Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-01-03
AMONGST THE ICEBERGS.
Commander SchIey's Vessel
Runs Plump Into One.
Arctic Region Fascinations Described By
Lieutenant Greely's Finder.

periences when you got IN The higher
latitudes aside from the general one
pertaining to the expedition.
."Oh. yes. One morning, for in
stance, when the atmosphere was hay
from light fall Of snow. in going .
stir 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 60
by the board, and that my hair and
teeth had preceded them. never got
quite such shock. Twas nearly thrown
out of the crows nest. I expected
soon to hear the Alert was leaking.
But. strange as it may seem, with u
rebound Of at least thirty feet. there
was not seam started. II was al
most miraculous that we had no catas-
trophe. aud 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, 1 counted not less than
1,500 icebergs that had been
pushed from the glacial formation on
the sloping headIands of the coast into
the sea We could occasionally hear
the cracking that indicated the assure;
but the sight of these majestic mon
archs of the sea sailing of in the
morning sunlight. with all the cOlors
Of the prism, was something that cam
not be described. Fascinating regionl
do you askp Never one more 50. /
wanted to stay there awhile. Even
the men | took at New Bedford and
New London jumped at the chance to
so, 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 me, and an open sen. / was
obliged to turn my prov bomeward
and abandon the chance to get high
er latitude than any other explorer"
do you think you would have had
success had you been at liberty to
have entered on such trip2'
ut seemed so; ut least, Just then.
And this leads me to say that the re-
mark have quoted from Weyprecht
was indicated in my experience. The
theory of winter sojourning in the high
ATTITUDES, in order to be on the ground
FIR 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
filed with ice that it is impossible to
penetrate. The very next season
every strait. bay and channel is likely
to be open water. The winds. cur
rents and many unknown or undem-
onstrated inlluent1s affect the Ice.
What should b done j. TO get every
thing il rea, s1fly ia the year,
and ~ Nay s. June be at the
upper set ats. Them follow
promptly a water. and the 90
cGsI6n NJ e sooner or later, when
the zoe reached u my case
4 could lis i GOT FAR to the norkhward,
and, II caoght in the upper seas. / had
provisions that would have lasted pos
ably two years. before which time I
should have worked out Of the trap.
Il this connection. let me tell a anecN
dote. We were butting pretty etfectu.
ally enc day some ice that impeded
orr progress. when one Of Che Dundee
whaling captains said. ID admiration
Of our prowess .Ye did thht buttina
= loIlle style. and i IS tough ship
that you have: but II yon Keep Il up.
you viii ruin your ship fe0 second
season. second season, exclaimed i
none foE ns + you pleased We shan
NmH ExreaIv ard Ia back nbafn Inns ~.