Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-01-13
A Race With The Ice FIOeS.
BYIEWIs f. PHILLIPS.

for that is seldom known at sea
was m the middle watch, from
midnight 10 four o'clock. and had
been OF deck about bat an horI
when 'be lock cut forwar sang
out: IS lp ahead-starOoarc-
hord startoard y
Th,sc words made the secOrd
mate, who had the watch, jump
into tie weather rigging. "a
SIN. P1Ie exclaimed. "Au iceberg
II Is, rather, aud. All hands
acar sll!' he shouted, abruptly,
in a tone which showed there was
rot moment to be lost.
The watch sprang 10 the braces
and hsuliues, While the rest OF the
crew tumbled Up irOm below, and
the captain aud other officers rnsh
cd out of their cabins; the helm
vas kept up and lhe Yards swung
raund, 9ud the Sbip's head turned
towards the direction whence We
had come. The captain glanced
his eve round, and then ordered
the course to be brailed mp, aud
the maintopsallS to be backei, so
a. to lay tie ship to. ] soon dis
covered the cause of these ma
noeuvreS; for before the ship had
quite sNu.s rcund, | perceived
close to uS ioNcring mass With a
refulgent appearance, which the
look out man had taken for the
white sails Of ship, but which
proved IN TralitN to be a vast ice
berg. Attached TO if, and extend
ing considerable distance TO lee
ward, was a field or very extensive
foe Of ice against which the ship
would baVe run had 1t not been
discover IN time, and IN that
case 1t would In all probability
have instantly gone down with
every soul on board.
To consequence of the extreme
darkness, it was dangerous to sail
eth, way; for 1t was impos
slble 10 say what other foes or
smaller masses of ice might prob
ably be upon them before they
would he seen. We therefore r.
manned hove to. As it was, | cOuId
not see the foe till it was pointed
ont 10 NE nv one of The crew.
When daylight bro ks next morn
ing the iear9ully dangerous posi-
ton in which the ship was placed
was seen. On every side of us
appeared long foes of ice, with
several icebergs floating like
mountains Gu plain among them.
while the only opening through
which we could escape was mar
row passage to the northwest,
which we must lave come in tho
course OF that perilOus night.
What made our position The
II ore terrible was that the vast
masses of ice were approaching
nearer and nearer TO each other, so
that we had not a moment TO lose,
If we would effect our escape. AS
light increased We saw, at a dis
tauce OF three miles 10 the west
ward. another ship in a TAR worse
predlcament than ourselves, in
ASA uch as she WAS completely sur
rOuEdrd 10y ice, though she still
hoated IN a sort of basin. The ~iud
held to the northward. so that We
could stand clear ont of the pass
age should it remain open lone
enough. Oar unfortunate n9ighbOT
hld by this time dlscOyered her
own perjlOus condition and we
perceived thet she had hosted a
signal Of distress. We also heard
the guns she was firing TO call our
attention to her; but regard for OIL
own safety compelled us to dis
regard them TIL we had ourselves
got clear Of the ice.
1t was very dreadful to waich
The stranger, and TO feel that We
could render her no assistance.
All hands we're at the braces
read, to trim the sails should The
wind head us; for, in that Case. VI
should have TO beat out of the
channel, which was every instant
groWIng narro~ yer and narrower
The captain stood at the weather
gangway, coming the ship
When ne saw the ice closing IN oil
us, he ordered every stitch OF can
Vas the ship could carry to be Sc
on her in the fOrlOrn hope OF car
, rying her out before the catastrO
phe should happen. Itwas a chance
whether or not we eslOuld be ca0gh
aud our good ship pOlyerlzed be
tween those vast masSes OF releDt
less ice. However, I Was not 81
much occupied with our Owl
danger as to be unable to keep al