Entry Index: 508
Position: 73.65, 179.87
Date by Position: 15 November 1880
Logbook Volume: 3 of 4
Logbook Metadata: Volume 3
Latitude by observation N. 73° 39' Longitude by chronometer E. 179° 52' Lines of position ✱✱ Pollux & Vega Water expended during the preceding 24 hours: 35 gallons Water distilled during the preceding 24 hours: 35 gallons Coal consumed during the preceding 24 hours: 290 lbs Coal remaining on hand at noon: 44 tons 1533 lbs Max. temperature = -5° Min. temperature = -27.7° The pumping forward is done by hand at the spar deck bilge pump, and such water as filters aft, through and under the bulkhead, into the fire room, is pumped out by hand at the bilge pump attached to the main engine. The steam cutter's boiler is used for distilling. Sounded in 27 fathoms. Muddy bottom. A moderate drift to east being indicated by the lead line. At 11am the ship was inspected by the Commanding Officer. At 1.30pm divine service was performed in the cabin. At 1.30am the ship sustained a very heavy shock from some undiscoverable ice movement. At 10am the lead one mile ahead of the ship and the lead 1/8 mile astern of the ship were found to be open again, the latter to the width of about a hundred yards. At 6pm loud noises from grinding ice in the lead astern. At midnight a beautiful lunar halo, 5° in diameter and showing prismatic colors. Generally bright and pleasant weather. Light breezes backing to S.S.W. by noon and there remaining until midnight. Rapidly rising barometer and decreasing temperature. The ship being again west of the 180th meridian, the correct date is added in red ink, though for ships purposes the date is not changed. Moon 18° N. First quarter
See full digitized page provided by the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Excerpt:
At 1.30 a.m. I was startled by a severe shock to the ship, taking her as if she were sliding down an inclined plane and suddenly brought up, or as if she had been struck a severe blow under her stern. I ran for the man on watch, but he had noticed nothing he said, and there were no signs of disturbance in the ice. I learned afterwards that the shock had awakened everybody aft, but that no one forward had felt or noticed anything; it may be well to add that so callous have we become to such things as shocks that nobody turned out. At six p.m., while the ice was grinding in an ugly way in the lead one eighth mile astern, I was on the deck-house with the zenith telescope, looking out for occultations of Jupiter's satellites. Mr. Dunbar came up and quite earnestly asked me if I heard the pressure going on; but as I was watching Jupiter intently I made some such indifferent answer as, "Heard it some time ago," etc., quite to his astonishment. No doubt he thought that I was taking things easy, but the fact is I have long since concluded to borrow no trouble. We cannot prevent any disaster that may befall us, and we have made all possible provision for its coming. Human strength is of no avail and human wisdom of no value. In our position we have done all that man can do, and we must leave the rest with God. After breakfast, as soon as people began to move around, it was discovered that the lead a mile ahead of the ship, as well as the lead one eighth mile astern, were both open, the latter to a width of one hundred yards.
See digitized manuscript page provided by NOAA PMEL.
Hour |
Wind |
Pressure |
Att'd |
Dry |
Wet |
Sea |
Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | nxw | 29.5 | 47.0 | -7.5 | — | — | oczs |
| 6 | nwxw | 29.47 | 42.0 | -12.5 | — | — | bcz |
| 9 | wsw | 29.65 | 47.0 | -15.0 | — | — | bcz |
| 12 | swxs | 29.79 | 37.0 | -19.0 | — | — | bc |
| 15 | ssw | 29.9 | 47.0 | -22.3 | — | — | bc |
| 18 | ssw | 29.97 | 51.0 | -26.5 | — | — | bc |
| 21 | ssw | 30.03 | 52.0 | -27.7 | — | — | bc |
| 24 | ssw | 30.09 | 47.0 | -27.0 | — | — | bcz |
