Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-03-21
UNDER SIXTY
FEET OF ICE.
BY II. QUAD.
COPYRIGHT, 1890, BY C. p. LEWIS.

:
north of Sweden and is the dividing
line between the Greenland and TIE
Barents' seas. y line drawn from cast
TO west would strike Nova Zembla
on the one end and Hudson's Land
on the other There are about
60 days in the year when the
island enjoys the heat and the
verdure Of summer. but during the re-
mainder there a.e s.'cii cold and bleak
ness and loneliness rs man can find no
where else outside Of tie Forth pole it
self In the G,e.,. dark ravines the
earth has never ti.awcd since frozen
tens of thousan :, If years ago. and on
the ncrlh side are Liocks of ice which
were cast up there wAen the Creator
was seeking to bring order out Of
chaos.
In the year 1860 an English scientific
society fitted out what was known as
the Cherry island expedition. 1t was
purely in the interest of natural his
tory Certain fish and birds which had
DGCOlIG GAtlutl III lllG SOulH htlt sum
to be found up there, according to the
reports of whalers, and that was the
object in fitting out the brig AlbatroSs
for a voyage from London. Aside from
a strong handed crew, three professors
and four or five students accompanied
the expedition, and after voyage al
most without event we reached Cherry
island soon after the beginning of its
brief summer The last 300 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 three
days job to warp the brig into a safe
anchorage on the south side of the
island, and when we had her secure
most of the people went ashore to live
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
Of all sorts We're to be had for the cast
ing of a hook. Each professor had
his work cut out for him. and was
attached to Professor John Saunders
Of the Royal museum as helper. He
was after birds and their eggs. and
when we had been on the island a week
| helped him to capture a 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
rs into captivity which lasted for
ten years. 1t 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 ori-
gin, is mere tumble of rocks. 1t IL
II miles long by > In 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 q level spot half an acre
In extent on the whole island. 1t was
intersected IN every direction by ra-
vines, some shallow and some Of awful
depth, and during n storm, when the
surf was bringing in great blocks Of
Ice and heaving them upon the rocks,
there were rumblings and echoes in
those dark ravines to make man pale
with fear. We had been on the island
about 30 days and had pretty thorough
ly explored 1t when Professor Saun-
ders and my humble self met with nn
accident one day which led to most
strange discovery. We had set off to-
gether on hunt after birds eggs, and
In walking along slope we struck a
spot oyergrown with a short green
weed. As 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 n ravine We went slipping,
sliding, clutching and humping a full
80 feet before we brought up, but nei-
ther OF us was hurt beyond n few
bruises. Owing to the wet grass we
could not Chamber out at that spot and
~ Npiliiilutt Oli hOnl lIf lelf nv nav
ing presently come upon few bones,
which the professor pronounced as be-
longing to polar bear, we decided to
follow the ravine to its mouth. 1t led
almost north and south IL was dry
now, but there were times when 1t
must have been filed with water from
bank TO bank.
1t was a tollsome journey we made,
but 1t ended at last at wall OF Ice
within half mile Of the surf. At that
point the depth OF the ravine was
about 100 feet, and, though the sun
was shining above, II was like evening
down there. A few yards before we
were brought TO a standstill we found
the body Of a man lying against the
wall Of rock on the right hand side
and ten feet above our heads. II was
caught and held fast on point Of rock
We were both a good deal startled by
the grewsome sight and had 1t been q
sailor with me / know / should have
taken 10 my heels.
1--WE have mystery here and must
solve it," said the professor as he re-
covered from his surprise LET us get
the body down and make an inyestiga-
ton"
1t was neither body nor n skeleton.
The cold had preserved the flesh 10 Il
certain extent, but the action OF the
water running down the ravine had
also worn 1t away. The face was well
preserved, and the hair was as firm
1s In life. II was the remains Of Il
man who had weighed perhaps 1G0
pounds, but | had no difficulty In de-
taching IL from the rock and lowering
IL down. What remained Of the cloth
ing proved that the man had either
been n fisherman or a sailor, but his
nationality could only be guessed at.
''At some time or other" said the pro-
fessor as he looked about, this ravine
has been creek OF considerable size
flowing down 10 the sea. This man
came up the creek from the beach, but
we now find II wall OF ice blocking 1t
up. The Ice has formed since he
came There should be IA boat frozen
UP in the wall between us and the
sea"
We had nothing TO make n torch OF,
and, retraclng our steps to a point