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Show VESSELS IN GRIP U.F j.Cji Mongolian and Prospero Off Entrance to St. John's Harbor St. Johns. N. F., May 20. The grip of the ice on the steamers Mongolian and Prospero, which were surrounded surround-ed off the entrance to St. John's harbor, har-bor, remained hard and fast at dawn today, and .while neither steamer was in any immediate danger of -being cither crushed or pushed ashore, and the five hundred passengers on- the Mongolian were In a position to .gain'." the land within a few minutes, any strong gale from the east was a menace. men-ace. The limits of the great ice field could not be seen from the summit of the highest hill on the coast, but extended to the horizon. Off shore, the bergs could be seen grinding and turning as the great Labrador current pushed them constantly to the Southward. South-ward. The night on board the Mongolian was an. anxious one, despite the fact that the officers assured everyone the shore could be reached easily and that ample warning would be given if the stout side of the steamer showed signs of yielding to the pressure of the Ice. Fireman Herman and other persons went out over the ice during the early morning and many were sent ashore. Many of tho passengers recounted how the ice pack bore down on the steamer yesterday as she neared the coast until hemmed In on every side, further progress was completely stopped. stop-ped. The little steamer Prospero tried to break through the ice at the harbor'.i entrance and open a lane for tho large steamer. Many of the passengers, passen-gers, bound to Halifax and Philadelphia Philadel-phia on the Mongolian, though the Prospero would at least reach them and perhaps enable them to land and there was much disappointment when the ice pack was seen to gather steadily stead-ily around the little steamer until she also succumbed to Its mighty power. pow-er. During the forenoon today, it was noticed lhat the Ice was Jamming close to the shore - forcing the ships a trifle to the southward. Many climbed climb-ed Telegraph hlir, the edge over-looking the scene, but there was no sign of clear water for at least twenty-five twenty-five miles, while reports from tho north stated that every hay, harboi and -inlet was choked with ice. The weather today was favorable for both vessels, f |