The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-09-20

happen In the arctfcs. About In the
morning Captain Bottelfsen had found it
necessary to stop the ship and make an
Choir IL a s. e spot, as the ice was rather
heavy ahead. He had, in fact, been able
to reach nearly to the northern end Of the
foreland, or to within 80 miles Of Danes
island, before stopping. From this point
the cautious skipper had run back five OF
six miles in order to anchor where there
would be no danger Of nipping should the
pack ice set in from the north.
We found the ship in the midst of a
most beautiful scene. No country village
In Christendom could have such absolute
ollm and quiet this Sunday morning as
e,e have here. The ice scarcely moves,
and when it is in motion it has only vel
vety touches which produce no sound.
Gulls are circling about the steamer, and
on piece of Ice near by number of seals
are basking in the warm sunshine. Three
or four miles distant, but seemingly but q
gunshot away, is the grand coast Of the
foreland, with mighty glaciers running
down between the mountains to the sea-
We can trace them as far as the eye can
reach, Offering toboggan course or 10
miles wide, perhaps Is or 20 long, and
with an even, hard surface over which a
sled would slip like ball out of rifle.
Fog fingers along the mountain slopes, but
above the fog the sun lights up the snowy
peaks. Though the temperature of the air
is only IS, there is no wind, and the dry
ness of the atmosphere makes the cold un-
observable It is a perfect day in the arc
tics-at the very beginning Of the arctic
spring-and as usual we take our shower
bath in sea water on the aft deck The
bucket from which Sailor Ellefsen dashs
water upon our naked bodies is half full
of fine ice, but we have already learned
that a bath frappe is the most enjoyable
of all baths in a country where the hot
room of a Turkish establishment cannot be
had.
We take occasion to announce in the
morning that with us there is no Sunday
in the arctics SO far as work is concerned.
We still have much to do in the way of
preparation for our ice journey, and with
the probability Of reaching Danes island
in two or three days the hour of our de-
parture thence for the farther north may
come at any moment. It behooves us,
therefore, to be ready for any favorable
opening that may present itself. An
nOuncement Is also made that there will
be divine services in the evening.
A number of our Norwegian members,
enthusiastic sportsmen, ask the privilege
of going ashore to try their skis upon the
glaciers. 1t seems hard to deny their re-
quest, for the broad surfaces of ice and
snow glistening in the sunlight are GER
tainly very tempting. But prudence die
tates that they shall not be permitted to
leave the ship. In this country one can
never tell when fogs or winds are going to
spring up. More than one party of sailors
have paid with their lives for the pleasure
of going ashore on these coasts, the wind
driving their ship away during their alb
sence and intervening ice preventing it re-
turning to their rescue.
A First Experience.
A little before noon Captain Bottelfsen
asked me to go to the crows nest with
him to take look at the ice. He thought
he saw a way out of our difficulty, but
owing to our great desire to save coal
wherever possible he did not like the re-
sponsibility of moving without orders.
This was my first experience with crows
nests. To get into one of these contriv-
ances you have to do much more than
push the luton and step aboard when tho
elevator car comes along. You have to
climb so feet to the foretop upon a rope
ladder. Arriving there, you find it neces-
sary to swing yourself upon the little deck
which is dashed there, and this process
very much resembles crawling out of a
four story window and upon the cornice of
the story overhead. Then you ascend an
other rope ladder, which is now becoming
provokingly narrow, and presently find
yourself plump against a mast, with num-
Der fines of hemp and steel running down
from the point which you can barely reach
with your hands. Still above you is the
barrel which answers for q nest. To get
into it you have to perform some sort of
acrobatic feat, lifting yourself up by your
hands, getting one of your feet a great
deal higher than your head, and squirm-
ing in.
In this particular crows nest there is
no way of getting in through trapdoor
in the bottom, in which respect it differs
from most contrivances of the sort You
must get in at the top of the barrel. A
sailorman finds it very easy, particularly
when the ship is rolling violently, for he
gets on the upper side and falls in when
she dips.
But for landlubber it is exceedingly
difficult, and you finally get into the bar
rel with the breath all out of your body, q
great deal OF the skin gone from your
hands and shins. and confused sort of
idea In your mind as to whether you are
an arctic explorer or q performer in some
ones three ring circus.
But there Is reward for theeffort, though
1t cannot be said that there is always room
at the top. The view from a crows nest
Is something indescribably exhilarating,
but with two men in one barrel there Is
not much space for moving about and
keeping up q circulation Of the blood One
of these arctic scenes Is. fine enough from
the deck, but from the crows nest its
beauty and interest are magnified thou
sandfOld. I used to think that the man
who sat at desk and directed the des-
TIMES of great newspaper had about
reached the summit of earthly power and
was enjoying an ideal fascination of con-
troll. Next to that there is something Pc