New Ulm weekly review., 1884-11-26
COMMANDER SCHLEY.
Fascination of the Arctic Regions-Butting
Iceberg.

Had you any unexpected expert
cnces when you got in the higher lati-
tudcs aside from the general one per-
tanning to the expedition"
"Oh, yes. One morning, for instance,
when the atmosphere was hazy from a
light fall Of snow, in going a stiff nine
knot gait, we ran plump into an ice
berg that was in our way, and which
no one could see. For q moment I
thought every mast would go by the
board, and that my hair and teeth had
preceded them. never got quite such
q shock. was nearly thrown out of
hear the Alert was leaking. But,
strange as it'may seem, with arebound
Of at least thirty feet, there was not a
seam started. It was almost miracu-
]ous that we had no catastrophe, and
shows how thoroughly that ship was
built tor just such encounters in those
seas. On another occasion, when over
against the Greenland coast, counted
not less than 1.50O icebergs that had
been pushed from the glacial formation
on the sloping headlands of the coast
into the sea. We could occasionally
hear the cracking that indicated the
fissure; but the sight of these majestic
monarchs of the sea sailing off in the
morning sunlight, with all the colors of
the prism, was something that can not
be described. Fascinating region, do
you ask? Never q one more SO. I
wanted to stay there awhile. Even the
men I took at New Bedford and New
London jumped at the chance to 90,
though some of them said they did not
expect to come back again. Why, af-
ter we got Grcely and our mission was
accomplished, l never felt such pang
OF disappointment that, with seventy
two days Of Summer weather before
me, and an open sea, [ was obliged to
turn my prov homcward, and abandon
the chance to get higher latitude than
any other explorer"
''Do you think you would have had a
success had you been at liberty to have
entered on sach trip?n
1T seemed SO; at least, Just then.
And this leads me to say that the re-
mark l have quoted from Weyprecht
was vindicated in my experience. The
theory of Winter sojourning in the high
latitudes, in order to be on the ground
for another seasons continuance, is, in
my Judgment, all a mistake. The men
might as well come home and have the
advantage Of civilization. Nothing is
dita1e that cannot be realized the next
season sea hy stArting early il the coldi-
tionG ara 81 Ga,bkAblels.And these condi-
ogs Ions, rfg a9 open opens sea-: sro E9w; f;'}Si
with ice that it is impossible to pene-
trate. The very next season every
strait, bay and channel is likely to be
open water. The winds, currents and
many unknown or undemonstrated in
lluences affect the ice. What should
be done is to get everything in readi-
ness early in the year, and by May or
carly June be at the upper settlements.
Then follow promptly the open water,
and the occasion will come, sooner or
later, when the pole will be reached.
In my case l could have got far to the
northward, and, ii caught in the upper
seas, l had provisions that would have
lasted possibly two years, before which
time l should have worked out of the
trap. In this connection, let me tell an
anecdote. We were butting pretty CT
fcctually one day some ice that imped-
ed our progress, when one of the Dun
dee whaling captains said in admira-
ton of our proWess: 'Ye did that but
ting in foine style, and it is tough
ship that you have; but il you keep it
up you will ruin your ship for a second
| season. Second seasonn exclaimed
none for us, if you please! Weshal]
find Greedy and be back again long be-
tore we begin to divide the seasonsn
And so it turned. .h-F'y0na an Mle1Uieu
III Tie Boston Commonwealth.