The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-11-12


scene that met our eyes as we moved our
glass from right To left-nothing but leo
in every direction. not drop OF open wa
ter co loo seen. IL was Ice that had been
broken I'D and iammed together In series
Of storms until not piece Of level surface
larger than n bedchambcr remained. The
day was clear, and with the glass we could
SEQ long distance in every direction.
Eyerywhere 10 was the same, ana that
same as bad as bad could be, everywhere
the same high barriers alternating with
eludQy pools through which we had been
struggling. We could not fail TO under
stand che significance of this Wow. Its
meaning was defeat, the absolute impossi-
hility OF progress TO the north, bilUor disap-
polntment for every man in the party.
But this is the fortune Of war. Though
we could organize one of the best parties
that ever attempted arctic work, with an
equipment more perfect and adaptable
than was ever before employed, We must
bow TO the obstacles which nature has
placed in our way. We have run against
stone wall and are not foolish enough to
beat our brains out against It. There are
seasons In which a party like ours would
be able swiftly To advance TO the iar north,
but clearly this Is not one Of them.
Picturesque Ice scenery
It behooves us 20 bear in mind that we
have a long line OF retreat before US. We
may even have TO make our way over tho
ice and along the coast an the way to
Danes island, fully goo miles of travel
from our prcscnt camp Thoroad Is rough
and full Of difficulties, as We have found
TO our cost, and besides there is the much
dreaded Hinlopen TO cross. The dense Ice
fogs are becoming more and more fre-
quent, and when tho heaviest fogs como
we must lie idle perhaps for days at
time, 1t being then as impossible to Gd-
vance as 1t would be in the darkest night
Our means of retreat and Of escape from
Spitzbergen arc uncertain enough 10 cause
almost any oRe to have started back long
before this.
In our vain search for n road TO the
north we encountered some of the most
picturesque ice we have yet seen on our
journey, nearest the rocky coast the thick
shore ice, in some places upheaved by the
terrific pressure of the pack outside into
hillocks, with valleys and oaverns be-
tween. This shore Ice acts as n continual
tion of the land. Upon it beautiful little
lakes Of perfectly fresh water are formed,
with blue ice shore and azure islets within
mountain side runs many river Of water,
and in places these hnyo worn caves under
the heavy ice near the shore in which To-
comotive could be buried. Some Of these
caves are covered with orustS of snow, os
the writer found today, to his cost, when
he fell in one about ten feet deep though
luckily escaping without any more serious
injury than few abrasions of the skin.
On picking himself up" after his fall ho
found himself In cavern which Luray or
the Mammoth cave could not surpass for
true beauty. The bottom was pebbly
beach, with n stream of water gurgling
through 1t. The walls, inolosing cham
Der largo enough for n queens audience
chamber, were OF blue ice as clear as the
blue of ltaly's far famed sky. The roof,
had falIeh, was a thin crust of snow,
through which the sunshine was trying
its best to break, illumining the scene
with "a soft light, as of the rays Of an cleo
trio incandescent lamp strained through a
myriad uf crystals. Small cGtaracts fell
from one ice foe to another occupying a
lower Lowell and here and there a spring,
or what would have been Is spring upon
terra firma, bubbled out from under some
large mass.
Eorced to Retreat.
July Ave acknowledged defeat at
the hands of tho ice king by giving the or
der to retreat to Walden'island as rapidly
as possible. The men appeared TO be even
more disappointed than we ourselves, and
with Captain Petersen as spokesman they
begged for an opportunity to make one
moro effort to move TO the north over the
rugged ice. We perceived that this offer
came more from their zeal than their judg-
ment, and assuring them OF our deep ap-
probation Of their loyalty decided that it
was useless to waste moro tin0 and hui
man strength in attempting 10 perform
the impossible.
1t was with sad hearts that we pulled
down the tent and packed the boats for
the beginning Of our return trip. In order
to notify DR.. Mohun and his little party
of the change of plan, Captain Petersen
and the writer started for the camp on
Walsh island, intending to send back Dahl,
Franklin and Hovde 10 help the Lock
wood crew over the rough shore ice and
across tho strait. Imagine our disappoint-
ment upon ascending the heights Of Cape
Scott to see that the strait through which
we had rowod for two miles a few days
ago was now not only completely filed
WlOn pack Ice, Dub lne slNOOtl bnOfB Ice
which had surrounded 10 was nearly all
broken up Nothing could better illus
trate the sort of luck which has attended
our enterprise since the 18th day Of Mny.
During the week that we were calnped at
Walsh Island, waiting 60 see tho effect Of a
southwestern storm, the lake between that
island and the Reps constantly grew in
size. On Monday il extended nearly from
ono island to the other, end We came across
with ease. To-day 81 Is macistrom OF
crushing, saving 'ec, through which even
a man could not riake his way.
In an effort 20 make our way 70 Walsh
island Captain Petersen and took long
detour to Jhe west. Even this did not
obviate .he difficulty and LANCER which
we had feared. An east wind was driving
tbe pack ice into the strait with the pres
-ure Of mile upon milo and billion upon
billion Of tons Of ice outside for slcdeo
hammer. After crossing large number
OF channels from four To ten feet wide,
where the shore ice had split undcr the
pressure, VIC made an effort 60 short cut
across tho westerly end OF tho moving