What transpired was a tragic death and whispers of murder, as well as a terrifying ordeal through the heart of an Arctic winter, when men fought depression, madness, and each other upon the ever-shifting ice.trial By Ice is an epic adventure that pits men against the natural elements and their own depraved human nature. In this powerful true story of death and survival, courage and intrigue aboard a doomed ship, Richard Parry chronicles one of the most disturbing, little-known tragedies at sea in American history.