The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-08
WeIIman's Ship in Frozen BOnds---ReIease Comes a
Little Later
But the Weather Bad and the Ice the North So Fobddg
yhat Was Found Impossible to Go ForwardShooing and
Eating Bear-Disagreeabe Experiences


rights ressrved.l
SUNDAY, May 1s.--oflicer Of the day,
DIR. Mohun
This has beon our first unlucky day.
Not that anything very terrible has hap
pened, but we are not in as good position
MS we were this morning In fact, tho Ragn-
valid Jari IL frozen in, and there is no toll
Ing whom she viii get loose. 1t is a great
consolation % us 60 know thabrif we must
be frssen I'm we have been caught as far
north as we had ever dared hopo to 20
with Che ship.
Our experiences Of the day show the un-
ccrtaSnthss of arctic navigation in a most
striking manner. Last night wo arrived
here and were surrounded by many miles
of open watcr. Though the pack was to
be seen to tho north, we were not without
hopes of boiDg able 10 find On opening in
IL through which the ship could be pushed
some distance fartkor north. This morn
Ing n change came upon the scene. Before
we were out Of bed Captain Bottolfsen had
found IL necessary to move tho ship as
tho ioe threatened from tho northward, a
fresh wind having sprung up from that
quarocr The sky was overcast, and snow
was failing. Where the night before had
been a bright arctic scene, with food of
glorious sunlight, 10 was now thick and
dark, and we found 1t impossible TO see
the Table Island, distant about two miles.
Two or three times during the forenoon
Captain Bottelfscn moved the Jarl to q
place Of greater safety nearer the bit Of
open water. About in the afternoon an
Incident occurred which came near getting
as into serious trouble. An iceborg came
wichin trice OF costing us the destruo-
lion, or at least tho serious injury, OF the
Ragnvald Jarl
Captain Peterson, who has nose for
bear, was sitting in the forooastle telling
sailors yarns when no happened to spy
two bears on the loo near the ship. Cau-
tiondng every ono 10 keep quiet, tho cap
tain seized his Winchester and generously
gnvo the ether cunning mon tho tip. Such
scransbling for gums and cartridges as
there was for n couple OF ininutesl Cap
tain podcrsen, Mr. Dodge, Mr.. Franklin
and hr. wastkat rushed on deck, guns in
hand, and saw two Toe boars--ons large one
and ono smaller, u mother and her cub
about 100 yards from tho ship. Six or eight
shots wsro ffrod, and tho cub fell to the
lcs. tho blood flowing from two wounds.
The mothor bear was hit, too, for n great
rod blotch appeared upon her side, and at
the wound she bic savagely, imagining In
her vain rara that her tormentor was near
uhA'oA<A- AeottCetsubiy bluWly sne luONeQ
away, turning about every few moments
30 look at her poor cub, kicking his last In
the snow. Though Mr.. Wastfalt fred sew
eral more shots with his long range kreg
jcrgenson rite, he was not able to hit the
mark, and the dam dragged herself into
some heavy Ice and out Of view, leaving a
bloody trail after her.
some OF our Norvegians put the small |
Aluminium boat overheard, fastened skis |
70 their feet and went over the thin, |
spongy Ice after their prey. Two or three
Of them narrowly escaped falling through |
Into the water, but there is no ice so thin or
weak that Norwegian is afraid TO go over
With pair OF skis under him.
While we wero all busy with this bear
hunt largo Zoe of pack ice and pressed
mp Shore Ice had been stealing In behind
Us Captain Bottelfsen was the first to
notice the danger and at once began efforts
30 move the ship. But she had been so
tightly wcdged in by the pressure of the
heavy los behind that it was next to i'm
possible - move her. After two hours
struggle in which the column of heavy
loo came closer and closer, in time com
pletely cutting off tho cgress, Captain B.
changed his tactics and ran the Jarl away
from the pack column into an area Of tho
thin ioc, but toward open water Another
hour OF hard work, with all hands out
breaking tho leo and trying to help tho
ship through, Captain B. came into the
cabin and announced that he was unable
10 90 any farther. The streams of pack ice
had closed in around the ship, completely
quitting OIL escape to large bay Of open
water lying to tho southwest
We were not wholly grieved by this an
Dounoamsnt, for the only avenue Of escape
Was toward the south, and at this season
,f the year we aro radically and constitu-
'ionaliy opposed to going I'm that direction.
We did not at all like tho idea Of giving up
wen the few nileS OF the handsome north
'rn advance which wo have made and were
therefore quite reconciled to the imminent
reezing In when Captain b. gave 1t as his
opinion that the ship was In no danger
whatever, now that she was in the midst
u lot OF soft young ice. In a few mo-
nents the pressure of the heavy masses
Irving down with the northwest wind be-
IAN pressing tho thin ice about the ship.
We could hear the grinding and sliding,
md now and then the Jarl quivered and
reaked as she felt the force OF the pres
ure. In en- incredibly short time tho
hip was completely imbcdded in this soft ,
ca, with Ice under her keel as well as all
'bout her hull, and both Captain b. and
japsain p. said this would protect her
rom Injury.
There was nothing for us 10 do but 10
20 down and await Developments. We
might bo frozen in for a dav or for a
month No one could tell II all depend
~ upon the wind. We are little south :
" Table island aud about three miles west Q
u IT, or In latitude so.4i. The temperature 9
)odny IL 81 degrees r., and late in the q
'vening the barometer begins 10 rise. ia.
lioating that the northwesterly storm
'niy the edge Of which We have felt will
oon have passed by us.
cioomy Icrebodings.
MONDAY. May l4.-ofilcer Of the day.
fr. Dodge.
Last night we had n little experience Of Z
lecping In an Ice nipped Ship. The Ragn.
aid jarl was not very badly squeezed, {
aving enough ef the light spongy ice !
bout her 20 make n bod Tor the hall 10 Be :
n. safs from harm. Yet she had some J
rrunrIffloe yrfndiuCa aud e,rnaptpsru th.t |