“The pressure had now become so great that the great floe itself had cracked in several places, and the vessel was gradually breaking its edge and bearing down the pieces. Many articles had been thrown in a heap near the ship, and it was found that some of the lower things in the pile were dropping through between the vessel and the ice. It was also seen that should the ship be cut through and sink, many, if not all these articles, would sink with her. A call was therefore made for these men to carry these articles to a safer place on the floe. There was no special designation for that duty; but Captain Tyson, taking several persons with him, at once entered on it. After laboring about one hour and a half, the decks were cleared and the men on board ship had finished their work. At 9:30 P.M., by some change in the ice, the starboard side was again clear; the vessel was free from pressure, and the cracks in the floe began to open. [Sidenote: _THE SEPARATION OF THE CREW_] “Unfortunately, two of these cracks ran through the places where the stern anchors had been planted, breaking their hold. The wind, still strong, now drove the vessel from the floe, and, the anchors dragging under the strain, she swung round to the forward hawser. The latter slipped, and the vessel was carried rapidly away from the ice. The night was black and stormy, and in a few moments the floe and its precious freight could no longer be seen through the drifting snow. Before the separation, it had been noticed that the floe was much broken on its edge; that the provisions and stores were separated from each other by rapidly widening cracks; that the men also were on different pieces of ice; that active efforts were being made to launch boats in order to bring the scattered people together. Several men were seen rushing toward the ship as she was leaving, but they failed to reach her. The voice of the steward, John Herron, was heard calling out, ‘Good-by, _Polaris_!’ “Nineteen persons were thus separated from the ship, including eight Eskimos and the baby of Hans and Hannah—fourteen men remained on board—‘This remnant of a crew, so suddenly reduced, gazed on each other for a few moments in silence—when the order was given to station the lookouts; the duties of the ship were resumed.’ “A few moments after the separation, a fireman who was below getting up steam reported that the vessel was leaking badly. Upon examination it was found that the water was pouring in so rapidly that it was feared that the fires would be put out before steam could be raised to work the pumps.