a piece of the
| same that he wore around his neck This
| no doubt, he had intended to plant on the
| nights as a signal. In the thin clear
| atmosphere the glass showed the mans
| features distinctly, 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 of his. He was quite sure of it,
! he said because of the peculiar manner
| in which the dead mans arm was slowed
| away under his head-his shipmate al
ways slept so, even in his hammock
I'VE turned our eyes to the base of the
| iceberg, looking for landing place, but
! quickly saw that the idea of landing was
out of the question. The thing would have
| been difficult enough in a calm; in
| heavy sea, which was now on, it was impos-
sible. We saw no sign of boat or spar or
| wreck of any kind 1t was a picture of
| utter desolatiOn.
| Turning our gaze once more to the sol
itary figure, We asked ourselves Who and
what is he? How long has he 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 stone.
Perhaps suggested one, he was aloft
when she struck and got pitched up where
| he is now
LAS 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 ill-using
his crew till they couldn't stand it no
| longer, 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
| boatswain. He said: IN tell yet That
there ice island warn't launched yester-
day, nor yet last year, nor the year be-
! fore, perhaps; and by the looks of him,
! he's been for 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 a place looks darker
| than the rest. Now, it's just there / ex-
| pect that a great piece has broken off
| and drifted away; and / calculate twas
| lower and more shelving off-not so steep
| and rocky-lile as il is now. Twas there
| that poor chap was cast ashore from ship
| or boat. He was trying to make his way
| up to the nights to look around and hoist
a signal when he lay down and went
asleep, and never woke up again; only,
where he Is now, you see, must have been
| covered with snow then, or he couldn't
have kept his footing
Having said this, the old boatswain
| walked forward. Heh
There was no earthly use in lingering
! round, and yet the captain seemed loath
to start away. IF the poor fellow had
| spark of life in him / suppose he would
have moved before this, he said but
supposing he did move, 1t would only be
| to slide down over the precipice, unless
| his clothes is frozen fast to the ice.
| don't see any more of 'em, and we couldn't
| get 'em off if we did, Then a thought
| struck him. and he gave orders to GET
the forward gun ready. When il was
loaded he said, 'Fire!" and in a few sec
| onds a loud echo resounded from the icy
| wall. For an instant afterward all was
| still, and then came noise like rafting
of loud thunder, proceeding from the CEN
| ter Of the berg.
1.-THE danger of our proximity to this
vast object now became more and more
| apparent, and the captain put on fun speed
| for a good offing We had barely pro-
| ceeded a quarter of mile when the same
noise was heard again, only louder, more
| prolonged, and accompanied by a rending
| crushing sound. The huge ice island was
| parting in the middle. down the course Of
| the deep valley / have already mentioned
Slowly and majestically the eastern half
rolled over into the sea, upheaving what
bad been its base. in which were I'M