Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-10-12
UNDER SIXTY
FEET OF ICE.

by NJ. QUAD.

2 COPYRIGHT, 1900, ~ Q. y. LEWIS.
Cherry island lies l, 400 miles directly
north OF Sweden and IL the dividing
line between the Greenland and the
lsarents' seas. A line drawn from east
| to west would strike Nova Zembla
on the one end and Hudson's Land
/ on the other. There are about
island enjoys the heat and the
verdure Of summer. but during the re-
mainder there are such cold and bleak
ness and loneliness AZ man can find no
self. In the deep, dark ravines the
earth has never thawed since frozen
tens Of thousands Of years ago. ana on
the north side are blocks OF Ice which
were cast up there when the Creator
was seeking to bring order out OF
chaos.
In the year 1860 an English scientific
society fitted out what was known as
| thc ChCily CAPNbitAOhs ~ WINS
purely In the interest OF natural his
tory. Certain fish and birds which had
become extinct In the south were still
to be found up there. according to the
reports of whalers, and that was tho
object In fitting out tho brig AlbatrosS
for n voyage from London. Aside from
q strong handed crew, three professors
and four or Ave students accompanied
the expedition, and after a voyage al
nost without event We reached Cherry
island soon after tho beginning Of its
brief summer. The last 200 miles of
our run was made through field Ice,
with giant icebergs to be seen on every
hand, and we found great length OF
shore piled high with blocks OF Ice
from TO % feet thick. 1t was a three
days job to warp the brig into safe
anchorage on the south side OF the
island, and when we had her secure
most Of the people went ashore to live
for n time In tents. Notwithstanding
the sunshine and verdure. there was a
loneliness about the place to make one
afraid. We had expected to find polar
bears and rabbits In plenty, but there
was not bit Of animal life. excepting
a few stray seals to be encountered.
Birds there were In plenty, however.
and of the species desired, while fish
III all sorts were to be had for the cast
ing OF a hook. Each professor had
bis work cut out for him. and l was
attached to Professor John Saunders
6 the Royal museum rs n helper. He
was after birds and their eggs, and
when we had been on the island week
helped him to capture n specimen OF
the great aux, which species was sup
posed to have been extinct for quar-
ter of century past But three OF
these birds were seen during our stay
Of 40 days, and we took one away with
as into n captivity which lasted for
ten years. II was said that the cap
ture OF this bird alone was worth more
to natural history than the cost OF the
expedition.
The island, which Is of volcanic orr
gin, II n mere tumble OF rocks. II IL
II miles long by 3 I'm breadth and at
the time OF our visit had no tree higher
than ten feet. These grew between
powders and on the slopes. with
patches OF coarse grass all about, but
there was not level spot half nm acre
in extent on the whole island. II was
intersected IN every direction by ra-
vines, some shallow and some OF awful
depth, and during storm, when tho
surf was bringing In grent blocks OF
Ice and heaving them upon the rocks,
there were rumbllngs md echoes In
those dark ravlnes TO make n man pale
with fear. We had been on the island
about 30 days and had pretty thorough
1y explored IL when Professor Saun-
ders and my humble self met with an
accident one day which led TO most
strange discovery. We had set of to-
gether on hunt after birds eggs, and
In walking along n slope we struck a
spot overgrOwn with short green
weed AZ we walked over this bed we
suddenly found ourselves slipping.
There was water under It, and the
whole mass gave way and sent us slid
ing into a raylne. We went slipping.
sliding, clutchlng and humping a full
30 feet before we brought up. but neil
Their OF us was hurt beyond few
oa,,d no, oio,nhar on, NJ lint snot and
~ Continued nm down the ravInc. Uav.
,no nrasontIv comc mon n rew bones
,s,d,, a.. ,,.osoaa,,r ,,rnno,,nced as mo.
longing to polar bear, We decided to
follow the ravine to its mouth. II led
nImos, n,th md south. II wns dry
now hnt tbcre we're times when IL
Inust have beon Allied with winter from
bank m hank
7, n,os a ,ouso,ne tournev ,ve made