Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-02

and three more for the firm Of Kraasbye
Bros. who had SO admirably fitted up the
Jarl for our use.
We found ourselves aboard a trim steamer
en- route Tor the north pole. We all felt a
certain fndescrtbable satisfaction, after
these months of effort of preparation, of
difficulties constantly arising and as stead
lily overcome, In setting foot upon our own
craft and in pointing her nose for the north
In this day Of arctic expeditions which do
not expedite we were just human enough
to gather In our pleasant cabin and shake
one another by the hand and drink to our
own success The Ragnvald Jarl is all
right. She Is today the best ice craft In the
Norwegian waters. Not very large-only 10
feet long. with a tonnage Of about 400-but
she has the sharp prov and forward lift Of
an ice conqueror. Her engines. though not
of power like those in the Majestic or Luca-
mia, are good enough for the purpose. and
We are making seven knots an hour against
head wind. What Is better than great
size or great power. the hull is as strong
as hull can be made, her fore-hold being lit
orally filled with strengthening timbers.
Her machinery is all new, and on inspection
by the official inspectors she has been rated
A 1, Lloyds. In hull, boilers and machinery
for two years.
A Fine Record.
The Ragnvald Jarl has 4 record for work
in the ice, having made some of the best
voyages in pursuit of bottle-nose whale that
are recorded in the annals Of that daring
trade. 1t is said OF her that wherever there
Is water enough between the masses Of ice
for a seal to make his way there the Jarl
can follow. Two years ago she was nipped
In the ice off Spitzbergen, and the shippers
OF other craft advised her master to abap-
don her, as she was sure to prove a total
loss: but Capt. Petersen, a man of great re-
sources as a sailor and tried courage as an
ice pilot, stuck by his ship, and after three
weeks of imprisonment brought her out SAT
and sound Cant PadarSap fs u-fth
petition as executive officer and ice pilot
while the captain of the Jarl Is Mr.. Bot
telfsen. who has spent nearly all his life in
the Arctic sea. He Is noted as one of the
best ice pilots in the world, and last year
took a fleet of English steamers through
the Kara sea and the Arctic ocean to the
mouth of the Yenisei. Siberia, with cargoes
of iron for the Siberian railway bringing
back grain. With two such men as Peder-
sen and Bottelfsen aboard, our arctic steam
er Is sure to be handled with skill and pru-
dence.
American Luck.
Another thing we like about the Ragn-
valid Jarl-she Is ours, absolutely and with
out reserve. We did not buy her Of the
owners, but we made an arrangement with
them which places the movements OF the
craft wholly at our command, both while
we are aboard her and after we leave for
the farther north. This is a great advan-
ease' as IL VIII eiidpie US 10 chahse our
plan, II necessary, to meet unexpected
changes In the condition of the Ice. For
instance. every one In Norway is saying
that with characteristic American luck we
have stumbled upon an exceedingly favor
able season, and that We are likely to
steam far to the north of Spitzbergen be-
fore finding II necessary to leave the Jarl
and take to the ice pack. IL this should be
true, we are prepared to take advantage Of
it. even IL the steamer be forced thereby
into little danger. 1t may turn out that
during the next six weeks the Ragnvald
Jarl steams nearer to the north pole than
vessel ever was before.
WALTER WELLMAN