The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-11-13

Extracts From an Artists Diary
Aboard Che Shin Antarctic.


Aboard che Ship Antarctic.
The following Is an extract from
Frank Wilbert Stokes IAN Artist IN
tho Antarctic" In the Century Maya.
zine.
A black day, a gray day as 10 sky
and seas but black In It's hidden dan.
gers All night the storm blew with
violence. There we're hurried voices
amid the booming and din OF the tenn
pest as sea after sea struck the little
weasel, which emitted frightful strain
ings and groanlngs, mingled with the
crash Of falling pots. pans. chairs, and
tremendous beaungs OF the propeller
as the stern was lifted out Of the wa
ter. We breakfasted at 10 a. m,
standing. The captain believed that
we were in much danger Of being driv.
en- upon the ice clad rocks Of the
South Shetland islands. He was try
ing TO keep the ship of to the north
ward. We lost our best whaleboat
part OF the starboard bulwarls in the
waist and a portion Of the shrouds
The carpenter. with a gang Of men
constructed in my former cabin
hatEh door for the companionway 4
case It's covering should be washed
away. The sailors came through the
gun room and between decks to go for.
ward, as the waist was washed con-
tinually by heavy seas. Oil was poured
upon the water to calm Il, but with
what effect / was not able to perceive.
Some Of the men locked themselves
IN their cabins | managed to gather
all Of my sketches and seal them IN
tin cylinders, which / had provided
for such an emergency, in the hope
that If we should founder they might
be picked up. Then l slowly made my
way to the bridge. It was a wild
scene. A light gray impenetrable
mist with snow was driving in fierce
squalls over the surging waves, rem
dering It impossible to see ahead. The
titful light of the sun shone through
the mist toward noon, a pale, misty,
greenish yellow The seas swept I'M
der and over US from the starboard
and almost broadside, as the engines
OF the Antarctic were too feeble to
keep her head to the wind. One of
the GiscOuraging features was that the
South Shetlands were imperfectly
known and charted. At the wheel
were two men in tarpaulins, grizzly
ha Wi
frost The cabins were foul with the
stencil Of bilge-water, and l went on
deck to breathe a little fresh air, and
was Immediately drenched by the
waves.
There was a break-a slight, tran
sient break-of palest blue amid the
swiftly hurrying storm mists and
faint yellowish gray to windward,
when all became suflused with
pearlish turquoise tinge. At the eve
ming meal we stood waiting in silence
the captains arrival. Presently he
CROPPED his way down the steep COM
panionway in oilskins, and, without
waiting for a query, turned and an
nOunCed that we had just cleared the
rocks When thanked him, he char
acteristically replied: Il tank myself"
The storm had blown us so miles
westward, and at in the evening land
was sighted, which proved to be Ele-
plant Island of the South Shetland
group. Afterward we found that we
had been within less than two English
miles of those terrible rocks. Our po-
sition, Feb. q, at 10 a. m, was be-
tween Elephant and King George is
lands We rejoiced in a southerly
wind, and set foretopsali and jib. The
gray mist hung about us, effectually
shutting out the ice from our sight,
and felt that l had painted my last
Antarctic sketch. At night, on Feb.
28, as the evening shadows fell
through the gray, the red and green
port and starboard lights were put in
position for the first time in many
days