THE SHIPPING DISASTER IN THE WHITE SEA.

West Coast Times, Issue 651, 25 October 1867, Page 2

THE SHIPPING DISASTER IN THE WHITE SEA.

An interesting statement is published in a Dundee paper, from tho captain of a vessel which escaped tho groat disaster in the White Sea last June, when the fleet of traders awaiting the breaking of tho ico, wcro caught between the floating masses, and about seventy out of 150 sa ;i completely destroyed. We Sydney "Empire," copy a few paragraphs as follows : — About 7 in the evening of Tuesday, June 18, the sight was beautiful — the fleet alla 11 lying quiet, with their heads to the southward, nearly m line, as if ranged so under the eye of a strict admiral, ready for a contending foe. The evening was clear, with a drizzling "rime" and cold, coating the rigging and ropes with a covering of ice like glass (called by the sailors "the barber" — named, being sharp enough to take the skin off your face) all round seaward nothing but iee — looking in tho distance like a new-tilled field — tho pieces heaped upon ono another, others standing on end, built on most fantastic shapes, tho ice averaging from two to three feet thick. The Lapland shore is about two miles off, but there are no signs of any inhabitants, though there is a Lap settlement in the neighborhood, bufc further in from tho coast ; no place of shelter to get to, and with an iron-bound coast to ground upon, which was suro destruction. All went well with us until next morning, Wednesday, at 4 a.m., when tho tide turned. Then tho vessels got all canted in different directions, somo falling into tiers, others athwart hawse of one another ; then the smashing commenced — masts and yards breaking, jibboons carried away, ic. We got foul of a Norwegian barque carrying away forelopgallant mast, and then parted, very thankful that there was nothing worse. The steamer got into a tier with six or seven together. The rest of tho fleet fared much the'same way, and many too near the land were driven ashore by tho tide at low water. I counted at "this time twenty -two on shore, and fivo on a reef at Pialitsa Creek, with little chance of recovery, their crews getting provisions on shore, and rigging tents there — the brig Luna, Captain Pretty, being carried in between two grounded icebergs, where he appeared to lie as snug as if iv a tidal harbor, the icebergs bcirig fifteen feet higher than his decks. Wednesday morning commenced worse than its predecessor. At 9 a.m. tho vessels being all nipped with the shifting tido, sig-, nals of distress were seen in all directions ; some of their crews were on tho ice, having taken their boats, clothing, and provisions with them — somo of their ships giving very little shelter, aud were just going down. At 1 p.m. we came near the Effort's crow in a sad predicament, their ship going down in half an hour after being squeescd. Seeing they could not get on board without assistance we went with all hands, with planks and poles, and brought them on board. In the afternoon the flood came strong away, carrying us down upon Cross Island, destroying every ship that touched it, being piled with ground ice all round, thirty feet or so thick. Monday, June 24. — Lying quiet in the ice, six miles off the land ; a clear patch of water to theN.E., with many ships in it. There is also clear water to S.W., but wo cannot get on — being surrounded with very heavy ice, and closely packed. Tuesday morning. — Ice opened, and got out for good into clear water two miles off Nikedomskio. Wo made all sail, and commenced a search for tho brig and barque, to render the latter more help. We crossed over to Bluenose. " Not seeing them there, we came back to the pack, and found only fourteen vessels in it — three abandoned and sinking, the remainder workiug their way out. The others were away out of sight. I hove to, and had a good look, aud seeing no appearance of tho vessels I wanted, jusb as wo were going to fill our yards, we discovered a boat, which had a man and a boy (Russian peasants) starving, having been carried outside of the ice wlulo duck shooting, aud they could not get bank. Wo took them on board and brought them here, and it was a special mark of Providence in sending its to thenaid. We then proceeded on to Archangel, and arrived next morning and found both vessels I wanted there before me, they having got out on tho other side of the pack. This is as sad a calamity as ever was known for ships in this sea, there being supposed to bo about seventy lost : I counted 158 all fast first day. Many of their crows went oil shore with very little provisions with them, and must now bo starving.