Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-22
BY v1LHJALMuR sTEFANssoN.'

BARROW. Alaska. October IS. 1913
On August 6. 1913. the Karluk was in the
pack ice about three miles off shore. float
ing northeast parallel to the coast at
about twelve miles per day. She would
have been in danger of being carried an
indefinite distance into the open ocean
to the northwest to freeze in there for
the winter had the southwest wind con-
tinued that was driving the ice in which
was pinned fast: had the wind shifted to
any point between west and north be-
fore we drifted clear of Point Barrow
she would have been likely to get crush
ed. Neither of these things happened
We passed Point Barrow early the
morning of August Z. and. as expected
commenced drifting northwest on ac-
count of the current from the south
west which had brought us. uniting
with a current from the southeast that
met us as soon as we had passed the
poieward corner of Alaska We now
drifted at the rate of over forty miles
per day. About noon of the seventh
the wind changed to northeast, how
ever, and soon after that the ice began
TO loosen up. BY 5 o'clock we were
able to get under way. and in half an
hour We We're steaming freely TO the
eastward. among scattered ice fioes with
land in sight to the south.
Subject to Quick Changes.
Toward evening the ice became denser
and the weather thickened. so we tied up
to some ice for the few hours of the
midpight twilight about eight miles Off
shore froms Cooper's Island which we
recognized by the Eskimo houses that
were visible both in the evening and early
morning. Soon after daylight we got
under way The ice was neither heavy
nor densely packed, and it was only oc-
casionaliy necessary to buck any OF il.
That evening We passed Cape Halkett
and everything went well until afternoon.
when We ran aground aniong; the Col
Vile flats. We got of again in half ar
hour. as the bottom-thn. soft mud over
lying dense sand-happened TO be ia
vogable. Later We went aground again,
but only lightly, as were under slow
speed
That evenint, ye passed tne Jones is
lands, sometimes called the Thels Is
lands Toward morning We had to dc
considerable "bucking." as the ice again
became denser. The evening of August
il We tied up behind cake of grounded
ice about half mile offshore from a
u,
some whalers as Cross Island and to
others by various other names 1t is
about ten miles from the mainland. iu
longitude 14S degrees. approximately. The
wind was northwesterly, and the ice wa.
gradually closing in.
We remained tied behind this ground
ed ice until the following afternoon,
when we commenced working our way
out into the pack again. Shortly before
midnight, August l.. tied up to some
heavy lee about fifteen miles off shore
The wind kept varying from southwest,
through west 10 aorth--light breezes-
and the ice kept closing in more tightly
each day. BY August IL all the ice was
tightly packed and cemented together by
young Ice strong enough to walk on
open Water Mile Away.
From that time the Karluk was never
able to stir an inch. and open water was
never closer to than a mile away.
When later easteriy winds came a fair
way for slips opened along the land, and
as late as the second week of Septem-
ber a ship of any draught could have
sailed freely either east of west between
us and the land. Had we been a mile
nearer land We should, on more than one
occasion. have been freed by the break
ing OF the ice into cakes. and should
have had another chance TO advance;
had we been near shore we should ap.
pSrently have had no trouble in tha,
vicinity, whatever might have met u.
further east
AS it was We drifted helplessly We
had dynamite enough to break about hall
a mile of ice, but the open water never
came near enough to make blasting seen
worth while. First. westerly winds drov.
Us about fifty miles east: then easterly
winds drove US hundred miles west
About September 10 we seemed to get ou
Of the main currents which flow parable
10 the coast and a sort of eddy took u.
into Harrison bay. From being abou
eighteen or twenty miles off shore il
twenty fathoms, we were driven to only
Twelve or fourteen miles Oft shore in ter
rathoYns, and stopped For week We
: did not move, although at that time thS
wind blew from various quarters, anG
Continued on Ninth Page.)