The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1914-11-26
UNDER SIXTY
FEET OF u ICE e
.i'' 's b NJ QUAD
cSHyright, 1914. by Associated Lit
egary Press.

egary Press.
\ "a the year 1858 an English scien.
HE society ntted out what wal. known
~ the Cherry island expeditiop,, e
Napx parsly, IN the interest of natural
history. Certain Dish and birds which
had become extinct in the south were
still to be found up there, according to
the reports Of whalers, and that was
the object in fitting out the brig Alba.
tross for voyage, from London. Aside
from q strong handed crew, three pro-
fessors and four, or FIVE students &C.
companied. the expedition, and after a
voyage almost without event we
reached Cherry island soon after the
beginning Of it's brief summer.
The island, which is. of volcanic or
igin, is a mere tumble Of rocks. II. is
eleven miles long BY. five I'd breadth
and at the, time Of our visit had no
trees higher than ten feet. These grew
between powders and on. the slopes.
with patches of coarse grass all about,
but there was not a level spot half an
acre in extent on, the whole island.
We had been on the island about thir-
ty days and had pretty thoroughly ex-
plored it when Professor Saunders and
my humble self met with an accident
one day which led to most strange
discovery. We had set Off together on
q hunt after birds eggs, and in walk
ing along slope we struck spot
overgrown with short green weed.
As we walked over this bed we sud-
denly found ourselves slipping. There
was water under 1t, and the whole
mass gave way and sent us sliding
into ravine. We went slipping, slid
ing. clutching and humping full fifty
feet before we brought up, but nei-
Their Of US was hurtwbeyond few
bruises. Owing to the wet grass we
could not Chamber out at that spot and
so continued on down. the ravine.
It was toilsome journey we made,
but it ended at last at wall of ice
within half mile of the surf. At that
point the depth of the ravine was
about hundred feet. and, though the
sun was shining above, it was like
evening down there. A few yards be-
fore we were brought to a standstill we
found the body of man lying against
the wall Of q rock on the right hand
side and ten feet above our heads. It
was caught and held fast on point of
rock. We were both good deal star.
fIo6 hv tho orovyoOrno ciohf
cat some time or other" said the
professor as he looked about, ''this ra-
vine had been creek Of considerable
size flowing down to the sea. This
man came up the creek from the
beach, but we now find a wall Of ice
blocking it up. There. should be, a
boat frozen up in the wall between %
ana the sea- ~ e, y So ,,
We had nothing to make torch Of,
and. retracing our steps toaae point
where we could climb out Of the ,ra.
vine. we left the mystery to, be solved
another day. There was much discus
sion around the campfires that even
ing, and early next morning we set out
to see IL the ravine had once upon q
time opened to the sea. We soon found
that it had. It's mouth had been on a
small bay. but u storm had filed it
with powders and damned back the
waters flowing down. Between the
sea and the spot where we found the
body the ice was from fifty to seventy
feet thick. If the sun melted it for a
few feet in the summer the rains and
SHOWS Of winter speedily replaced
what had been lost. We found this
ice AZ clear as glass and as hard as
iron. but powder was brought from
the brig and holes were drilled, and in
couple OF days we had blasted out a
great rift to half its depth.
Everybody had suspicion Of what
was frozen in down there. but yet the
discovery gave us shock. When but
thirty feet of ice lay between us and
the bottom of the ravine we could see
through it well enough to make out the
hull of ship standing on an even keel.
It was the hull Of brig. with masts
gone. but otherwise intact. We could
even make out the ropes, which had
been frozen stir as iron while they
streamed along her decks, but. there
were no bodies Of dead men in sight.
To blast out the remaining depths Of
ice and clear the ravine was task
requiring more aid than we could spare
and more powder than we had aboard.
Years before. perhaps half a century,
merchant vessel had made that little
bay In distress. Wave and tide had
carried her mp the creek, and wave and
tide had blocked her exit.
II one Of the crew got away up to
the ravine. why not all Of them7 And
yet no other body or remains were to
be found on the island. This man,
who may have been the captain, prob
ably started out by himself to see Il
there was chance Of escape, but In
making his way up the ravine hs Per.
1shed Of cold and hunger. There was
scarce hope for tho othess; ~. tAey
left the hulk they wepa forced o. Il
turn to It for sheltsr. aSd food. ~.
came = day when fo( Aad- ~ NJ. =
exhausted, when aval1i iinoH