Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-03-30
How the Shin Went Down,

In Harper's for April, George Harding,
the author, writes dramatically OF the
sinking Of the ship on which he sailed
with the Newfoundland sealing feet.
His experience was uniquely perilous.
The ship was crushed like an egg In the
ice.
ION the bridge were the captain and
watch anxiously awaiting the chance to
head the ship out of the moving Ice into
the stationary pack of which the big
sheet was part. The bowline lay on the
barricade, ready for heaving when the
crew should be ordered on the doe to
haul the ships head around. Aloft, tho
spyman searched the gloom for signs OF
lull In the confused and tremendous
waste.
"Then there came terrific crush.
The vessel caught In the trench between
the rsftering sheets, was powerless to
escape. The smash of breaking tim
bers rose above the gale, a. Q great
corner of ice crushed the vessels side
amidships. The captain and watch
rushed to the engine-room; 1t was filled
with steam, the inflowing water having
already reached the fires. A glance
showed that nothing could stop tho In
rush of water. The flremen were re-
treating; the first of them, like creature
from another world, coal-begrimed,
undershirt-clad, reached the ice.sheathed
deck, spreading panic In bis path. Above
the hailing Of questions and shouts that
no man could understand, came the
voice of the skipper-he knew the situa-
ton as no other man.
"sMenp he shouted, the ship III go
pack your clothes-save the grub!
"Then it was confusion everywhere ;
the crew poured up the hatchway, haul
ing clothes boxes and bags, crowding
over the side, -colliding in mid-sir, as
they half tumbled and half slid down
the ropes, then back for food. Labo-
riously the heavy pork-barrels were haul
ed BY hand from the after.hold, where
men bravely toiled. Others fought their
way aloft, where the sails were slowed.
The canvas cut loose, bellying out 10 the
force of the gale, was dropped to. the
deck. Punts were slipped from the
davits; some hitting the ice with Q
crash, were stove in. Throughout it all
the captain shouting:
"'Haul them punts and grub farther
off! Farther yet! Fartherr
1.-THE water rapidly rising drove the
men from the lower hold; they retreated
to the deck. Then the inflow, level with
the ocean, ceased; the ice for time
held the ship in its grip. Second by Sec
ond passed, bringing no change. In that
brief interval each man suddenly thought
| to save the thing he most desired. A
wild rush was made to wheel-house, to
cabin, to the ships store-room-every
man for himself-a scuffle to get the
thing most coveted and escape to the ice.
With one, it was rife from the ships
armory to replace the Anticipated muz-
zle. loader at home. With another, the
ships compass or the barometer. With
the after-galley cook 1t was the cabin
dishes. In the cabin crowd surged to
the medicine-chest, scrambling for lini.
ments and pills, smashing anything that
was an obstacle in their way. Such was
the scene when the cry arose on deck, re-
peated by fifty men and echoing through
out the vessel, 'Tis time to take to the
ice!' Then great rush to be clear of
the doomed ship as the mass of men,
some. empty handed, others laden, de-
rending their spoil from the unsuccess-
full, plunged on to the. ice.
"The ship was sinking fast. 1t was
but short leap for the last man from
her deck to the loosening ice. The men
stood on the foe, looking the ship over
from the bow, lifted high, to the stern
now below water.
"'A pity to lose the vessel they said.
Wonderful hard to lose the trip o. fat.
"Then came the final plunge; the
mainmast, reaching over the foe, broke
as the weight of the vessel pulled 1t
under. The great anchors sliding from
the bow added to the tumult, as every.
thing not frozen solid to the deck crash
ed into the house and galley-for Sec
ond, flash of flame shot from the over
turned stoves-then nothing save few
seal pelts and broken oars lay on the
surface of the troubled hole in the foe
| where the Grand Lake had disappeared"