The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-07-13
sIcnrisc rnG Arc TIC icE.

westward 10 Gro. to The Eiissmere Lard
coast.
AiIho1gh only a. hour ard hall sfsr
miaIishi. II wAs fsIl daylight. the arctic
summer a. esnllr nnus sunlight hAvinE but
ius, begun 10 ware. The Wind ". blow
lng freshly from the horit, cresline the
waves Of saith sours with whilecaps, and
: couple Of mllei % the nerd dense bank
of fog hii the Ice pack which lsy between
u, snd The western shore.
had been up stree four In The mo'ning,
ard the day had been long one for me, 90
As soon ~ the Erik cleared X R,irdeer Point
went below for some sleep,
In an hour or two We were In The Ice, ~
The constant shifting Of The helm and the
fr Queni grating OF the foes sgainH the
Eriks sides clearly told. Bet a. long -
We were making hesdway did not trouble
myself, and so dc1sd away until eight bells
sounded the hour for breakfast.
when went on deck we were IN the
midst Of the heavy arctic Ice, great hum
mocky aoes and huge bloc masses, which,
under the IL fiaence Of the ebbiide and the
north wind were surging southwark be-
tween the arctic ''Piilars OF Hercules"--
Cspes Alexander and Isabellt at four or
fvc-knot pace.
Some pieces Of ice were moving faster
than others, and the large noes frequently
had slow rotary motion, all with rush
log. roaring sound AZ Of heavy surf. A
dense fog hung over everything, through
which the bu5 points Of the heavy Ice and
the pools OF fresh water on the noes SEEM
ed the color Of indigo, while the ses-water
between the fragments was black ~ inF.
With Infinite care and patience, and de-
yious twisting and turning, we continued
TO force our way slowly ahead, the Ice rasp-
ing continuously along the Eiiks iron-bark
sheating from stem to stern, and occasion.
ally projecting tongue under water catch
ing the propeller with shock and clsDg
that was most unpleasant.
Abou, noon, with the change Of tide, the
Ice packed closely and held us firmly, stop
Ing all further advance.
ABOARD THE DRIFTING sHIP.
In the evening the fog lifted 9 little,
showing us the base OF the desolate Elles-
mere Land coast, with the Ice packed
densely between US and 1t. AT midnight
the fog cleared completely, showing the
ice stretching from US in every direction.
The rays Of the sun, only a little below the
northern horizon, touched the summits Of
Cape Isabella, and as studied the Ice from
the crow 's.nest, looked longingly north
ward over its ragged surface, where the
American gateway between Greenland and
Ellesmere Land stretches to the central
olar sea, and wished that its pasasge WAS
as easy for me as for the light.
NIGHT OF SUSPENSE.
The Iext forenoon the changing tide re-
laxed the ice little, and at the end OF the
day, by forcing the Eriks engines to their
utmost, we found ourselves several miles
nearer the land, but we were unavoidably
left 10 most dangerous position, just on q
line connecl ling the point OF Cape I,abclla
with Brevoort Island.
Inside this line was the comparatively
ouiescent water ard the stationary Ice held
In the Irregularities Of the coast line, while
outside Of 1t was the ice Of the sound stead
| lily drifting southwark.
The edge Of the inshore Ice had been
tbickened and compscted by repeated pres
sures from the outer Ice, and we had been
unable to penetrate 1t when the closing Of
the ice gripped us again.
There WAS no sleep for US that night.
With her port side against the edge OF the
stationary Ice which rose above her bull
vsrk, the old Erik received on her star
board side the grinding pressure OF the
southwsrd moving Ice, and shook and jar
red and quivered and groaned, aud at times
Jumped spismodIcslly, 10 way trying to
weak nerves.
| Ine lUuec ISe Shsc mO ht''o SonSS'"' Wv
when a big foe mile or go aorois came
rasping down upon us, watched Its ap-
prosch with apprehension.
Some OF these foes would catch the Erik
on the stem and drag her along the ragged
corners Of the fast Ice for hundred yards
or so, til it seemed az II the planks must
be stripped from tie vessel.
| Another, slowly turning m IT moved,
would swing against her eide, crush her In.
to the barrier, and when she would yield
no more, would set her creakirg and vibrat-
irg 10 every timber, till with lurch that
set the yards rattliug and the rigging
swinging, she would jump bodily upward,
and the foe passing under her bilge, would
toss and rock her like = sledge on rough
road, tin It passed under her quarter.
1t was . night Of constant suspense, and
we we're Al rxIous for the stacking OF the Ice
with the next days tide,
When this occurred, although the change
was very slight, the Erik WAS ready with
every pound OF steam the boilers could
carry. A little south Of NJ WAS weak
place In the barrier, and working down to
this, We forced the Kriki bow in, and BY
whirlipg the helm 6rst TO port and then TO
starboard, used the entire ship ~ . lever
to loosen some Of the fragments, which
were then pushed out with poles, until at
last only one heavy piece, wedged 10 BE-
tween others, barred our way.
A. big, de came past along The edge Of
,he barrier, leaving little spaee Of water
10 is wake, ard 10 this the Erik was back
ed out a. far n possible, then driven At
our opening with all The speed abe could
gather.
INSIDE TIE BARRIER.
The iron-shod bow struck the piece Of
ice, jlrring her m II It were rock, but
breaking Of . piece and releasing hs grip