Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1914-11-27
UNDER SIXTY
FEET OF ICE
By M, QUAD
Copyright, 1914, by Associated Lit
erary Press

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 a strong handed crew. three pro-
fessors and four or five students ac-
companied the expedition, and after
voyage almost without event we
reached Cherry island soon after the
beginning of its brief summer.
The island, which is of volcanic or
igin, is a mere tumble of rocks. 1t is
eleven miles long by five in breadth
aud 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
hunt after birds eggs, and in walk
ing along a slope we struck a spot
overgrown with short green weed
AS we walked over this bed we sud
denly found ourselves slipping. There
was water under it, and the whole
mass gave way and sent us sliding
into Il ravine. We went slipping, slid
ing, cIutching and humping full fifty
feet before we brought up. but nei-
ther of us was hurt beyond a few
bruises. Owing to the wet grass we
could not Chamber out at that spot and
so continued on down the ravine.
1t was a toilsome journey we made
but it ended at last at a 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 We're brought to a standstilI we
found tn body OLA man lying against
the wall of u rock ON the right hand
side and tenfeet above iouf beads. 1t
was ca-l@ht andiheEd fast on d pofnt of
rock. we were both a good deaf star
tied by the grewsome sight4
AT some time or other said the
profC 5or as he looked about this RI.
vine nd been creek Of rcDnsiderablh
siZa lowing down to the sea This
man came up the creek ffolii f,lf
beach but we now find a wall Of ice
bio King it up. There should be a
b { frozen up in the wall between us
an the sea"
We had nothing to make d torch of
and Tetlacing our steps to q 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 campfres that even
ing and early next morning we set out
to see if the ravine had once upon a
time opened to the sea. We soon found
that it had. It's mouth had been on a
small bay. but a storm had filled 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 as clear as glass and as hard as
iron, but powder was brought from
the brig and holes were drilled. and in
a couple of days we had blasted out a
great rift TO half IFS dpDth
Everybody had a suspicion of what
was frozen in down there but yet the
discovery gave us a shock. When but
thirty feet of ice lay between us and
the bottom of the rayine we could see
through it well enough to make out the
hull of ship standing on an even keel.
1t was the hull of a brig. with masts
gone, but otherwise intact. We could
even make out the ropes, which had
been frozen stiff as iron while they
streamed along her decks, but there
We're no bodies of dead men in sight
To blast out the remaining depths of
ice and clear the raVine was a task
requiring more aid than we could spare
and more powder than we had aboard.
Years before, perhaps half century.
a merchant vessel had made that little
bay in distress. Wave and tide had
carried her up the creek, and wave and
tide had blocked her exit
If one of the crew got away up to
the ravine, why not all Of them? 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 if
there was chance of escape. but in
making his way up the ravine he per-
ished of cold and hunger There was
scarce hope for the others. If they
left the hulk they were forced to re-
turn to it for shelter and food. There
came day when food and fuel were
exhausted, when avalanches of snow
covered the decks and the cold of win
ter froze the marrow Of their bones,
and they hid away in forecastle and
cabin and died with open eyes staring
into the darkness. Upon our return
to London the case was reported and