Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-01-11
ROAR OF THE ARCTIC.
cullen Thunder OF tho Gales and the
'voices Of the Ice"

Most OF us cherish the idea that In
the far reaches OF the Arctic circle
there prevails an everlasting death
like stiffness. But those who have
spent much time In the far north as
sure us that that region Is far from
being silent. although so little life Is
manifest for the greater part OF the
year.
on polar seas the Ice. though thick
There are tides In the arctic. and
these lift aud lower the huge icefields.
causing them to give out all manner
of noises. Even as late as November
the pack will wake mp without warn
Ing and pile itself In huge heaps with
indescribable crashings. groanings and
roarIngs. Peary speaks of the ''rabid
roar, of the "tumbling chaos of Ice
blocks" His Esikimos were terribly
frightened and set up weird howllngs
The dogs whined and barked, and alto
gether the noise was terrific Every
arctic explorer has given similar ac-
counts.
The movements of the ice--the grad.
ual crowdng and pressing. bending
and pushing. the breaking Of the
masses of snow lying at the lice foot"
have given rise TO the expression OF
explorers, "The voices of the Ice" II
may lie that one will hear low sing
ing. splashing or grnmbllng. alternat-
ing with various other sounds. crack
Ing and swapping. These sound irreg.
ularly from n great distance. like
confusion OF human voices. the racket
OF railway train or the skurrying OF
sledging party. Then. again. the
noises are such as 10 cause the ex-
plorer 10 fancy he hears the steps and
voices OF various species of animals.
Spring Is the noislcst time in the po-
lar seas. Mcclure OF the Investigator
compared the breaking up Of the ice
at that season TO heavy thunder or the
sound of great guns. Another writer
likened the sound of the breaking ice
foe TO that produced by volcanic
eruption.
Moreover the mir In the arctic re-
gions Is seldom absolutely still Gales
are frequent. The winter winds. ac-
cording 10 Peary. blow with almost
unimaginable fury. On one occasion
In the cabins Of the Roosevelt the
sound rcscmblcd that of some gigantic
power plant. everything vibrating to
the pulsation Of the machinery. The
whole atmosphere was filled with the
deep. sullcn roar of the wind. and SO
thick was the cloud OF snow picked up
and swept forward on the wings OF the
gale that powerful lamps were invisi-
BILE ten feet away.
On high ground. such rs that OF in
ner Greenland. the wind Is never still.
hansen tells OF the constant hiss OF
the breeze laden with tiny bits OF Ice.
which flowed along knee high like a
shining white river glittcring In the
pale arctic sunlight.
Nor Is there lack OF sounds caused
By animal life. In the arctic may Of
the barking OF seal. while In the sum.
mer the harsh cry of sea birds echoes
along the faces OF the cliffs. -Harper'e
Weekly.
Transit of Venus.
The transits OF Venus came In pairs.
with an interval OF eight years be.
tween them. A pair occurred 10 1861
and 1863 and again In 1874 and 1852
The whole OF the twentieth century
will pass without another transit. Not
until the years 1904 aud 2Oi2 will pos.
terity have the opportunity OF witness
Ing II. II was long supposed that
transits OF Venus over the suns disk
afforded the only accurate method OF
determining the distance OF the sun.
but latterly the speed or light has be-
come the more favored method for that
purpose. New York American.