The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-17

tioh between the seventy seventh and
seventy eighth parallels of latitude, or
'farther north than the spot at which the
Jeannette was sunk, almost as far as DIR.
Kane penetrated and nearer the pole than
many Of tho early explorers Were able to
reach. Moreover, we have had to come
thus far in order TO SEQ piece Of ice, end
'all the ice now visible from the crows
nest Of the Ragnvald Jarl would not inn
pede the progress of a fishing smack. To
day we have calm sea, bright, genial
sun and clear way TO the north. To
morrow, in all probability, we shall reach
our headquarters at Danes island, just
under the eightieth parallel. Rarely have
. vessels been able TO get SO far north along
this coast SO early in the year Never be-
fore, so far as we know, did one make the
voyage, as we have done, absolutely with
out interruption by fee Our American
luck appears TO bc still with us.
A The First Five Days.
But IL was wild ride We left from
% Tuesday evening, May 1. Early next
morning we were out OF the fords TO the
inorth and In the open sea. AT o'clock
Captain Bottelfsen reported his latitude
'at 70. 32. But long before this most of the
'mernbers of our party were painfully aware
that we had exchanged the quiet of the
Norwegian fiords for tho turbulence of
The Arctic sea. AS arctic travellers we
must all be tested, but as sailors tho great
majority Of us have already been tried
and found wanting. There was a dis
|cTaceful lack OF diners at the dinner tables.
>|Thc hunks were nearly all filed with suf-
1cring mortals. Our Norwegian contin-
rent suffered even moro than the Emeri-
|cans, and even tho.dogs In the undertook
were as miserable as dogs well could he,
|xcfusing ali nourishment and filling the
||uoisome air OF their quarters with tho
'|most piteoiis whines Two of them in
decd succumbcd to the rigors Of the jour
I|ncy, and our original pack Of 53 has been
.,xeduccd by drowning. by fighting, by
|jotrangulation and too much seasickncss TO
|ilS. We held no funerals over the deceased.
There Is great deal OF sentiment in arc
Ito work, and but for sentiment no one
||Would ever engage in it, but we were all
TOO miserable on our own accounts to
||Waste any breath over dead dogs. Our
3661y consolation In this connection was
|lthat we have lost fewer animals than we
Mad expected to lose and have more than
]onough remaining for our work.
N No wonder both human and canine
||mcm bers of the expedition were ill. Even
|(one OF the sailors Of tho Jarl lost his meals
|'overboard the first day out, but kept at
his work all the while brave fellowl
Think of the heroic stuff there must be in
. man who can run up the ropes and out
fhc yardarms of dancing ship while suf-
1cring the torments of NAL do merl
The sea was high and running from
[Gouthwest TO northeast That made it
cross sea- and bad sea for us. Down into
/ one valley tho Ragnvald Jarl plunged her
nose as II pcrversely bent upon going 20
the bottom; then, with n snort and wild
|lunge 10 right or left, she rose again and
stood upon her hind legs. Or she rolled
10 port so that the cabin door looked like
/. D greasy digit Of steep stairs in tcno-
ment house and then reversed herself and
bronrht men, dogs, boxes, trunks, dishes
fond all movable articles back TO starboard
with crash and clattcr that made the
/ciocpy sick ones think their fondost desires
had been realized and the Ragnyald Jarl
&wns going down. One OF the greatest
Do1nforts our suffering companions had
was the consciousncss that about 90 feet
/Ipm where they lay wns n big box Of dv-
1nmite brought along 20 blast ice with
d case OF necessity, and the accompany
3u4 belief that in some of her vicious
nrchcs the Jarl would explode this dy-
Inmifc and bring all their troubles to an
Fer three days and two nights the wind
1ns from fresh TO strong 60 east and south.
|oet Thourh the sea rolled In great bill
&rk@ and the spray covered the ship from
Inn 70 stern, we never pulled in our can.
~ OF stopped our engine. What cared We
r1iIl .k g.. sac iLluc-c
thc night IS tat iiAtfcr n at meal hour
NE or four OF US, with dishes, viands and
averages were piled promlscuously In n
ncr Of the wardroom' Why should we
oucht bot smile when tho salt cfnpticd
~ Into the sugar and the buttcr took
- IN some ones soupi We were flying
1r1 spitzb<rgen end ths nola and that