Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-12-03
AMONGST THE ICEBERGS.
Commander Schley's Vessel
Runs Plump Into One,
Arctic Region destinations Described by
Lieutenant Greelys Finder

N"'Sh''nO uIoolJ 1 lnu0"
The following is from an interview
with Commander Schley, who rescued
the remnants of Lieutenant Greeiys
party: 'IIad youany unexpected eX-
perlences when you got in the higher
ATTITUDES aside from the general one
pertaining to the expedition"
"Oh, yes. One morning, for in
stance, when the atmosphere was hazy
from light fall Of snow, in going a
stiff nine-knot gait, We ran plump into
an iceberg that was in our way, and
which no one could see. For mo-
ment | thought every mast would go
by the board, and that my hair and
teeth had preceded them. | never goV
quite such shock. wasnearly thrown
out of the crows nest. | expected
soon to hear the Alert was leaking.
But, strange as it may seem, with II
rebound of at least thirty feet, there
was not seam started 1t was al
most miraculous that we had no catas-
trophe, and shows how thoroughly
that ship was built for just such en-
counters in those seas. On another
occasion, when over against the Green
land coast, l counted not less than
1900 icebcrgs 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 lissure;
but the sight of these majestic mon
archs 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 a one more so. |
wanted to stay there awhile. Even
the men took at New Bedford and
New London jumped at the chance to
go, though some Of them said they did
not expect to come back again. Why,
after we got Greedy and our mission
was accomplished, | never felt such a
pang of disappointment that, with
seventy-two days of summer weather
before Inc, and an open sea, l was
obliged to turn my prov homeward
and abandon the chance to geta high
er latitude than any other explorer"
ado you think you would have hal
a success had you been at liberty to
have entered on such trip"
ut seemel so; at least, just then.
And this leads me to say that the re-
mark | have quoted from Weyprecht
was vindicatel in my experience. The
theory of winter sojourning in the high
ATTITUDES, in order to be on the ground
f)r another seasons continuance, is, in
my Judgment, all mistake. The men
might as well come home and have
the advantages Of civilization. Moth
ing is gained by remaining within the
arctic circle that cannot be realized
the next season by starting early if the
conditions are favorable. And these
conditions rest upon an open sea.
Now, some seasons all the waters are
filled with ice that it is impossible to
penetrate. The very next season
every strait, bay and channel is likely
to he open water. The winds, cur
rents and many unknown or undem-
onstratel influences affect the ice,
What should be done is to get every
thing in readiness early in the year,
and by May or early June be at the
upper settlements. Then follow
promptly the open water, and the oc-
casion will come, sooner or later, when
the pole will be reached. In my case
could have got far to the northward,
and, if caught in the upper seas, had
provisions that would have lasted pos
sibly two years, before which time [
should have worked out Of the trap.
In this connection, let me tell an anec-
dote. We were butting pretty elfectu-
ally one day some ice that impeded
our progress, when one of the Dundee
whaling captains said, in admiration
of our proves: 'Ye did that butting
in foine style, and it is a tough ship
that you have; but if you keep it up,
you will ruin your ship for asecond
season. Second season. exclaimed |
none for us, if you .please' We shall
find Greedy and be back again long be-
fore we begin to divide the seasonsV
And so it turned"