The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-22
(am.l2.
MARION FRoELICH.

camp, made of few sticks Of timber and
some of the sails from the ship, "a mere hut
upon tho rough shore ioe in which the
crew of the Jarl had taken temporary ref
uge. But few yards away was tho ter
rible pack Ice, even now Rroaning and
cracking under the treme idous pressure
from without. IL the wind increases In
force, tho hut will not be safe, for tho
pack will climb upon the shore ice, risiny z
40 or even 30 feet, and ovcrwhelm tho rude
little hahitation. It Is obvious enough to
us that the crow must have been pressed
for time when they made their bids under
the sails SO near the orcaking pack.
Doubtless they were worn out with their
long struggle TO save as much as possible
from The hold of the crushed steamer A
hundred yards farther out we could got q
glimpse OF TIC Ragnvald Jarl, with only
one mast still standing, and that at an
angle of 80 degrees from the perpendicular.
The ice had run over her decks and even
TO tho top OF her upper works, almost hid
ing the hull from our view. Even AZ this
distance IL was oasy to see the gallant lit
tie ship had been dealt deathblow.
Aswe approached the tent Captain Bot
telfsen and his men crawlsd out 10 greet
us. There were no smiles upon thoir faces.
More detected men thes they IL would he
difficult To find upon the face of the earth.
And no wonder Within n few days more
than a month from sailing from their
home port their ship goes 10 pieces ,pnoor
their feet, and with her loss their wages
are cut of. They have lost much Of thcir
clothing and are stranded upon an inhos-
pitable rock in a remote part of the world,
BOO miles from the north pole They will
bo lucky If they Get homo in the autumn,
and when they do got there they will have
no wages, no income with which to sup
port their families during the coming
winter. Other employment they cannot
get, and not IA ray Of hope is 20 Is seen in
their honest faces.
Their camp il n mere nest under a bit
of sail, with beds made upon the ice, and
the ships galley in tho centur Of the hut
melting the ice away underneath and
causing pools Of water TO form almost IA
fast as one man can sweep them away.
The captain and his men frightened up
on our arrival and gavc us a good break
fast and warm welcome.
Tho Loss OF the Jarl.
We then went over 60 SEQ tho wrock Of
the poor little Ragnvald Jarl. Thesice for
many yards around was strewn with the
debris of disaster. IL was Monday after
noon az 4 O'Clock that the ship had been
destroyed. At 10 o'clock OF tho morning
Of that day the ice had begun TO screw
around her, and Captain Bottelfsen and
his men had run out extra hawsers for her
protection. In n few minutes tho ico was
quiet again, and, though n northwest gale
was blowing Captain Bottelfsen thought
tho ship In n danger, believing the young,
soft leo about her would form n cusk ION
Tor her hull and bring her through with
out damage. After noon the ice was again
disturbed, aud as matter of preoaution
Ialtain hottclfsrn aud his men began
Cettng provisions out Of the hold and up
on deck. 10 was well they did 80, for,
thorfh they sill had no idea OF tho i'm
pen. .ng danger at n quarter Of 4 O'Clock
Tie heavy Ice came against the side of the
ship. The point Of shore ice. which pro
lected beyond the Jarl and seemingly gave
her ample protection, had brokon asunder
under the tremdndous pressure ~ tho shev.
ing mass outside. and the Rsgnvald Jarl
was doomed