The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-11-02
BOLDLY DEFIED DEATH
When Petty Officer Willis Went
AIOft In an Arctic Gale.
RIsKED LIFE FOR HIS MATES

the Lives Of Forty Men.
The barkentine rugged steamer II
gress was a British sealer before our
government bought her, stanch, stout
ship, having record of many hun
dreds of miles in dangerous arctic
seas. In 1878 the Tigress was fitted
and equipped at the Brooklyn navy
yard and dispatched to Baffin bay on
an unusual and hazardous mission.
Some of the members of the tragic
Polaris expedition were believed to be
alive and Rdrift on the floating Ice.
Commander Greer Of the Tigress was
ordered to cruise in the ice pack
throughout the summer and as late as
possible in the autumn to search every
bay and inlet along the coast of Bafin
Land for the survivors and the wreck
ed vessel. With him were Lieutenant
Commander Henry C. White and Engi-
neer George Wallace Melville, the last
named becoming known subsequently
as one of the heroes OF the Jeanette
expedition and as rear admiral
Before the mast was a petty officer
named Willis, a veteran of the rebel
lion, SCARED, weather beaten, pow
erfully built fellow, possessing the
savage pluck which makes the true
seaman. Had Willis not bunked in the
Tigress' forecastle or had he been less
than the man he was 1t is scarcely
probable that single one of the forty
four men on board would ever have
come back.
After refitting at Disko late in Au-
gust the Tigress turned her bluff bows
to the northeast, crossed Davis strait
and, pushing her way into every lead
or river of blue water which afforded
a passage, made a persistent but I'M
successful search for tine castaways.
This continued for several weeks-a
strange cruise, but uneventful, save
when occasionally there came terrific
crash from erumbling berg quite
near at hand or the danger Of collision
with the towering ice wall sent the
crew rushing to their stations.
One afternoon this strange existence
came to an end with suddenness. The
horizon thickened, fresh wind sprang
up, followed by a smashing sea and
growing fog. The violent wind and
mighty currents joined forces in a
way that caused the Tigress to drift in
calculably. 1t was discovered that her
engines were not working SATISFACTORY
~. When, the next morning, it was
seen that the gale was increasing, the
choppy waves frothing wickedly under
a sky dark as cinders, the commander
at once turned southwark. His stanch
vessel driven and blown, he forced his
way into Cumberland gulf. which af-
forded meager shelter.
As soon as the gale lessened a trifle
the engineer made ready to repair his
machinery and boilers. Accordingly
the heavy weather anchor was sunk,
and with the vessel facing the winds
eye and behaving quietly the engine
room force got the forge in place by
the fire room hatch. However, as the
sky was still ugly, they did not imme-
diately bank the fires The wisdom of
this precaution was soon proved. Dur
ing the night it began to snow. The
snow fell fine and dry, and it seemed
to grow much colder. At the same
time the wind renewed the shrill pip
ing in all the ropes, and the vessel laid
down her nose to the gale, which was
blowing again, more violent than be
fore. Daylight revealed only too plain
ly what wild and terrible storm was
raging-the swift, lowering clouds, the
snarling, abrupt seas, which shook the
vessel in all her timbers.
The Tigress tugged heavily at her
chain, now diving. now springing to
the top Of a wave, which suddenly
followed out, causing her to thrash
down again. as If she would knock her
head against the bottom. All at once
a loud, sharp clang resounded through
the ship. The anchor chain had parted.
With a kissing roar the wind caught
her and the Tigress rose on the foam
to ieeward and soon after began to roll
broadside on.
The rolling brought every one on
deck. The engines were started In
time, after wallowing fearfully. the
groaning ship was brought round to
her old position, facing the seas. She
lay as close to the wind as possible
with a reefed staysail forward and the
spanker halfway brailed up, the en-
gines being kept going to hold her. All
might have been well enough then IL,
to the dismay of all, the foretopgallant
sail had not blown adrift The big
canvas. thrashing in the northeast
gusts, ENDANGERED the mast Every
bound Of the sail shook the mast like q
whip. All hands watched II, hoping
fervently to see 1t blow away from the
yard for good and all
Lieutenant White. the executive on
Ger had taken his station by the main
mast. The hurricane gusts now drove
the waves the length OF the deck.
Sometimes the snow and smoky clouds
Of spray mingled in a dense fog, 50
that IT was impossible 10 see any
thing. The lieutenant gripped the life
Tine and listened TO the fearful noise
Of the flercely tapping sail. The men
could not possibly handle 1t. be said to