The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-21
TELLS HOW SAILING VESSEL
CUT THROUGH ICE FIELD
Letter Written in 1892 Describes Night Of
Terror as Rev. Sam Brown and Others
Expected Death Every Moment

lcchergs were greatly dreaded by
the old sailing vessels as they are by
the modern titans of the sea 4 letter
written by a transatlantic passenger
OF more than century ago gives a
vivid account OF his shir's narrow es-
scape from a fate similar to the one
which overlook the ill-fated White
Star liner.
The writer was Rev. Samuel Brown
of Virginia, great-great- grandfather Of
j. Thompson Brown. of Ivy Clin,'
Bedford county. at the time of writing
lie was Il student at Edinburgh. Later
Ne returned to Virginia ana married
Mary Moore. who was n captive among
the Indians for six years after the
massacre of her family in Augusta,
now Tazeweli. county, and was wide
~ known as the captive Of Abbs
Valley" One of her sons. DR.. William
Brown, was for years resident OF
lttchmond, and edited the Central
Presbyterian.
The letter is dated July. 1882. and is
addressed TO II friend John Coaltcr.
who was later Judge of the Virginia
Court OF Appeals. After referring TO
the pains OF separation from loved ones
IN America. tho writer undertakes 10
relate the most material occurrences
OF his trip across. among which is
this account of the iccbergs:
On the 10th of Mny--latltudc 47:oI,
longitude &G:is--abeut IL o'clock
in tne morning, We discovered an is
land of ice at the distance OF two or
three miles. While we We're viewing
it. we had nearly run the vessel upon
one which scarcely appeared above the
water, but was sufficiently large TO
have wrecked us. In the course OF an
G 81 uf ~
all ahead. AT . o'clock We could
count nine, for wo Were then sail
ing eight miles per hour; the wind
blowing fair and excessively cold. At
5 o'clock from the masthead the mate
deserved twenty seven. all before us.
This reports banishcd the thO'ts of
dining from mo. Tho sailors them
selves trembled--all but the captain
advised to stand 10 the South. Mr..
Stuart, who had long commanded Il
vessel, was urgent. and expressed his
sense of danger in such terms as
alarmed me beyond belief At the
captain Went to the masthead and
returned Immediately. pale with fear:
for he saw field OF ice to the East
thro' which tnerc was no passage
Il prospect truly dreadful when we re-
Elected that we had sailed many miles
amongst islands and could then see
some of those We had passed and
numbers on every side.
The vessel was steered 10 the South.
and as the wind continued to blow
fresh, and we had Yet two hours OF
daylight loft, we hoped TO pass all
those that appeared In this direction
before the darkness came on.
Our expectations. however, were
vain: for the numbers increased with
the approach of night, and the blasts
of wind. which sometimes subside at
the close OF day. blew now with dor-
bic fury The beginning of the night
was not dark. for al a small distance
the whitencss nj tho Islands discovere d
the danger which. by altering our
course, W" could avoid
Many OF these mountains. by cor
current opinion Of all on board, were
more than hundred feet above the
water. and would cover an acre OF
ground. Our situation was perllous
all day, and on account Of the cold
extremely d!sasreeable. but it was