Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-14


them the saws were broken 10y the shock.
So much Ice had been removed FROM about
the hull that the vessel was In danger Of
going over. Finally sounding ln the ice
showed u to be- twenty feet thick nt
least and solid below that. The summon
sun brought no relief, for the lucklcss shin
was drifting farther aud farther north. A
heavy mist surrounded the vessel aud oh
scared tho outer world almost rs com
plctely Hs the winter darkness had done.
Al length, on Aug. 90 1873. the veil was
liltcd and high rocky coast was sighted
northward inlntitudc 'udegs. i1min. lungi-
tudc 20 dogs. 80 min. eltt from Greenwich.
After becoming fast In the Ice drift the
cuur1 bad been rugtt cnsterly ncroas tho
northern point u Nova Xtmbla, then west
and then duo nur,h. The now land was
named after the Austrian emperor aud
christcnetl 'Ka.acr Franz Jos, ph Land.'
Although the Icwtthof was forever
dockcd Ia icy ways and the polar ocean
must remain uucxplored, the fields Of nd-
venture were opened by this discovery.
Lieut.. Payer, who was the slcdgc captain
OF the party, engaged IN preliminary scouts
before the long night Ut 1874 drew on,
Rud with the iir~t return Of light IN March,
1874, began n fcrlos " journeys In tho
frozen archipelago. lic found % land about
the Sizo Of Spitzbcrgcn. almost devoid Of
vegetation aud absolutely free from human
inhabitants and Of the signs that Il had
ever been visited by such. The surface Is
mountainous, aud between the mountains
vast glaciers roll down from the sides at
the rate OF two inches daily. Tue glaciers
are 30 plastic that on separating 10 pass a
rock they unite beyond IL without forming
D 4. q IL D.
was the polar bear The first one sighted
ran away carrying bullet, hut rkillfully
onncealing his trail by stanching the low
Of blood. JIG was mot with once or twice
again. and wa, finally Killed by being am.
pushed IN u pass between two steep ley
cliffs. The explorers barrcadCd the pnss
with their slodges and packs and baitcd
his bcUship with bread and meat 80 thas
he cune within pistol shot
Lieut.. Payer made second slc1rc four
ney In April and another Ia MAY, travcrs.
ing the land Tor $50 miles. Even In the lat.
ter month the cold was 30 intense In tho
mountain regiolsllint rum bccnmoas thick
~ mOla~Us aud M weak nB milk.
The return OF spring brought no hope
To he navigators u the fcttercd ship, and
they abandoned her on May 20 aud began
to retreat to Nova Hembla. The outfit for
the journey over lee and icohound tides
consisted Of four boats mounted on sledges,
with baggage slcdgo attached 70 each.
Tho slrdges carried weight Of 800
pounds II which 800 pounds was provision
Tor men aud dogs
Tho iirst days progress was only one
mile, and on some days only hall mile
was made. The pathway was over Ice
hummocls covered with crua,cd snow,
Into which men aud slcdgcs snnl; 10 the
depth Of foot or more. After road way
had been broken the dog slcdgcs could trot
back 20 the ship In u couple of hours, aud
IN this way rntiOns Of food and spirits for
daily use were drawn from the abandoned
stores, Occasionally the travellers found
nm ice hole aud launched the boats, but In
the end they would ind the channel
blocked hy walls OF lee rising at times
nifty feet from the water At times also
the boats would be blockaded in the water
and forced TO lie still day or two.
Toward the end Of June the weather was
30 warm that snow quickly melted In ycs-
sells exposed TO the sun. In days Of idle.
ness the pastmc WINS reading old news
papers, smokl.g and tnlking. Smoking
wns luxury that ~ times had been inn
possible In the fnr north. for NJ the s0th
parallel IN winter CHAR freezes between
the lips The effort needed IN travelling
wan indracribablc, now clumbcrlny over
deep ilssures, now launching the boats in