The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-11-15
THENORTH POLE
How We1lman's Polar Ship Was
Crushed in the All Pow
erfu1 Ice.
His Way of Retreat Lost, He Pushes
MISUNDERSTANDING Dy-
Mantle in a Stove.
The Loss of the Jarl.

The Loss of the Jarl.
We then went over to see the wreck of
the poor little Ragnvald Jarl The ice for
many yards around was strewn with the
debris of disaster. It was Monday after
noon at 4 o'clock that the ship had been
destroyed. At 10 o'clock of the morning
of that day the ice had begun to screw
around her, and Captain Bottelfsen and
his men had run out extra hawsers for her
protection. In few minutes the ice was
quiet again, and, though northwest gale
was blowing, Captain Bottelfsen thought
the ship in no danger, believing the young,
soft ice about her would form a cushion
for her hull and bring her through with
out damage. After noon the ice was again
disturbed, and as matter of precaution
Captain Bottelfsen and his men began
getting provisions out of the hold and up
on deck. 1t was well they did SO, for,
though they still had no idea of the i'm
pending danger, at quarter of 4 O'Clock
the heavy ice came against the side of the
ship. The point of shore ice, which pro-
jected beyond the Jarl and seemingly gave
her ample protection, had broken asunder
under the tremendous pressure of the shov
ing mass outside, and the Ragnvald Jarl
was doomed.
In Is minutes the fell work was done
The hull had been listed over and broken
into three pieces. Heavy masses of ice had
been driven right through her side like a
knife into an eggshell. The water poured
in, and there was grave fear that when it
came in contact with the boilers, in
which there WAS 40 pounds of steam pres
sure at the time, there would be an ex-
plosion. Fortunately this did not occur,
and in few minutes the crew were at
work saving everything that could be
reached. The trunks and other personal
effects of members of the expedition were
in the cabins or hold, and most of these
were rescued, though some of them water
soaked and damaged. The trunks in the
hold were smashed by the breaking in of
the timbers, but their contents we're fshed
out with boat hooks after q man had
risked his life down in the hold moving
the top or end with an ak. The ships pro-
visions and the reserve supplies of the ex-
pedition were in great part saved by the
same means. Captain Bottelfsen and his
brave men saved the trunk, books, loose
clothing and records of the writer at risk
of life while the ship was creaking and
groaning under the tremendous pressure
and while the water was pouring in under
their feet.
All night Monday the crew worked get
ting out of the ship such boxes of food and
other articles as could be reached. Cap
tain Bottelfsen thoughtfully sent the first
mate and Sailor Hovde after us, 90 miles
away, to give us information of the disas-
ter. After a day of anxiety and a night of
dangerous and arduous work they had
taken this long tramp without skis, and
upon overtaking us at Marten' s island We're
barely able to crawl along. If ever men
did the best they could in the face of ire
trievable disaster, Captain Bottelfsen and
his crew did SO on this occasion.
A Sight to Stir the Emotions.
When we stepped aboard the ill fated
craft today, it was difficult to repress tears
over the fate of the little ship. Aside from
the fact that our expedition has been given
hard blow and our personal fortune, lit
tie as it is, has been in all probability
swallowed up, the mere appearance of the
wreck was enough to stir the emotions. A
thing of life and beauty had been dismem-
bered, crushed, beaten into uselessness
and ugliness. The mainmast, with the
crows nest, in which we had spent SO
many hours that it seemed almost like
home, still lashed to it, was PROSTATE upon
the ice, having been cut down and made
clear, SO that in case of sinking of the
hull it and the rigging attached to it
| might be saved. Wreckage was scattered
all about. Here is Dr. Mohuns trunk,
water soaked; there Mr.. Dodge's, complete
ly collapsed. On the ice one picks up the
photograph of his children OF the portrait
of his sweetheart.
AS Captain Bottelfsen and the writer
step on board the Jarl her timbers give
another creak and the hull lists over few
inches. "Come, STRIP exclaims the alert
captain. "We have no time to lose. She
may 60 down at any moment" And suit
ing the action to the word he leads us
over the gunwale upon the ice. After
few moments, no further movement ap-
pearing; we step et,eard again and visit
the cabin wherein we spent so many pleas
ant hours, now miserable wreck of it's
former cozy self. The wardroom, where
the men made merry in our days Of good
luck-as we said at the time, determined
to enjoy life while the opportunity was at
hand, not knowing what a day might
bring forth-was scene of hopeless con-
AuSlOu OuUCruGtiU0 we COulO see C0dC the
boilers and stanch little engine were i'm
mersed in water, and Captain Bottelfsen
said the bottom was likely to drop out of
the ship as soon as the ice Stacked away a
few inches, for it was only the pressure of
the ice that was holding her together.
So great was the power of the ice in mo-
tion that the sides of the ship had been
pressed inward, causing the deck to swell
up and burst in the center. That she had
not completely collapsed and rendered i'm
possible the saving of stores from her hold
was due to the great strength of the hull,
for the Ragnvald Jarl was one of the
stoutest ships in Norway. Before we sailed
from Tromso rumor was in circulation,
and doubtless will be renewed when the
news of this disaster reaches civilization,
that the Jarl was old and worthless and
I'll adapted to Withstand contact with heavy
Ice. This is not true. The Jarl was built
for work In the ice, and her hull was made
as strong as heavy timbers and good work