The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-09-27
WHAT DANES ISLAND rs LIKE
Excellent Headquarters Fighting Dogs.
Photographing the Scenery-Oyen's
Willingness to Remain.
Copyright. 1894, by Walter Wellman.l

lCOpyrlglt. 1894, ny w alter w ellman.I
DANES ISLAND, Spitzbergen, May TO-
This is our third day at our summer head
quarters, and we are nearly ready to try
our luck farther north. BY evening we
shall finish our work here, the headquar-
tiers will be fully fitted out, and if the
wind will permit we shall steam out for
the true arctic waters, which are the Dor
ders of the unknown region.
When we went on deck on the morning
after arrival, we found ourselves lying in
beautiful ford, called ''gat'' on the
charts, after the Dutch, who in the last
century made this q rendezvous for their
whaling ships, and surrounded on all sides
by high mountains, with sharp peaks, all
snow covered and with mighty glaciers
running down to the waters edge through
a number of the passes. Over the sharp
points of the mountains the strong gale
was driving snow in dense clouds much
resembling a fog It was true arctic
scene, and one which we should have en-
joyed much more had not the gale made
the temperature of % f. rather biting to
the handsand noses of those members of our
party who quickly flung themselves upon
the ice for the first good exercise we had
enjoyed for many long day. The Jarl
had been driven between two foes, the
shore ends of which were fast and afford
ed, therefore, safe haven for the ship.
Less than half mile from the steamer,
at the foot of a rugged mountain, stood the
house of Mr.. Pike, an English gentleman
who comes nearly every year to Spitzber-
gen to hunt for deer, bear, seal and birds
He was kind enough to give us the use Of
his house rent free, courtesy which, you
may be sure, we fully appreciate, as it
saves us not only considerable expense,
but also a vast deal of annoyance and
time
1t is surprisingly good house that Mr..
Pike uses as his shooting box away up
here in the arctics. 1t was constructed in
Tromso and first erected there, the tim
bers being marked for rebuilding here.
Within it is lined with boards and build
ing paper, and all doors and window cas-
ings are as tight as tight can be. The
structure is 40 feet long and II feet wide,
divided into four rooms, each room hav-
ing within it good stove. One room is
Mr.. Pixies private apartment, on the walls
of which one may see, written in charcoal,
the autographs of any number of lords and
other titled and distinguished gentlemen
who have been Mr.. Pixies guests in this
remote retreat. Next to this is a small
kitchen and entry, and then a large liv-
ing or working room, and beyond that a
dormitory for the men, containing num-
Der of hunks. Outside is shed or store
house, and the loft, which is quite high
and rOomy, is also used for stores. TWEEN
ty or more men could here winter in per-
feet comfort if they had enough to eat.
Driftwood for fuel may be had little
latter in the summer-driftwood that has
come from the West Indies with the gulf
stream which some Oversmart scientists
are now trying to prove myth. We found
the key to the front door in the lock, left
there by Mr.. Pixies orders, SO that any
stranded fishermen seeking haven of ref
uge might not be compelled to break in
doors or windows. We soon had an Amer
lean flag flying from the flagstaff at the
western end of the house, and as the col
ors ran up they were saluted with cheers
from our party, who by this time were
scattered all over the ice foes.
Orders were issued which organized our
party for the days work. The house was
to be made ready, with fires to warm and
cry it. The dogs were to be taken from
the hold of the ship and turned loose for a
run upon the ice and shore Several tons
of stores were to be sledged ashore and
slowed away in the loft of the house for
the use of the keeper of the headquarters
during the summer and to carry our en-
tire party through the coming winter
should the exigencies of arctic exploration
force us to this alternative. There was
f