The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-07-19
(Boston Journal.)

Waxing one morning to see q
mighty Arctic iceberg floating on the
ocean a mile away, they attempted to
land on it. They knew that high up
among the jagged peaks that glistened
in the sunlight there must be cascades
OF water They attempted to land, and
were driven Off by a vicious polar bear
who bafied every attempt of the fam
ished men to Chamber upon the ice
and Stake their thirst
The Helen +. Written is as trim and
well built q fishing schooner as Glou-
cester men ever put to sea IN. She
has neat pair of heels. and her cap
tam, Frank Willard, knows the tenn
2ers and moods Of old ocean as well
as any viking that ever sailed the deep.
The men were out in small boat
working over their travis. when
dense fog suddenly shut down over
them.
They had started to pull back to the
ship when the fog swirled around
them, they being only a mile away,
nut IN the brisk wind that sprang up
they were blown away, and as night
settled down over the sea and they
could no longer hear the signals of
their comrades on the schooner they
began 10 be anxious. Gloucester sea
men are used TO sudden death. They
meet danger in many forms with iron
courage and hearts Of oak, but as these
men tossed up and down on the ever
freshening sea they began to think Sc
riOusly Of their condition.
With no sails, with only two pairs Of
oars, and with neither compass, water
nor food, their lot would be "A bad one
n, I'm the morning. they found them
selves upon a tracl0less ocean with no
ships in sight.
And this was just what they did
find. The morning broke clear and
bright after a sleepless night. Far as
the eve could see there was no sign
or sail or steamer smoke. The wind
was kicking up the little waves and
topping each one with white caps. The
great swell of the ocean was monOtO-
nous TO the men confined. in the little
boat. Long before the sun actually
rose they had turned the nose of the
boat around and began to row with all
their might toward the west knowing
that there, down below the horizon.
was Newfoundland, and a path that
would take them home to Gloucester.
In those long hours. while the sea
grew brighter and brighter and they
strained at the creaking oars, Roberts
thought Of the little sister waiting for
him at home. and James remembered
the wife and children who might watch
from the little harbOT OF Gloucester
with tear-filled eyes-and watch in
vain.
The men who 90 down to the sea in
boats from Gloucester leave warm and
loving hearts behind-but men must
work and women must weep. And the
yearly memorial service in the old fish
ing town bears pathetic testimony to
the number of widows and orphans.
All these things the men remembers
Would some passing ship see their frail
cockleshell tossing IN the waves and
come to their aid? They knew that they
must be somewhere near the path Of
passing ships. They had seen the great
steamers blowing their noses through
the water and fog heading to and from
Europe and Boston and New York. and
once on the trip out they had been sud
denly turned out Of their hunks at mid
night to stand by to man the boats
should they be struck by one of these
grayhounds-or to die like Gloucester
men should the monster bowl over
them and smash on its way.
They hoped that at night the ocean
steamers would give them a wide
berth.
AS they tugged at the oars they be
gan to feel more and more the need Of
food. and the Darching OF their dry
Threats reminded them of the terrors
or lost fishermen without water Jasso
looked down at his rude fisherman's
knife, tied TO his suspender strap AMI
thanked God that as a last resort they
had this TO speed their souls from
starvation and choking thirst
The dancing, cruel water Knocked
their thirst Yet they knew that to
drink it meant sure and terrible in
sanity and suffering. At about 10
clock in the morning they put down
their oars TO rest. Along the southern
horizon sSirted the topsails Of a great
ship. but it was so far away that those
on it did not see the pathetic signals OF
the two men in the boat. They did not
see the boat at all.
Roberts found the stump of a cigar
I'm the lining of his coat, and they 4it
it. taking turns at pulling the fragrant.
1lNlgorating tobacco smoke from it.
Ihen they talked. going over their
lives and trying TO invent some way of
escape. As they grew hungrier and
fainter they stopped talking and began
10 row again. always going toward the
west or what they judged was the
west
Late in the afternoon they stopped
rowing, and. being tired out went to
sleep. Tt was night when they awOl1e |
They again began rowing. but at mid !
night gave II up and began talking. /
Finally they went to sleep again.
At sunrise Roberts sat up and gave
a shout
Towering into the sky like a great
Elistening diamond, its ragged peaks |
burning in all the cclOrs of the rain !
bow as the SUMS rays struck them. was I
a mighty iceberg. 1t was not over a /
mile away. and was the most glorious 4
sight that either of the men had ever /
seen
We rowed toward it with all our
tagging strength" said Jasso, "for we
knew that there, at least, we should .
lind fresh water. The high peaks were
already melting in the warm sun. and .
down from their ragged heights came
1umbling noisy little cascades of wa ,
ter, falling into the fairyland Of val /
leys below. These tiny streams danced !
in the sunlight and roared like noun /
tain brooks in spring.
we were nearly 6elirious with de- 4
light. and we laughed so that we coul0 /
hardly pull at the heavy oars. Our
laughter was hysterical, maniacal. and
we knew all the time that it was the \
borderland of insanity. I could i'm /
agine the horrible battle that would /
have taken place between two insane. /
maniacal sailors after they had passed 4
the line Of human endurance and had I
fallen upon each other to Stake their
thirst and appease their hunger. ri
thought of all these things as we
dragged the heavy boat toward the
berg. And 7 thought of the cottage /
door at home i'm Gloucester. with my 4
iittle wife looking down the street 10
see if her man was coning-and all the I
time ] laughed like fool from sheer
delight at the sight Of water, fresh wa
ter that we could drink
Along the western side Of the berg
the ice shelved down to the waters |
edge so that we could have elambered I
upon it from the boat. 1t was not more /
than six feet above the waves
we had rOwed into "a little cove in !
the side OF this plateau Of ice and were /