Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1891-09-03
WEDGED IN THE ICE.


steamer Kite, with the Pearv and
Academy of National Sciences Green
land expeditions. found herself firmly
wedged in a field of ice at the en-
trance TO the Straits of Belle Isle, New
foundland. After making fruitless eff
fort to force the passage on the New
foundland side, Captain Pike de-
termined to cross over to the Labrador
shore and ram the ice there. Four days
were spent in the ice altogether. II
was period of hard work. Four hours
the Kite rammed the ice in a way that
would have sent craft less stout to the
bottom.
AS we were about to start on trip to
Labrador on the date named, white
bearded fisherman came to the Kite
after medicine for his sick daughter
He told us that half the population
along the straits were down with the
grip. DR.. keely gave him prescription
and he departed, feeling very crate
full, and taking with him our last mail
We had the cold comfort of learning
from him that if we had reached the
straits day sooner we could have got
through perfectly well, as they were
then clear ofice. So much ice as there
was then is unusual for this time OF
year. He also said there had been nc
southwark bound tide through the
straits for two days. A tide was due
that ought to clear things
Captain Pike took all this in, hitche d
his trousers, pulled his cap over his
starboard eye, climbed on the bridge and
gave the order to 60 ahead quarter
speed. We soon began crunching into
it. Blocks of ice as big as houses and
lots stood in our way, white as the
driven snow. What misery would be re-
heved by even one of them in some tene-
ment district in Philadelphia or New
York. The solid prov Of the Kite, q
into these. One moment she would
rise on the foe and smash through it
and the next would hit 1t a glancine
blow, and, staggering for moment
sWerve as on pivot.
After making a mile in this way the
skipper varied the monotony of the
work by tying fast to good sized foe fol
a fresh supply OF water. The watch on
deck, headed by the second mate, at
tackled the ice with axes, and sailors
scientists and lubbers warmed their
limbs and cooled their finger tips in
carrying armfuls and dumping it over
the rails on the decks. 1t was trans
terred to the tank and the steam turned
on, and soon we had 700 more gallons
aboard. That steam pipe seems to hold
a good deal of oil, for the ice water bore
a distinct flavor the blubber.
Lookouts on the masthead agreed on
the impossi bility of making the passage
of the straits at present. We began
to calculate that the Belle Isle route tC
hot hoC
cracked it up to be, and that if we had
taken Captain Pixies advice and skirted
the east coast of Newfoundland we should
have been north of this point already
Just before sunset someone sighted 8
seal 100 yards aft. A wild panic fol
lowed the announcement. This was
the only minute during the day when
the deck hadn't looked like an arsenal
and all hands made dive below fol-
weapons. The seal craned his neck
and gazed at us with unfei gned astonish.
ment. No doubt he had never before
seen party Of Philadelphia scientists
dressed like Malay pirates. Gibson and
Hughes appeared with their guns and
fired simultaneously, both exclaiming
well match for the skin" One bull
let bit the ocean north and the other
south of the mark, and the seal, giving
ished into the brine. He and a comrade
appeared some minutes later, we'll out
of range, and they rldiculed us till sun
set. When all was over DR.. Cooke
made his appearance, armed tc
the teeth He had Owed below with
the others, but the doctor has an idea
that nothing is done we'll by real Elk.
plorers unless they do it in costume
and he had stayed below to put on 6
toboggan suit, his ideal of seal hunters
outfit.
DR.. Cooke has a fine assortment OF
Saratoga trunks containing varieties o.
costume enough to clothe a comic
opera company engaged in the pro
duction of nautical piece. When the
transportation becomes a little harder
it is strongly suspected that Mr.. Peary
will feed these clothes to the polar
bears, and that a certain young phy'
stefan will weep some hot Weeps at bis
dress suits.
All hands put on their ice goggles
The effect on the face is to make it more
hideous than before. professional
scarecrows weren't in it with us. But
they were necessary, for the glare Of
the bright sun on the white surface was
more than our eyes could stand. There
was a temperature of 81 degrees IN the
sun and So degrees in the shade, and
the surface of the water lit was prob
ably fresh on top froze slightly over
night. 1t was noticed and put down as
an interesting psychological fact that on
donning the glasses the wearer at once
felt colder than before. This, 1t was
agreed, was due to the mental impress
sion of cloudy day created by the
smoked glass. As it is colder in cloudy
weather than in bright, the lmagl-
nation responded with chill.
We were on the verge of an exciting
incident to-day. Messrs. Pearry and
Mengel and DR.. Cooke, armed with boat 11
hooks, set out over the ice for small
berg aground some three miles away
When they had made their hrst niue
we saw them drop something on the
It was Mr.. Mengle. We made. out
NTH lono-ranpe glasses that this mex