The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-11-28
TRAPPED IN AN ICE JAM.

By Laurence J. Yates.

"ss gsS SsSTsN 6sSIsSIsSEsS sUsS6sNHss| ~
alize the gravity Of his situation. He
felt sure that he could cut himself out
with his jack knife, or at least make n
hole through which he could signal 10
camp for help by thrusting out his
coat and waving IL. The sunlight fl
tering in through n chink gave promise
OF this and helped 10 relieve the semi
darkness OF his prison.
He inspected his camera in q leis.
urely fashion, glad 10 find that II had
not been In the least injured by the
fall, took out his knife and then looked
at his watch. II was 10 o'clock; the
tide was due at three minutes Of ~
Then all at once the peril Of his posi-.
ton flashed upon him; the tide would
set the whole jam In motion, perhaps
demolish It, If he did not escape he
would he ground TO powder. One
movement OF cake would annlhllate
him.
For an awful moment sickening
terror clutched him, but shaking 1t off
he began TO make calculation. lie
y
utes In which 10 cut his way out and
get ashore. Could he do IT. A tunnel
large enough for the passage Of his
body must be made through more than
thirty inches of hard, brittle ice 10y
means OF rather slender knife blade.
Selecting the most vulnerable point
Of attack. the slight crack between the
IL, a
and the one that formed the lower
wall, he began chipping away the ice
At first he worked with fcverish anX.
lety, but gradually his usual GOODNESS
returned
When he had cut steadily upward to
depth OF ten inches, he noticed that
he was letting the hole get smaller
the deeper IL went into the ice. II the
dimension. were allowed to decrease
any more he saw that the hole would
be much too narrow for his exit 10y
the time the cake was pierced. So
beginning at the bottom, he enlarged
the tunnel until IL seemed to him that
It's necessary conveyance would stlll
leave a wide enough opening when the
surface was reached.
Soon operations were again delayed.
He was obliged to stop and cut foot
holds in the almost perpendicular side
OF the lower wall that he might raise
himself enough TO work with advan-
tage.
At last. Judging that he had cut
half way, IIardman looked NJ his
watch again. 1t was seven minutes
past eleven. He had been sixty-seven
minutes In cutting the easier half.
Only fifty minutes remained; II seemed
useless to go on.
Time and tide wait for no man."
the trite old adage struck him with a
new and appalling force. But he must
and would get OHsAn time. His de
spair gave way to resolution. ana he
set to work with renewed vigor. strik.
ing so forcihly that the blade threat
ened to break at every jab
Although surrounded with walls OF
ice. Hardman's whole body dripped
with perspiration. Every muscle in
his arms and, shoulders achcd iutol-
the vertical wall and picking away
the relentless ice overhead. Showers
of chips poured down upon his face,
half binding him, and he worked i'm
great measure 10y guess Yet slowly
the tunnel was cut upward inch 10y
inch until he estimated there could bc
no more than three inches left
At this point he was seized with
lurking fear that another block from
above would slip down ana double
the thickness of the cover In frenzy
of haste he struck rCckleSsly. The
blade snapped short of at the handle.
Not daring To look at his watch.
Hardman opened the small blade, and
pteadying his nerves, began again.
very carefully now A dozen strokes
and the knife pierced clear through
the cake. There was nothing on top.
He listened for the roar of the ex.
pected tide. but the only sounds he
heard were the soft tapping of the
waves at the foot of the jam aud the
hoarse scream of raven wheeling
in the still air high overhead
Cutting out the opening to size
sufficient. he thought, to permit the
egress of his body. Hardman grasped
the upper edge and raised himself until
the top of his head was. above the
level of the ice Then the breadth Of
his shoulders refused TO let him go
farther.
AS he struggled vanly, sullen roar
far down the arm heralded the coming
OF the tide 1t was now or never!
With n sudden inspiration Hardman
dropped back. pulled of his thlcl;
outer coat. and then. with almost SUI
perhuman strength forced himself
slowly upward out Of the vise-like
grip of the narrow opening.
He rose to his feet. free OF an icy
tomb at last; but he found there was
no time TO cross To the shore before
the ice-laden wave Of the bore would
strike. Ii was already within five
hundred yards of him.
Knowing that IL would take many
times more force 60 move the Jam
resting on the bar than IL would To
move the field in the channel. Hard.
man quickly realized that the best
thing 10 do was to stay on the mound.
The safest place was at the summit
so 10 the one big cake forming the
pinnacle he made his way. and crouch
=, ing on its slanting surface. waited
over TO the southwest was the camp