The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-08
a TIMELY TOPIC.


THE REGION OF ICE AND SNOW.
.v,,,pxAR1.E ADVENTURES OF THE VIAL
T~a RARK eLACIER-A LONG STAY IN
uraz sUFFERINGS OF THE
cRRW-AN ABANDONED CREW SAVED :
TRACES OF sIR JOHN FRANKLIN AND Gar
TAIN HALL Ii
st. Louis Clio be- Democrat reporter
day or two since met soldier statioheu a' '"o
arsenal, who was the second mate snip
crew that several years ago made re"aIA
able VOYAGE into the Arctic region-a voyage
an which human endurance was placed
undar the seyerest tests; in which remarka-
~, d.ns,ers were surmounted, and discover
ias made of no little interest and
;mnortsnce. The gentleman VINO
ir,,narted the information now
rsneated TO the public was quiet, Nigh
toned Young man, entirely unpretentlous,
and with nothing about him TO inoicste tne
terrible ordeal through which ne nau oeen
compelled to pass: For tne hteral .'I ,a,,
moss of the story, his manner, tone anu con-
duct appeared the strongest guarsntees'
on the l4sh of July, 1871, the BARK Glaclef,
Ned Potter. master, lett New Bedford, Mass,
bound for Repulse Bay, situated In tne
northwestern extremity OF duusohs Day
on a whaling yoyage. The way up the AT
lantic coast was enlivened Dy no lnciuohc
mill thew were passing of The banks OF
Newfoundland, when they came suodenly
upon a steamer, coming In opposieo uiioc
tioh in one of those dense logs that sur
round the Newfoundland coast. Netner
was visible until the bark and the steamer
were only few feet distant from eacn otnsr'
and but tor the lucky accident OF Dotn mar mas
inc the right tack at the same time the DARK
Ionld most assuredly have gone down. Inc /
AIDS of the steamer scrsped the schooner's
shronds in passing The Glacier arrived In |
Hudson's Bay about the lst OF September |
At the entrance gale OF vino sofuc snd the
main land, and blew them into James pay
into the southern extremity OF the pay. Inc
intense cold of
AN ARCTIC WIND
.san not be realized or described, ana tne
sufferings of the men may be imagined
when is is stated that a new man had TO Dc
placed at the wheel every half hour, and the
men at the yard-srms grew ins few mln-
xtes so stiff and cold that three-qusrters OF
an hour would be occupied in reeing the
fore-top sail. Having been driven into the
sourthern extremity of the bay, the wind
sbifted to the southwark and drove the bark
nm tn Marble Island which is in the north
western part of the bay. Marble Island Is
one of the safest places OF resort In these iaI-
itudes. The place Is called Marble islaho, oe-
causa COMPOSED OF solid marble, Wnlcn
rises hare aud there in mountains loo feet
above the level of the sea. 1t contains sew
erai inland bays, which, Wnen roacneo,
sbslter ship from the fercest blast OF arctic
winter. To reach these lnlanu pays IL - -
necessary to go through narrow channel
enclosed between Marble Island on the
north and long, low, narrow island called
Cooper's Island on the south, over wnlch
the surf beats in rough weather. ms pas
sage is generally made by working through,
which means that by means of ropes hrsl
wound around the windlass and then ex'
tended TO some rock above, the DARK Il
pulled at the windlass to the point named
The gale had lasted two weeks, and IL no"
oct so cold that the second mate was sem
with a couple of boats to point 40 miles
above, where the natives were encamped
Here the two boats crews stayed Jour DAYS
and procured an ample supply OF clothing
consisting OF stockings, called alexis; p0sts
called kummens; pants, called codIns
coats. called coolatangs. The coats lnciua'
a hood to 90 around the head, and so made
that it can be enclosed around the race SO
to cover all the features except the eyes az
part of the nose. These pieces of clothin
are quite thick, with fswn or ssal skin mex
to the flesh. with outer coverings OF oucS
skin, bearskin, so that they are perfectly IN
nervous TO water. If these skins had nc
been obtained, the men would assureoly nav
FRozEN TO DEATH
ON their way back to the ship. Although
was early in September, the ice now csugl
them fast in the strait through which the
were trying to make their way to the inlar
bays in Marble Island. The next day, att
the arrival of the boats crew the rigging b
came so stiff that they were obliged to al
mantle the ship to prepare for winter. IL
casks were taken out of the ship 10 maj
her as light as possible, ana the crew pro-
a passage through :he ice and landed
Cooper Islahd-a frozen desert or sand al
Gravel. The ice, which up to this tin
had only been an inch or two thick, l
creased TO foot in thickness by the 18th
October Ga that day, with our axes al
saws, the entire crew proceeded over
Marble Island, to cut ice from the IRE
water ponds from which water might
obtained during the winter for drinking
cooking purposes. Huge blocks, fourte
and eighteen inches thick, were cut, haul
out on shore and set up on end, so that
might not be covered by snow. Then !
crew prepared to stay the cold weatl
out. The crew had nothing to do
lie on the fO'csstle, o smoking ssi x,a1
with lots of blubber on the
and thinking in the long and dreary arr
nights of home and friends, and some
sweethearts and wives. About Chrlstn
time their eyes were gladdened by the 81
of other human oeiDgs-a troop OF sn'
dark, greasy Esquimaux, who came
from the main land to Marble Island
supplies OF deer and seal meat and 8
clothes, which they sold to the crew. i
or three needles, thimble and some thr
would buy a whole suit OF clothes. A
guns with a small lot of powder would
chase several thousand pounds OF meat,
keep the natives hunting fresh meat
the whalers all winter. Months "
passed in this way. The bark
rived at this point late in September, ant
the first of May they commenced get
ready to go down to Whale Point, at
eastern extremity of Marble Island, TO w
il there The bark had been compelle
winter in the strait instead of the inl
bays, as wished, and bad luck had after
them all the way. 1t continued TO 10
them. They had hard trip down, hsu
the boat over the ice. At the eastern