The Press., 1901-08-08

airy, Only 10 uuu LHdI lie ice udu &ViCCA
her high up on the shore amid a mass
of debris. She was still habitable.
though she would never float again.
''Six more weary months dragged by.
Escape to the north being cut off by
barrier of ice mountains. Captain Cleve-
land determined to make another at
tempt to cross the polar sea. or CONT
nent, whichever it was, and reach Ora
ham Land. where he might be picked
up by a whaler.
"Our original crew of IS was now re-
duced by sickness and accident to about
20. We carried a quantity of provisions,
hoisted the ensign at the peak and babe
goodby to the Enterprise on Oct. 20.
"As we advanced farther the peaks
and rough ground fell away until an
unbroken sheet Of snow stretched away
before us. Nowhere else on earth would
It be possible to find such utter desola-
ton.
1.-The crew held a consultation. and
even the boldest Of them, being dis
mayed by the gloomy prospect, ad-
dressed a request to Captain Cleveland
to return to the Enterprise. This he re-
fused to do, but eight men determined
to 20 back alone, and SO, giving them
one of the sledges and their provisions,
we parted company. Whether they ev-
er reached the ship know not.
1--WE kept on and on, forever toward
the south, and one by one my compan-
ions died along the road until there
were only four Of us left-the captain,
myself and two seamen. 1t was about
this time that fell into sort Of
trance. How long 1 continued in this
dazed state do not know, but when
recovered consciousness I found my
self standing on a rocky headland gaz-
ing down upon a ship which was Inn
bedded in the center of field of rough
ice. A few PAGES from me stood Cap
tain Cleveland, gaunt and hollow eyed.
No one else was in sight
1.-THE strange ship was the American
whaler Resolution, which we discov-
cred from her log had been abandoned
in latitude "A degrees south and longi-
tude 80 degrees west 38 years before.
I could not believe my eyes when /
read 80 degrees west longitude What
does it mean? muttered.
"Tt MEANS said Captain Cleveland.
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. l won't trouble
you with an account of how we passed
our long, weary months of imprison-
ment. 1 lost all account of time, but
believe now that for nearly three years
that ships cabin was our home.
"Such life will shake the founda-
lions of the strongest mind, and it was
near the end of another polar night
that Cleveland suddenly went mad,
clambered down upon the ice and ran
wildly toward the south. I 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 l awoke to find a
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 a sail in sight. The loneliness
was awful. 1 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 it.
"At length / took up my abode on
deck altogether. living in the galley"
he went on. And 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.