The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1914-10-03

ing along with the current. Fearing they might
strike the vessel and part the mooring lines, got
under way and steamed into an indentauon IN
the ground ice. where the steamer Jeanette was
made fast. A suitable mooring place was found
and the vessel made fast to the ground Ice.
"On August l and 2 loose ice would drift IN
and pack around the vessel where she lay in the
indentation In the ice. AS there was only a tri-
fling pressure no danger was anticipated. Al z
p. m. August 3 came a sudden pressure OF the
ice, the four forward fasts carried away and the
vessel forced astern about five feet. The pres
sure then coming against the starboard SIDE
forced the port side against the ground ice.
"A point of ice under water abreast the engine
room. the weakest place in the vessel, as there
are no athwartship timbers there, forced the port
side in sufficiently to buckle the engine room hoor
plates. Men were Immediately sent with Ice
chisels and the ice was cut away. AS soon as the
ice was removed the pressure at that point
ceased and the floor plates dropped back in place
The after section of the rudder was sprung
about an eighth of an inch. The Ice was cut from
around the rudder and the pressure on that was
removed. So far as can be seen no material dam
age was done by the nip. A vessel less strongly
constructed would have been crushed at once
On more than one occasion that year the little
Bear was hard put to it and her mission of mercy
was fraught with hazards. On several occasions
during that Arctic summer she had to blast a
channel open to clear water, and this exploit was
not always Immediately successful, while the odds
against escape piled up in a threatening manner.
However, the ship kept steadily at her task, and
in the end the ice-bound whalemen were succored
and carried back to civilization, or after %restora-
ton to health set upon other whalers in that
treacherous region.
Ice was not the only peril, for with the milder
months there was fog, and occasionally very
strong winds or gales that meant danger upon
that barren coast. AS a part Of the relief expe-
dition a sled party was dispatched overland long
before the Bear could nose her way into the
Arctic ocean, and Of the gallant work of those
men Americans and the personnel of the revenue
cutter service may we'll be proud.
In closing his report to the treasury depart.
ment Captain futile said: "The officers and
crew bore the monotonous isolation with the
greatest patience, complaints being almost I'M
heard of. The courage, fortitude and persever-
ance shown by the members of the overland ex-
petition are deserving Of the highest commenda-
ton.
Starting over a route seldom travelled before
by dog sleds, with a herd of over 400 reindeer to
drive and care for, they pushed their way through
what at times seemed impossible obstacles,
across frozen seas and over snow-clad mountains
with tireless energy until Point Barrow was
reached and the object of the expedition success
fully accomplished"
Such is the type of the men now aboard the
little cutter, and there is every reason to expect
the same splendid performance Of their present
mission as was witnessed under somewhat kin.
dred conditions II years ago.