Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1901-07-24

even the boldest Of them, being dis
mayed by the gloomy prospect adj
dressed request to Captain Cleveland
to return to. the Enterprise. This he re-
fused to do, but eight men determined
to go back alone, and SO, giving them
one of the sledges and their provisions,
we parted company. Whether they ev-
err reached the ship l know not.
"We kept on and on, forever toward
the south. and one by one my compan-
ions died alongethe road until there
were only four of us left-the captain,
myself and two seamen. 1t was about
this time that l fell into sort Of
trance. How long | continued in this
dazed state | do not know, but when
recovered consciousness l found my
self standing on a rocky headland gaz-
ing down upon a ship which was i'm
bedded In the center of a field of rough
ice. A few PAGES from me stood Cap
tain Cleveland, gaunt and hollow eyed.
No one else was in sight.
THE strange ship was the American
whaIer Resolution, which we discov-
cred from her log had been abandoned
in latitude "A degrees south and longi-
tude 90 degrees west 3S years before.
1 could not believe my eyes when
read 80 degrees west longitude What
does it mean? muttered.
"'It means said Captain Clevelar
that we have crossed the south polar
continent from the eastern TO the west
ern hemisphere. We have done that
which will make us famous Famous.
OF what use was fame to us?"
1T is the strangest story l ever
heard" said Holroyd.
Eve found a quantity of provisions
on board" the speaker continued
most of which was in good condition.
And aboard the old whaler we took up
our winter quarters. 1 won't trouble
you with an account of how we passed
our long, weary months of imprison-
ment. lost all account Of time, but
believe now that for nearly three years
that ships cabin was our home.
'Such a life will shake the founda-
tons of the strongest mind. and 1t was
near the end of another polar night
that Cleveland suddenly went mad,
clambered down upon the ice and ran
wildly toward the south. l never saw
him again."
The narrator broke down completely
at this point, but soon took up his
story.
Gradually. inch by inch. the ship
worked her way through miles of pack
ice, and one morning / awOke to find
glorious expanse of open water In front
of me, through which the ship slowly
glided. For days-aye. weeks-I drift
ed on over the deserted ocean, with
never sail in sight. The loneliness
was awful. l longed for companion
ship and dared not go down into the
cabin, for every sound made me start
in terror"
During the latter part of his recital
the wanderers voice had grown weak
er and weaker, his pauses longer and
more frequent. We again offered him
wine. but he refused 1t.
''At length took up my abode on
deck altogether, living in the galley"
he went on. "Ahd from that time until
found myself-here-I remember
nothing. How long-I have-been drift
ing
He stopped and gazed at us with a
CLASSY stare. Then he tried to speak
again, but no words came from his lips.
Suddenly his head fell forward upon
his chest, and his arms dropped Imply
to his side The doctor caught him as
he collapsed. and between us we car
ried him to his bunk. Ere another days
sun rose he was dead. The derelict had
reached port at last.
Such Is the strange story of James
Wilson, found on the ship Resolution,
as told by himself.-St. Louis Republic.