River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-04-08
Professor NOrdenskjold's Vessel.
London Standard.

An Unexpectedly fine day tempted
me TO go and make the closer acquaint-
ance of the Vega. She is a whaler of
500 tons, painted black, and bare orna-
ment, save for gilded line below her
bulwarks. She is fitted up with
small engine that enables ner, without
sail, to move at the slow rate of five
miles an hour. AS she lay, so black
and unpretending, on the water, l fam
cied what 8 dark little nutshell she
must nave looked when jammed among
the ice-fslds off the East Cape. The
obliging officer showed us the track of
the vessel on the chart, and the point
at which she struck fast, little to the
southwest of the East Cape, when one
day more of open water would have
carried her safely round and spared the
10 months waiting. Here attached by
ropes to large pieces of ice, 5000 feet
distant from the Siberian coast, the
stout little vessel waited, and its inhab-
itants did not suffer too much from the
cold of winter, for the sides of the ship
are composed of two strata of wood, be-
tween which is lining of felt; and on
the stern, besides this, there is a vacant
space between wood and felt through
hich passed hot air. Thus, Il tempera-
ture OF 20 and more degrees above zero
was maintained in the saloon and
cabins, when outside it showed so de-
grees below zero. Five stoves were
kept constantly heated in different parts
of the vessel, and yet the ceilings were
lined with strips of ice, the result of
condensation. The cold was not the voy-
ayers worst enemy, and they suffered
but little from il, but it was inn
1 possible TO face the terrible storms of
wind, which drove the snow along at
| the the rate of 80 miles an hour, and
! during such times of storm, which re-
peatedly occurred until the month of
May, the iilustrious explorers shut
themselves up as Theoretically as the
Tuchutski, the Esquimaux, and other
Arctic populations. Until the increas-
| ing depth of the snow prevented such
! exercise, skating and games of ball as
sited in keeping up the health and spir
| its Of the crew, not man Of which was
lost or even seriously i'll. On arriving
in port, Professor Nordenskjold receiv-
ed from the King of Italy the Grand
| Order of the Crown of Italy, and from
| the King of Sweden that of the Polar
/ CtdI7 lIlOUSn Lilc IlduIo vi A1AC 4LdlihAl
| Admiral and the Swedish Ambassador.
The news is now confirmed that the
Nordenskjold, the steamer that was
sent in search of the Vega, and which
stranded off one of the Japanese islands,
is now afloat again, and if possible, will
! be newly fitted out, and next year at
| tempt the northeast passage in the con-
| trary direction 10 that so successfully
taken by the Vega.
Albany girls stand no fooling. One
| of them was to have been married
/ day or two since, and the girl was all
ready, the minister on hand, and the
| feast spread, but still no bridegroom.
/ ''I'l wait for him just ten minutes"
said the girl, "and then Pm open to
! proposals." Ten minutes flew like the
wind, and little red-hsired fellow,
with paper collar, and his trousers all
frilled at the bottom, stepped up, pro-
| posed, was accepted, married, and
/ scooped in the nquet.-Alb1ny Argus.
/ Miss Nelson, the actress, will be
worth S250,000 at the end of the present
| tour, without reckoning the market val
ne of her diamonds, which represents at
! jewt lsr's prices, 100000. Ii she choose
| To keep on acting, year in and year out,
! she could have S250,000 more in about
! three years. The 40 performances al
ready given during the present tour
/ have brought her in upwards Of S40,-
I O0O, and she must give forty more, be-
sides the twenty light California repre-
sensations. by which she is sure to net
$4,000. Every dollar she earns in the
United States she invests 10 American
| sn1,rritias