The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-29

IT
gos rar rrom tho snsre ice vns mig wavcs
made our little bsubs dance lively tune.
The Kane fell far behind, and we soon
signaled the Leekwosa - jsin ths Parry
at tho edge q the leo and walt for her.
When she came up, We held council OF
war, and a. q result Of 10 issued orders
that all the beats should keep a. near the
shere Toe az psssiblo, and that the Parry
should take the Kane, with it, sledge, In
tow. Our idea In this vas thse near tho
fast Ice the water w11 smeether than far
thcr out, ana that inNcase Of trouble to ei.
ther Of the boats the shsrs ioe would be
near at hand TO make fast 10. This sesmed
q wise prsesution, and II tho crsaar had
been carefully obsysd We should have had
no trouble. But shout 4 o'clock In the
afternoon, before We had realised that
danger thssatened, the Parry and tho
Kane found themselves In most pcrilous
situstion. We came 70 . deep bay In the
shore ice, across the mouth OF wAioh the
wind was blowing with tremendous force.
At FIRST 1t was cur intention TO cut scross
tho SEQ end Of the bay and around the
point a ios beyond. But sssing the Look
wood working up tho bay, evidently to
make camp fer supper, We changed our
course and endeavered to follow Into the
blight. It came near being fatal change
of plan for US. As the Parry and Kane
were brought about broadside to tho wind
and their sails taken In che gale swept
them with amazing rapidity toward tho
edge of the leo, where the surf was tossing
in tho air and largo and small pieces Of Ice
wero surging up and down furiously. Be-
fore the men could get out the oars--and
In the strong wind 1t would not have
made any difference II they had been al.
ready manned-we were upon tho lee shore
of the bay. II was a critical moment, but
luckily every man kept his head. With
oars and boat hooks we held the two boats
OF the ice the best wo could, though,
with oil our efforts, we ground against It
with force which threatened to destroy
the craft under our feet and leave us
struggling amid the water and ioe. Hav-
ing come broadside on, our danger was the
greater, and tho hrst thing we endeavored
to do was to swing the stem outward and
force an entrance bow on. So great was
the pressuresof tho wind that at one mo-
mcnt 1t looked as II We should not be able
to do this and that the expedition would
be wrecked, even II some OF US did not
lose our lives. Tho boats were bobbing
up and down like q pair Of corks In storm
tossed sea, and tho aluminium sledgss,
containing 1000 pounds of our precious
food, werc without protection astern the
Kane and In imminent danger OF being
ground to pieces. Few words were spoken
in this moment of peril, save by those In
authority. Every raan worked for dear
lifc and we soon had the ibanite satisfno-
tion Of seeing the how of the Parry point
ed in between two large pieces, where the
force OF the wind, Joined to our efforts,
soon drove her farther. In few seconds
the men had jumped out upon floating
pieces, though partly submerged, which
were moving up and down In the surf and
threatening TO 60 70 pieces ae any mo-
ment.
Standing in water up to their knees,
they pulled tho Parry farther toward the
solid ice, and in few seconds moro we
were all out of the bont upon the surging,
broken pieces, and the battle was practi-
cally over. 1t was the work Of . moment
to pull the Parry upoA the margin Of the
solid lee and then to run the Rsne and
the two sledges through the opening thus
made. We were out ct our trouble almost
as quiokly as we had been plunged into
it, but for several minutes 1t looked as II
we had for the second timo In our expcdi-
ton suffered serious shipwreck In the jaws
of the ice. In the work Of cxtricating
tho boats and sledses from their peril all
hands showed Ans courage and presence
CT mind. Sailors Kllefsen and Hevde risk.
Ell their lives by getting out upon tha
dancing, loose pieces while the four young
men from Christiaaia---Captain Jueil, AL
me, Dahl and Heyerdahl-were equally
brave and prompt in rescuing their boat,
tho Kane and tho sledgss. Mr. Dodge,
- Es~ a itt.
boat hook in opening up an entrance In
the margin Of the ice, while Professor
French did his best to keep the boat from
beating TO pieces While assisting in this
task DR.. Mohun sprained his right wrist Sc
verely
1t may easily be imagined that we all
felt better when we stood upon firm leo
and had the beats and sledges BY our side.
Our satisfaction was increased by an ex-
animation Of the craft. which showed that
none of them had been injured In the
slightest by their battle with the surf and
tho ice The Lockwood had ssiled up to
the head Of the bay, but Captain Pedcrsen
and others Of her crew came over to cur
landing place, and after consultation 10
was decided the Lockwood should join the
other two boats for camp. This was Of.
fected in good sailor style by Captain Pc
dewcn and his men, who rcwsd against
the wind to . point opposite the spot
where we had haA our little battle with
tho clements and then drifted In and land
ed, with the help Of eur men, with boat
hooks In their hands, without much treu-
BILE. At this place abeut eight miles
northeast Of Cape Plsten, ws campcd for
the night, the westerly gale continuing
and tho ios closing Up to the north and
east, thus barring orr farther progress
In the boats. IL Nas not . very comfors-
able camp, but We we're glad enough 10
cat our hot supper and crawl into our
sleeping bags after the excitement and
dangers Of she dSy.
WALTER WRLLMAN.
AVID n n n ~