Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-29

sure. In an incredibly short time the ship
was completely imbedded in this soft ice
with ice under her keel as well as all about
her hull and both Capt. Bottelfsen and
Capt. P. said this would protect her from
injury.
There was nothing for us to do but to ST,
down and await developments. We might
be frozen In for day or for a month. Nc
one could tell. 1t all depended upon the
wind. We are little south of Table Island
and about three miles west of it. or in lati-
tude SO.H The temperature today is 81 de-
grees F.. and late in the evening the barom-
eter begins to rise, indicating that the north
wesa,rly storm, only the edge of which we
have felt will soon have passed by US.
Gloomy Forebodings.
Monday. May 14.-Ofiicer of the day. Mr..
Dodge.
Last night we had a little experience OF
sleeping in an ice-nipped ship. The Ragn-
valid Jarl was not very badly squeezed, hav-
ing enough of the light. spongy ice about
her to make a bed for the hull to lie in
safe from harm Yet she had some wrench
ings grindings and groanings that did no,
conduce to sound sleep on the part of the
member of the expedition. Considering
the manifestations which we had all about
us of the power of the Ice pressure 1t was
not pleasant to lie in our hunks and think
of what might happen IL column of
heavy pack ice should move down upon the
little Ragnvaid Jarl. She might be crushed
into fragments and we turned out of bed
to climb over the masses of screwed ice
to a bleak and inhosp table shore. Though
masses OF heavy Ice did grind toward the
shore all about US, fortunately none of
them struck the Jarl, and We awoke this
morning to find the ship just where she was
last night and safe and sound.
After consultation between the two ice
pilots and the officers of the expedition 1t
is agreed that our plan for a few days to
come will be as follows: To exercise pa
tience in waiting for favorable opening
of the debris ice to the north and then en-
deavor to push to the edge of the main
pack with the Ragnvald Jarl. This being
our plan. 1t may easily be imagined how
anxiously we watch the wind and the shift
ing of the ice.
This evening, after a calm and for the
most part bright and enjoyable day, the
alert eyes of Capt. Bottelfsen detected signs
Of a storm in the northeast. and he decided
to move the steamer to safer position.
Some open water had appeared, and in that,
ship would be at least manageable, so that
some choice might be made Of a place
wherein to lie for safety from the heavy
Ice. The question was how to get her out
Of the pocket In which she had been held
for so long. and this problem was solved by
all hands getting on the Ice with axes and
oars and literally chopping a channel 30
feet long for the hull to make way through
This cost our men a good three hours work
and number of them a good wetting but
little before midnight, by dint of pushing
and chopping. a grand chorus Of "She do
move! went up in three or four languages.
such daredevils as our Norwegians arei
If they know what fear Is. they do not show
1t in the manner in which they work upon
little pieces of treacherous ice, apparently
as indifferent to falling into the sea as the
average American would be Of getting his