The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-22
=; 80
THE CRUSHED SHIP.

THR CRUSHED SHIP.
20 market without some little danger of
breakage, but we hope to have all our men
back in Norway next October safe and
sound. That night Captain Bottelfeen
and the crew brewed punch and gave us
farewell toast and the next day, the
e4th, our departure from the ship was
made under pleasant auspices. Our pack
Of dogs had been tied in teams on tho shore
1ce, and the men stood by them awaiting
the signal AS the officers of the expedition
came upon deck the American and Norwe
gian colors were run aloft, and as thoy
left the ship salute was fired from the
whaling guns. We gave three cheers for
Captain Bottelfsen and his crew, which
they returned as wo took our sledges and
our long string Of dogs and started away.
In half an hour wc were tugging with
might and main at the boats and sleds,
Che first stage of an oneIous summers
uAmpaign.
IN An Undreamed of Misfortune.
When We left the ship, che was believed
~ be in perfectly safe position Perhaps
aDo other arctic expedition had as much
actual experience in ice navigation as that
which we have at command. Captain
Bottelfson is noted as one Of the best ice
pilots In Norway. His crew are men to
whom ice dangers are an old story. OF
our own party Captain Petersen, the ex-
,psdition's executive officer and navigator,
has been seal hunter for "a years, ever
since nc was a lad of IL. Boervig Ivcr-
son and others Of our party have been in
the Ice year after year all their lives. Ev-
cry one of these men thought tho Jarl safe
from harm in the harbor which her cap
IX.t. l...xl n g.
3f heavy shore ice, 20 feet or more in thick
ness. No one dreamed that this massive
breakwater could be broken into frag-
ments by the pressure of the pack outside
II experience counts for anything, these
men were right in saying the ship was Sc
cure, and that In leaving her we could do
SO In confidence that our line of retreat
was secure.
Three days and half had we journeyed
20 the eastward before the sad news over
took US. We travelled at night, when the
sun Is lower and the surface of the snow
little harder. Novel indeed were our ex-
periences during those first few days Of
.the sledge journey. But before giving ex-
tracts from the journal descriptive of them
It Is well TO hasten on to the greater event,
the wreck Of the steamer. All night the
2Cth heavy storm ragged from tho north
west. At O'Clock on the morning of the
29th we saw two men approaching us from
the direction Of Walden island Instinc-
lively we knew that they brought us bad
news. The two men advanced so slowly
that we set out to meet them. They were
Staggering along, snow blind, nearly fam
1shed for water and so fatigued that only
with great difficulty could they put one
foot before another. They were First Mate
Oien and Sailor Hovde of the Jarl
1.-The Ragnvald Jarl is total wreck"
was their announcement. "She was
screwed TO pieces in the gale yesterday
afternoon. We have saved one of the
toats and sorae OF the stores. Captain
Bottelfsen wants 10 know If Mr.. Wellman
has any new orders for him"
4 This disaster was a terrible blow 10 the
expedition. IL cut of our line Of retreat,
which had been SO carefully arranged Ii
left US stranded in the sea Of ice. Though
prudence perhaps suggested we should
now turn back, probably not man in tho
party thought Of retreat All our sorrow
was for the gallant Captain Bottelfscn,
who had suffered that greatest grief 20
navigator, the loss Of his ship We made
as good q camp as we could in the howl
Ing wind, which made IL next TO impossi-
BILE 20 cook meal or keep up our avn
ings. Fortunately the weather was not
cold, only few degrees below freezing.
After supper-at s a. ma ration OF
brandy was served. the first which we
have issued. The storm increased in fury
and drove particles Of snow under the flaps
OF our tents and half buried us i'm our
sleeping bags while we slumbered.
At IL last evening four of us Nlessrs.
Dodge, Jueli and the sailor Rllcfscn. with
Che writer--sct out on skis for Walden Is
land It wac a trying journey. especially
Tor the writer--20 miles Of heavy snow. in
che teeth Of the storm, while as yet unac.
custDmed ~ the use OF tho Norwegian
enowkhoe. Imagine man trying 10 run
90 miles traightway on his bicycle the
ffst Gay after his initial lesson In the art
OF riding, and you may realize the difii-
entity under which the writer labOred. But
nc made fairly good progress stopping at
fho Parry island 10 iia down In tho deep
tnpw and ear lunch. Our little stock Of
rtfer was soon exhausted, and we all suf
fcsta Cr1lfrliy from thirst. A few lemons
|vlAh tbo ihoucinninoss OF DR.. MOhun
ktd praiIlld were made into lemonade by
OIL pf.ttss 81 frndNiching "A handful Of
onuN h'dween Two slices OF lcmon and
melting IA the mouth When the lemons
were gune, we ars snow alone and at ev.
cry hourly stop lay down In the snow
6fift and fcsorted 10 this doubtful method
N relieving thirst
As we rose 10 the hilltop Of Walden island
koriy this morning sad scene met our
- In the foreground wAs the tsnt