New-York tribune., 1909-07-04

,, ,-o - ocasn annals Constant ton by day
and nigh; amid the perils and sunerlngs Oh Wy
age in ice covered waters al this season o.
t.nnssts wore her men TO skeletons. and when they
o.,,as ssh,~s they wera described as looking ike
men rom another world long boards. dirt and rags
covering them
Tbs story Of this gallant feat by handfui OF
daring soarnen stirred England profoundly, and
the British government soon took action. pronot-
,,,.- rto,, and hestowing signal honors upon him
sr5 his rallaut crew The interest in official cir
clos WIS doubtless increased by the fact that among
those who were saved was midshipnlan VINO was
e nephew Of Pitt the great Earn OF oha'hani'
and IS his family had already given him up for
lost the rescued boats crew having reported the
shin as foundered. the JOY OF the lads relatives on
learning Of his safety was such that they 1ell M
pelled to the ministry htly 10 recognize
Fiou's sreat achievement. The captain. however,
subsequently gave proof that his courage and
,sna,irv in the face of natural dangers we're as
great in naval battle, and when. at the age cA
fortv-ibree shot. the parting one from the great
Trekroner battery at Copenhagen. cut him IN TWO
It inflicted the British navy IN Neisoh 5 9oos-
rnent IAN irreparable loss.
An instance even more. remarkable of the peris.
sunerfnSs and hairhreadth escapes OF the sur
ylvors of an iceberg accident Is that 81 the
crew Of the Arctic exploring steamer Polarls'
which went north in the of 1875 with Pole
seeking American expedition under Captain Hall
The commander died in the autumn. and the ship
being subsequently crushed against an iceberg
some of the crew, who were on the ice taking the
stores from the others who were still on board
the ship all intending TO make for the land. were
driven away on a large foe which was torn apart
from the main pack
In the annals OF authentic adventure there Is
probably nothing equal the story of the astound-
ing experience of these Castaways, eighteen in all
They were actually adrift this crystal raft for
195 days IA which time they traversed nearly
eighteen hundred miles of storm beaten ocean and
withstood the rigors Of midwinter cold and the
fury Of the northern blizzards- Swept off from
their ship in the North Greenland waters in Oc-
tober. they were carried south by the resistless
Labrador current. and rescued by the New
foundlaud sealing steamer Tisress in the following
April on the Grand Banks. They had s1bsisted *
first on the stores from the Folsris- and after
ward on the walrus seals and bears they con-
trived 10 kill A baby vas born TO one of the
Esuuimsu women of the party while they were
on the Zoe and both mother and child survived
this extraordinary experience. Jules Verne wove
this incident into one of his stories, and It will
he news 70 most persons that the seemingly far
fetched creation OF the novelist had an actual
founda ton in fact.
Perhaps the most notable instance Of an ocean
liner colnding with iceberg is the case Of the
Guion liner Arizona. in November. 1919. Icebergs
are found in the North Atlantic at all seasons Of
the year and record OF nishaps to seagoing craft
would exhibit disastrous msadventures- in every
week Of the hfty-two The Arizona at that time
vas q crack vessel Of the Atlantic and had some
six hundred passengers aboard. when in q dense
uidnlgnt fog she full tilt against an ice noun
tain and smashed in her fore part from stem TO
forenaast II she had not been a stanchly butt
ship she must inevitably have foUndereds as It
was, however. she succeeded in reaching St Johns
forty-eight hours later the collision having taken
place The Grand Bank. 15e miles of Cape Race
Those On board had q most nerve-rackirg eK-
perience When the collision occurred the passen-
gers stampeded for the deck. and only the most
strenuous efforts Of the officers and crew prevented