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


of screwed Ice TO bleak and inhospitable
shore. Though masses OF heavy los did
| grind toward the shore all about us, for
tunatcly none OF them struck the Jarl, and
| wo awoke this morning TO find the shir
| just whore she was last night and safe and
sound.
Our two shippers assured us that the
Jarl IL in no Immediate danger Unless a
severe storm from the northwest comes on
she can lilo here in security for some time
20 come She could not get out now even
| II we wanted her To move. There is not a
direction in which she could move an inch,
aud the only direction we want her to go
Is to the north. There is nothing to do
but sit down and wait for wind or tide TO
open way for u.s. IL is not easy to culti-
vate the divine quality OF patience Our
progress up TO this time has been so rapid
and we have lost so little time in our
march TO the north that il comes hard to
stop and wait, with little or nothing to do
and all day to do it in.
1t becomes serious question with us
how we arc 10 follow up tho advantage
which our good fortune has given U.S. We
have not yet reached the polar pack, prop
erly speaking. Between tho land and the
great northern ice lies belt of debris,
of tho detritus Of the sea glacier. ef the
the sweepings OF the great ice magazine
This is composed Of detached masses from
the edge of the pack, shore ice, pieces
swept out of the fiords and straits and
sheets of young Ice, all jammed-or, as
the arctic navigators call it, "screwed'--
together. With the shore to offer resistance,
these masses telescope one another, grind
and twist and are broken into frag-
ments and piled In hopeless confusion.
Over such ice 10 is as much as a man can
do to climb or crawl. We know, because
we have tried it. Our boats and sledges
might he carried over such ice as this, but
10 would be next to impossible. Should we
atteinpt it our rate Of progress could not
be more than couple of miles a day.
We knew before we came here that much
OF such loo would be found along the shore
or between the land and the pack. 1t is
the result of what we have already de-
scribed as the process Of throwing irresisti-
BILE motion against immovability What
lies between is ground into powder. Our
plan was arranged not to traverse such Ice
as this, or, IL any of it, very little. The sur
face which we had made provision for was
that of the true polar ice, the undulating
foes broken by ridges of hummocks at
their margins. We had hoped to find way
through the debris and to the main ice by
the ship.
We have today been seriously discussing
whether or not we shall leave the ship in
n day or two, abandon all efforts to steam
farther north and try the virtue of human
muscle. We say human muscle, because In
this sort OF Ice dogs will be absolutely USE
less. Only power directed by reason is Of |
avail here. But for the present we are |
debarred even this somewhat desperate |
trial of strength, for the young Ice about |
the ship and existing everywhere perhaps
between the foes Is not strong enough,
except here and there, to sustain the
weight of man At tho same time it is
too tough for steamer to make Roadway
through, let alone a small boat like the
Lockwood, the Parry or the Kane.
Some or our men go out on the ice To-
day TO find, II they can, the carcass of the
she boar shot yesterday. They find traces
Of her by the blood on the snow, but final
y lose the trail. Without much doubt she
crawled into the ice 10 die and was buried
by the pressure which piled huge blocks
upon her.
After consultation between the two ice
pilots and the officers OF the expedition
{ is agreed that our plan for few days to
'ome will be as follows: To exercise pa
'ienoe in waiting for favorable opening
NJ the debris Ice to the north and then en-
ieavor topush to the edge of the main pack
With the Ragnvald Jarl. This being our
'lan, IL may easily be- imagined how anx-
ously we watch the wind and the shifting
Il the ice.
This evening. after calm and for tho
most part bright ard enjoyable day, the
Ilert eyes OF Captain Bottelfsen detected
igns of storm in the northeast, and he
eoided To move tho steamer to safer
osition Some open water had appeared,
nd In that, IL the wind should come on
blow, the ship would be at least man
geable, 10 that some choice might be made |
| aplaco wherein to lie for safety from the
eavy Ice Tho question was how TO get
er out OF tho pocket In which she had
cen held for so long, and this problem
Tas solved by all hands getting on the ice
nth axes and oars and literally chopping
channel 200 feet long for the hull TO
lake way through This cost our men a
ood three hours work and number of
hem good wetting, but n little before
lidnight, 10y dint Of pushing and chop
ing, grand chorus OF "She DO novel"
ent up I'm three or four languages
such darodeyils as our Norwegians arel
they know what fear is, they do not
low IL In the manner In which they work
pom little pieces Of treacherous ice, ap.
irently as, indifferent to falling into the
"a as the average American would be OF
sitting his feet wet. Professor French and
r. Dodge, just TO show that Americans
o not 90 be outdone by any one, wallow-
about in the slush and took their share ,
the duckings too With cigars and hot
neo all around, musical instruments .
I'D song, wo made merry till far into tho |,
orning, all but Captain Bottclfson un.
indfui Of the lowering clouds and gath /.
ing fog in tho northeast
The Toe Cleared Away.
TUESDAY, May 10 Officer OF tho day, /,
rofessor French. !,
The morning showed us strong wind 4
ON tho east iustifylng Captain Bottelf. h
N : move Of last evening. The Jarl lay .
net ana secure, anchored TO the shore ice I.
nder the lee " Table island, while mod. /,
ate gale from the east ragged outside. The' r
. had disappeared with surprising rapid. 4
u. Except TINT adharfp, a., a.. -. |