Bisbee daily review., 1907-10-05
BOLDLY DIPPED DEATH
When Petty Officer Willis Went
 Aloft In an Arctic Gale.
RIskED LIFE FOR HIS MATES

the Lives of Forty Men.
 The barkentine rigged steamer IT. gross was British sealer before our government bought her. stanch. stout ship, having record of many hun dreds of miles in dangerous arctic seas. Tn 1873 the Tigress was fitted and equipped at the Brooklyn navy yard and dispatched to Bafiin bay on an unusual and hazardous mission. Some of the members of the tragic Polaris expedition were believed to be alive and adrfft on the floating Ice. Commander Greer of the Tigress was ordered to cruise in the ice pack throughout the summer and as late as bay and inlet along the coast of Baffin 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 Jeannette expedition and as rear admiral.
 Before the mast was a petty officer named Willis, a veteran of the rebel lion. a 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 it 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 un- successful search for the castaways. This continued for several weeks-a strange cruise, but uneventful. save when occasionally there came terrific crash from a crumbling 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 swashing sea and growing fog. The violent wind and mighty currents joined forces in a way that caused the Tigress to drift iu- calculably It was discovered that her engines were not working satisfactori- ly. 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 southward. 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 trihe 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 immc- diately bank the fires. The wisdom 0? this precaution was soon proved. Dur ing the night 1t began to snow. The snow fell fine and dry, and it seemed 10 grow much colder. At the same time the wind renewed the shriIl 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 ell her timbers.
 Tine Tigress tugged heavily at her chain, now diving, now springing to l the top of q wave which suddenlT l hollowed out. causing her to thrash down again. as If she would knock her 1 head against the bottom. All at once | a loud. sharp clang resounded through the ship. The anchor chain had parted With a hissing roar the wind caught her, and the Tigress rose on the foam to leeward and soon after began to roll broadside on.
 The rolling brought every one OF deck. The engines were started. In time. after walIowing fearfully. the grooming ship was brought round tc her old position. facing the seas. She | lay as close to the wind as possible with reefed staysail forward and tho spanler halfway brailed up. the en zines being kept going to hold her. AT might have been well enough then # to the 4dismay of all, the foretopgalIani sail had not blown adrift The biz canvas. thrashing in the northeasi | gusts, endangered the mast. Every bound of the sail shook the mast like [ whip. All hands watched it. hopins feryently to see it blow away from the yard for good and all.
 r Lieutenant White, the executive off eer, had taken his station by the main mast The hurricane gusts now droy6 the waves the length of the deck Sometimes the snow and smoky clouds of spray mingled in dense foS, sS that it was impossible to see any thing. The lieutenant gripped the lifS line and listened to the fearful noise of the fsereely Tapping sail The mer could not possibly handle it. he said tS l himself. It would be easy enough tS shout through the trumpet: 'Tn to'gaI lan'sli Lay out and furip But who would obey the order7 Anyhow i
 would only send brave men to theil destruction.
 As he stood there hooking his arm through blight of rope one of tht
 men came slowly toward him. Ths sailor worked his way along the frozer
 NEW SUPERINTENDENT.