The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-09-22


atinous in consistency not strong enough
TO bear the weight of man, but inc~di
bly, tough when pushed against by the
PROV OF the Ragnyald Jarl. No leo is
more troublesome to navigator than this
young ice I'm continuous sheets, thin though
81 may be. Heavier ice in detached masses
is easily pushed aside, but in order to
make progress through this film the ship
had literally 10 move acres Of 1t at every
10 rods Of advance.
In the old days arctic navigators thought
See was never formed upon the surface of
the sea. They believed that all the ice in
the arctic regions was land made, and
many are the ambitious polar expeditions
that came To grief through attempting to
follow out routes based upon this errone-
Gus assumption. We know that ice does
form upon the surface of the sea- even at
such slight cold as 90 r., because our ship
was several times stopped entirely by this
young ice. Moreover we saw the new ice
I'm the process of formation, the sea being
covered with little round masses of con-
gelation, very much resembling lily pads
in crystal. In n day or two, without dis
tirbanco by wind or current, these pads
Join together and form the continuous
sheets of ruhberlike ice by which we were
hAolntAl. NilCu - rulp i'i''S Tvs Eib"
against this ice, the surface of the water
for some distance about is set into Sc
fies of undulations though no water can
bc seen, so elastic and so tough Is the thin
frozen covering.
The Three Crowns.
On getting out this morning and tax.
ing our shower baths In a temperature Of
II T., the temperature of the water being
81, we found the ship near the entrance To
Kings bay ono OF the few places in Spitz-
bergen where coal may be had, and with
three remarkable peaks known rs the Three
Crowns looming up in the background.
Magnificent glaciers oame down 10 the
sea, with water fronts so or 100 feet high,
blue as the bluest Of skies in sunny Italy.
The glaciers could be traced back through
the mountain pnsses as far as the eye
could reach or to the high inland ice,
tempting cur Norwegian members to so
ashore and try their skis upon these per
feet and magnificent natural toboggan
slides The easy approach which these
glaciers gave 90 the high inland ice Of
Spitzbergen Suggested 90 Ms u possibility
for future travel. I'm case our ship should
he frozen in hero for long time il would
be wholly practicable for US to take our
sledge equipment up the glacier highway,
ncross the inland ice, which is smooth and
practicable as a road, though desperately
bleak and cold at this season OF the year,
and on to tho north Of Spitzbergen and
the seven islands. But of course such an
alternative was not To DO thought Of as
long as there was chance of reaching
our headquarters point at Danes island.
Though tho condition of the new ice was
exceedingly hnfavorable and Captain Bot
tclfsen gavO it as his opinion that we
should only waste coal i'm trying, we de-
termined 20 go on. Though at first com
PEELED TO crawl along at rate OF half
mile an hour through the thin jollyliko
ice, we at length reached heavier ice in
detached masses and then made much
better progress. The r6ad continued to
Improve, and by dint of good steering,
with now and then u hard bump, by 6 in
the evening we had passed the northern
most of the sever mountains and were able
10 enjoy a fine Wow of Amsterdam island,
the Hakluyt head and Danes island.
Much good Il nd our eyes to see these
lands looming up so near ahead, and we
were also delighted 10 perceive, beyond the
northernrhost land and OUT over the great
Arctic ocean, which Is to be the thcatcr Of
our drama--whother comedy, tragedy or
farce we do not Rnow--a water sky.
A big seal was seen upon piece OF ice
near our course, aud as we oano within
range two reports wcro heard almost ST
multanoously. Mr.. Dodge and Mr.. Juell
had used their winohesters with good ef-
feet, for both balls hit the poor brute in
the head, and he gave ore leap toward the
water and then fell back In his death
throes. The Jarl was run alongside the
foe. Young Christian Peterson and Sea-
nan Boervrig jumped overheard, followed
by Mr.. Franklin, and, the seal still show
ing signs Of life, Boervrig beat his head
into Jelly with boat hook. A line was
made fast, ano our first seal was hauled
aboard. A lrg fellow no proved to be,
weighing fully 800 pounds. ard his car.
cass made excellent food for our pack az
dogs. The blood was eagerly drunk by
the canine passengers, and muoh good &c
did thom after their long confinement and
severe yoyuge.
Good luck followed us throughout the
evening, for what appeared at distance
Co be heavy, impossible ice proved upon
close inspection % be open, and through
A. we steamed at good rate. Later
strong wind from the east set i'm, and I'm an
incredibly short time cleared all the leo
from the coast and enabled Captain Bot
tolfsen TO come down from the crows nest
and make the welcome announccnont that
no distractions whatever lay between us
and Danes Island Tho mighty cliffs
stsading sentry over the Danish ford we
pa.scd NJ In the evening and as we cast
our eyes out over o. Arctic ocean 20 the
northwsrd, the~r OF mystery and
sossibiiiy. NE AKA. n9tissa NTH AZ