Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-09-09
OASIS IN THE ARCTIC.
Tromsoe, Norway, Is Surprise to
Tourists, Says William e.
Curtis.

Z nv ANoIWdy, July w IL
liam L. Curtis in Chicago Record-Her-
add ).-Tromsoe is surprise to every
visitor, for no one expects to find such
pretty town decorated with turf
and trees and flowers in the arctic
circle. 1t lies upon a gentle slope:
the streets are planted with birch ami
mountain ash, which have attained
considerable size, and in the center is
park and grove of birch trees.
There are several streets of frame and
log villas, surrounded by gardens,
wild cherry trees, foliage plants and
flowers. which the people take great
deal of pride in cultivating, and one
does not wonder. because they are hall
buried in snow for two-thirds of the
gear.
1t is midnight at Tromsoe for seven
months. MONDAY for three months ana
twilight the rest of the time. The
elSitric lights are kept constantly
lighted day after day for seven l"Dg
months, except when nature gives an
exhibition of electrical fire works very
much more brilliant than any ever
seen at the Buffalo exposition. Then
! the lights in the streets are extin-
guished, but they are still needed in
the houses. The effect OF the au-
rora borealis is described to be ex-
hilerating. The air is SO full of cleo
tricity that 1t crackles. Everything
that you touch throws out spark.
The hair on your head is so dry that
it stands up from the scalp aud the
sparks fly from the feet of cat as
she crosses a rug or carpet. This
exhileration prevents sleep with
good many people, and the phenome
non is usually followed by an epidem
ic of nervous prostration. But the
doctors contend that it is conducive
to health; that it stimulates the vital
organs, invigorates the tissues and
prolongs life; having the same effect
upon the human system that is obtain
ed in electropathic treatment.
If the aurora borealis could be tam
ed and harnessed-and some time it
may be-what power it would fur
nish for industry and the various uses
to which electricity may be applied
But unfortunately it is irregular. IL
some years there is no display for Il
number of weeks and at other sea
sons the lights are burning at the
north pole continually all winter.
Tromsoe is the favorte point for
fitting out arctic expeditions. Most
of those who enter the polar regions
east of Greenland make their head.
quarters here. Evelyn Baldwin sail
ed few days ago with his little fleet
but did not attract much attention
from the residents, because they are
accustomed to such things. While
it is not an every day event in their
lives. the whaling fleets that are com
ing and going regularly during the
winter season are exposed to almost
as many perils as the explorers.
Tromsoe is trading place and does
large business In fish and fishermen
supplies. The harbor is always fill
ed with vessels of all nations that
come here for Goldfish and herring.
furs and oil The shops are filled
with attractive goods; the streets are
wide and well kept; the public ofii
cials occupy buildings of pretentious
architecture; the churches and school
houses are as large and as conven-
lent as any we have seen in Norway
outside of Christiana and Gergen, and
If stranger were dropped down here
without knowledge of the place lie
would never suspect that he was in
the polar regions.
One does not realize how far north
he is, seeing the green grass and the
flowers and the people farming, and
Norwegian Maud Mullers making hay
within the polar circle. Altenfjord.
thickly settled section, is the most
northern point OF the globe where ag
ricuture is carried on regularly
There are little gardens at some oi
the settlements farther north. but
that is the limit of farming. 1t is
many miles north Of the parallel where
Sir John Franklin abandoned his ships
on our side of the globe; where Gen
eral Greeiey's party was rescued. and
at least $50 miles farther north than
the ice fields of Greenland, which
Nanscn crossed in 1883.
This cause is the beneficent intin
encs of the gulf stream, the kindly
provision of nature, which, as an
Irish orator once said, peoples the
uninhabitabe parts of the globe and
makes the desert smile like rose"
We had no heat in the ship during
the entire voyage to the North Cape
and return. Ordinary overcoats were
sufficient, and night we slept under
single blanket. But we are told that
this is an exceptional season; that the
hot wave that brought SO much suffer
ing and death in the United States and
Europe invaded even the arctic circle.
Yet it cannot be very cold any sum-
mer, because there are meadows III
which we have seen women making
hay Immediately beside the great gla
cier of Svartisen, an enormous field
of snow an ice which covers plateau
300 miles square and reaches the sea
through several deep ravines into
which it has flowed like molten lava
and filled to depth of 1000 or 5000
feet. Nor is this exceptional
Among the patches Of snow and ice
tbat ,1aar, and glit.ar in the crnyicp !