The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-04-06
DYNAMITE AND ICE.
A Strenuous Day In the Arctic With
Peary on the Roosevelt.

A Strenuous Day In the Arctic With
Peary on the Roosevelt.
think that none of the members Of
the Peary expedition will ever forget
the Goth of August. The Roosevelt
was kicked about. the foes as II she
had been a football. The game began
about O'Clock In the morning. ] was
in my cabin trying to get little sleep
with my clothes on, for | had not
dared to remove them for n week. My
rest was cut short by shock so vio-
lent that before | realized that any
thing had happened l found myself on
deek-a deck that inclined to starboard
some IL to 10 degrees. ran, or, rather,
climbed, the deck to the port side and
saw what had happened. A big foe
rushing past with the current had
picked up the grounded berg to which
we were attached by the ha wsers and
dashed 1t against the Roosevelt and
clear along her port side us II that
thousand ton berg had been toy.
The berg brought up against another
one Just aft of us, and the Roosevelt
SiIDDtu IIOtl DtLWetH tue TWO tlhe u
creased pig.
As soon as the pressure was relaxed
and the ship regained an even keel we
discovered that the cable which had
been attached to the foe berg at the
stern had become entangled with the
propeller. 1t was time for lightning
thought and action, but by attaching a
heavier cable to the parted one and
taking a hitch around the steam cap
stan we finally disentangled 1t.
This excitement was no sooner over
than great berg that was passing
near us split In two of its own accord,
cube of some twenty-five or thirty
feet Just missing our quarter by only
foot or two. "Bergs to the right OF
them. bergs to the left of them. bergs
on top of Them" | heard somebody
shy as we caught our breath at this
miraculous escape. The ship was now
quite at the mercy of the drifting ice.
and with the pressure from the outer
pack the Roosevelt again careened to
starboard. knew that IL she were
driven any higher ON to the shore we
would have to discharge large part
of the coal In order to tighten her suf.
flciently to get her Off again. so I de-
cided to dynamite the ice.
] told Bartlett to get out his batter
les and dynamite and to smash the
Ice between the Roosevelt and the
heavy foes outside. making soft
cushion for the ship to rest on. The
batteries were brought up from the
lazaret, one OF the dynamite boxes lift
ed out with caution. and Bartlett and
] looked for the best places In the Ice
for the charges. Several sticks of
dynamite were wrapped In pieces of
old bagging and fastened on the end
OF long spruce poles, which we had
brought along specially for this pur-
pose. wire from the battery had. of
course, been connected with one of
the primers buried In the dynamite.
Pole wire and dynamite were thrust
down through n crack In the Ice at
several places in the adjacent foe.
The other end OF each wire was then
connected with the battery. every one
got away to n respectful distance on
the far side OF the deck. and II quick.
sharp push on the plunger of the bat
terry sent the electric current along the
wires
Rip Bang! Boom. The ship shook
liSe a dish of Jelly. and column OF
water and pieces Of Ice went flying a
hundred feet into the air, geyser fash
ion The pressure OF the Ice against
the SHIP being thus removed, she right
ed herself and lay quietly on her cush-
Ion of crushed Ice. waiting for what
ever might happen next.-Commander
II. Il, Peary in uampton's Magazine.