Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1885-03-05
Fascination ofthe Arctic Regions -Hutttng
an iceberg.
From an Interview in the Boston Common
wealth.

pTOm an lnVerNioW IN tne DOstOn OpHlulOu-
wealth.
Had you any unexpected experiences
when you got in the higher attitudes
aside from the general one pertaining
to the expedition?"
"Oh, yes. One morning, for instance
when the atmosphere was hazy from Il
light fail of snow, in going a stiff nine
knot gait, we ran plump into IN ice
berg that was in u way, and which no
one could see. For a moment l thought
every mast would go by the board, and
that my hair and teeth had preceded
them. 1 never got quite such a
shock. 1 was nearly thrown out Of
the crows nest. 1 expected soon to
hear the Alert was leaking. But,
strange as it may seem, with a rebound
Of at least thirty feet, tIere was not q
seam started. 1t was almost miraou-
lous that we had no catastrophe, and
shows how thoroughly that ship was
built for such encounters IN those seas.
On another occasion, when oyer against
the Greenland coast, I counted not less
than 1900 icebergs that had been
pushed from the glacial formation on
the sloplng headlands of the coast into
the sea. We could occasionally hear
the cracking that indicated the fissure;
but the sight of those majestic
archs of the sea sailing off in the morn
ing sunlight, with all the colors of tho
prism, was something that cannot be
described. Fascinating region! do you
ask? Never q one more so. /
wanted to stay there awhile. Even the
men | took 10 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, af-
ter 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 sea, | was obliged to
turn my prov ~homeward, and abandon
the chance to get q higher latitude than
any other explorer"
"Do You think you would have had a
success had you been at liberty 20 have
enter ed on such a trip"
at seemed so; at 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 latitudes, in order to be on
the ground for another seasons con-
tinuance, is, in my Judgment, all II
mistake. The men might as well come
home and have the advantages Of civil.
~ization. Nothing is gained by remain
ing within the Arctic circle that car not
be realized the next season by starting
early il the conditions are favorable
And three conditions rest upon On opea
sea. Now, some seasons all the waters
are filed with ice that il is impossible to
penetrate. The very next season every
strait, bay and channel is likely to be
open water. The winds. currents and
many unknown or undemonstrated in
Auences affect the ice. What should he
don. is to get everything in readi-
ness early in the year and by May
or early June be at the upper
settlements. Then foil ow promptly
the open water, and the occasion
will come, sooner or later, when
the pole will be reached. In my case
I could have got far TO the northward,
and, il caught in the upper seas, l had
provisions that would have lasted posi-
blv two years, before which time /
should have worked out Of the trap.
We we're butting pretty effectually n
day some ice that impeded our progress,
when one OF the Dundee whaling Cap
tains said in admiration Of OUT prowess
We did that butting in forne style, and
it is q tough ship that you have; but II
YOU keep it up you viii rain your ship
for a second season Second season !
exclaimed I-'none for us, ifyou please!
We si,a.! shall find Greedy and DO back
again long before We begin TO divide
the seasonsp And 20 IL turned.'