The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-08

l W oaxoo Ono8 IN oruer 10 Keep nec away
from ths waves, which broke against the
loo with considerable force. The tempera
ture was not lew; but, with driving snow
and strops wind. the weather was any
thing but pleasant, even In the lee of the
| islands Outside the moderate gale had
tncyeassd to strong gale, and 1t was in
terestine to watch the ice 20 drifting-on
rs Captain b. terms IL, "shooting''-by
Enormous masses, resembling now high
buildings or castles, with hero and there
turrooed towers or the spires Of churches,
went drifting by at on incredible speed
In such storm, with the air SO thick with
snow that but q few miles of sea could be
seen even from the crows nest, Captain
Botteifsen recommended policy of in
action, at least for few hours. This was
also our own judgment, hard as It Is to lie
still and see the days slip by in idleness-
Mr.. Franklin, whose success as cater
er or bears meat has made him frisky,
goes out on the leo dressed in complete
suit of fur clothing belonging to one of the
crow. He even takes the precaution to
blacken his mustacbe and eyebrows with
charcoal AS he turns back toward the
snip his archconfederate, Captain Peder-
sen, rushes frantically into tho cabin and
calls out To US that a strange man Is on tho
shore, coming toward the Jarl. Our in
creduiity tho veracious captain meets with
solemn declaration that the stranger is
not one OF our own men; that he looks like
lone OF them Eskimo felers, +" or that he
may DO one of the crew Of DR.. Nansens q
FRAN, come to pay us visit Though
strongly suspicious that practical Joke is
being attempted, we go out TO look at the
mysterious stranger, and as soon as he
fl,
suit and charcoal disguise and recognize
tho roguish fast skater We were not at
any moment inclined TO believe that DR.
Nansen's Fran had reached this noigh Dor.
hood The Fran doubtless is 200 or 300
miles from the coast OF Siberia fast in the
pack and perhaps slowly drifting toward
Franz-Josef Land. We have no idea OF
meeting her, though we have letters with
US Tor Dr. Nansen and members of his
crew, ana also for Astrag, who is Lieutcn-
ant Peary's companion in northern Green
land.
Today we put one Of our aluminium
sledges, with its three cases packed with
concentrated food, over the side Of the
ship into the water. Tho process was
watched with great interest by all hands,
and all were delighted when the sledQo
uoated as steadily as boat, showing that
our scheme OF making a sledge that would
also serve as a boat had been successfully
worked out. Then the sledge was taken
upon the shore ice, where there is a great
deal of snow, and good test given of il
with four, three and finally two men in
harness dragging it, The men were sur
prised ut the ease with which IL pulled,
even where the snow was thick and tho
surface uneven. Captain Pedersen said no
sledge could pull castor with nearly 500
pounds of load upon It, The great ad.
vantage which it possesses over sledge
with runners is that il stays upon the top
OF the soft snow, while runners bury
themselves deep and require enormous
strength to pull them out.
During the afternoon the gale increased
In violence, and all thoughts of leaving for
the north were opt OF the question. There
was nothing to do but wait. Captain Bot
telfsen thinks the strong east and south
easterly wind has driven the floating ice
against the pack edge with great force, and
that even If we should be able to get TO
the heavy ice at the north It would endan-
ger the ship and the lives of all on board
to attempt a Decentralization.
This has been the worst day since wa |
came within the arctic circle. The tenn
perature is not low-16 degrees above |
zero F.-but the strong wind and driv- |
Ing snow make this degree of cold exceed |
ingly disagreeable. In the Spitzbergen |
region the first half of May Is noted for |
especially from the northeast and |
east, while the latter half is generally com
paratively calm.
Still Ice Bound.
THURSDAY, May 17.-Ofiicer Of the day,
Mr.. Dodge.
It was stormy morning, but with q
sky and "A cessation of snow
Captain Bottelfsen concluded to go out
md have look at the ice. So he steamed
,ut short distance beyond Little Table
sland, or to latitude so. 90 but the gale
was still violent, and the heavy ice was
coming in large quantities from the north
'ast. He therefore returned to anchor
within the lee of Table island, where we
pent greater part of the day.
This Is tho Norwegian Fourth of July,
he anniversary of the adoption of the ma
ional constitution, and the Norwegian
members Of the expedition Joined with
he crew of the Jarl in celebrating the oc-
aston. They hoisted the American and
Norwegian flags to the masthead, fired
alute with the cannon which the Jarl car
les fore and aft for shooting bottle nosed
whale, which make her look somewhat
Ike n miniature man -ofwar, and then
rganized grotesque procession and
narched all through the ship.
In the afternoon the barometer rose n
title, and the wind went down, inducing
'aptain IL. TO try another look at the leo
D the north. At O'Clock he steamed out
asst Little Table island, past point of
ack Ice that bad drifted TO the lee of
hat rock, famous as being the northern
lost land of the Spitzborgen archipelago
nd only 40 years ago believed to be the
orthernmost land in the world. It was
, these waters more than century ago
lat a young naval officer, Nelson by
ame, had an encounter with polar bear
hich afrorward figured in history. 1t was
lements X. Markham, president of the
oyal Geographical society of England,
no said that the young officers expert
iccs with arctic storms and polar bear
Dre fruit at Trafalgar. We have no naval
but feel that we are becoming |
'etty good sailors. AS the Jarl steamed