The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11

The wind being free. II became necessary
TO manipulate the sails and hustle about
on deck With the vessel madly rock
ing. the ropes incased in ice. and the
floor CLASSY and giittering, the difficulty
Of this work can be more easily imagined
than written
'On the evening of the 18th we had sunk
the land and the drift ice under the
northeastern horizon. II our reckoning Is
correct we shall cross the antarctic circle
tonight, but we have had no opportunity
for several days TO fix our position. At
o'clock on the morning Of the 10th we
came on deck to gain the first view of the
new panorama which the lifting fogs had
unveiled. The land here, behind very
bold black headland marking the BLUM
point OF projecting cape. trends sudden
ly eastward and sinks under the horizon.
Leaving this land behind us we steam
ed southwark during the day, pressing as
closely to the land in that direction as the
pack-ice. which was held close to the
shore. would permit
February 10, noon. latitude 90 degrees
minutes, longitude IS degrees u min
utes 30 seconds. The conditions permit
ting nautical observations are rare at the
edge of the pack because here the at
mosphere Is in a constant whirlpool OF
agitation. Storm, fog, rain. sleet and
snow are the normal conditions. II It
happens, as IL has today. that we obtain
the observations which fix our position ac-
curately In this lonely world Of desola-
ton a kind of hoyish rejoicing runs along
the line of men ON the decks. and even
In the cabins One says, Now | am ssSa
miles from home II is noon. but at home
they are just taking breakfast Another
says Everybody that ! love Is 5000 miles
over our starboard quarter They are just
entering upon the duties Of the day.
Ice Of Yellow Tint.
ssFor the last few days we have had
under discussion a striking popularity or
the antarctic pack. IL IS a noticeable yell
lowness in the second sheets OF newly
broken pieces Of icA Can 1t be earthly
matter? In the laboratory there have
been a number -of experiments made. AL
most every department claims the mys-
terious yellow as its special preserve. but
all are at work either guessing or maxi
ing painstaklng experiments, or observa-
lions. The discussions grow quite heat
ed. The navigationg officers. with whom
coincided, held that II was earthly mat
ter brought down upon the sea-ice by
glacial streams,
March 1s-For ten days we have had
clear skies with a falling THERMOMETERS,
and though the ice has spread consider
ably leaving large open leads and lakes,
new ice has covered the water so quickly
| that we have been unable 10 push out OF
: our icy Imprisonment. Few OF US now
! entertain any hope OF seeing real water
| or land again until the Frost King loos-
ens his grip upon us. There Is consider
able difference OF opinion as TO our pres.
! ent nosition When one walks about the
! decks the men are frequently heard dfs'
| GUESSING the recent efforts to push out OF
| the ice They say the attempts have beer
! half-hearted and that we are In the paeh
| 20 winter by intention. This opinion y
| shared also by some members or ths
| scientific staff Within the past four o.
! FIVE days the Ice has been much separated
! hut our efforts to force out have beer
made with half-steam and for short perl
| DDS There Ia claim OF indifference
among the officers az to whether we re
turn TO South America TO winter. or mar
| Dor in the pack, and this indifference 4
| shown In the feeble attempts to navigate
the ship.
Most OF us have assumed the respon
| sihility OF criticising the management
! and all blame the director for entering
/ the main body OF the pack at the season.
end. After airing opinions. though al
verse and bitter to the men in charge
everybody feels better. These complaint
are a sort OF safety-vaive. and the grunt
are taken good-humoredly.
I'VE are now doomed to remain. an
| become the football OF an uncompromis
| ing fate. iIcnceforth we are to b
| kicked, pushed, squeezed. and ushere'
| helpiessly at the mercy Of the pack. Gu
| first duty Is to prepare for the coming o
| the night. with It's unknowabie cold ant
| its soul-depressing effects. Aboard. tn
crew are restoring coal and rearranEinl
] the store OF provisions. Tho scieutih
/ men are making plans for n year OF oh
servations while the cook IL rackinl
his brain TO devise some new dishes {
! appease our fickle appctites. Outsid
there has been n rapid transformation
| The summer days OF midnight suns ar
1 past and the premonitory darkness o
the long night la falling upon ms witt
| marvellous rapidity. for in this latitud
! the sun dips below the southern skies a
| midnight late in January. When we Grs
| skirted the pack-ice In February Their
we're a few hours. at midnight. OF brlgh
twilight The darkness then was no
| sufficient to prevent navigation through
out the night: but now u IL really OAR
, for eight hours The temperature toe
ia falling rapidly. We have been led (
believe by the experiences OF previon
Antarctic explorers that the temperature
compared with Arctic. would be NOR
moderate. but in ihis we are dlssppoint
ed.
Ssventy Days Of Darkness
May Ig-The long night began at !
| O'Clock Lass night. We aid not know thl
| until this afternoon AZ o'clock La
roinie cot an observation by tao star
which placed us IN latitude Il degrees !
minutes % seconds. longitude y degree
10 seconds According "a a careful chi
eulation from these figures She capiai
announced the rnsianchoiy news ina