The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-11
UNDER SIXTY
FEET OF ICE
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1914 by Associated Lit
erary Press

as the Cherry island expedition. 1t
was purely in the interest OF natural
history Certain fish 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 n voyage from London. Aside
from 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 mere tumble of rocks. 1t Is
eleven miles long by five In breadth
aud Mt 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 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-
p0red 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
n hunt after birds eggs. and IN Walk
in@ along 4 slope we struck Il spot
ul,rvruwn with short green weed
A. wr walked over this bed we sud
drl!N '"uid ourselves slipping. There
was water under 1t, and the whole
lua,> gave WAY ana sent us Siding
m" II rnvinr We went slipping. slid
II" rI'trlln2 and humping fun tfty
tee, '"t".e we brought up. but mel
tl,I ~ Us was hurt beyond n few
HrHi~,S owing to the wet grass We
ron ii not chamber ont ut that spot and
- .',,t.liiIu on down the ravine
It wl> y IoilSone journey we made
'rl y ~ dci II last at wall or Ice
Nth.r 'ilif II nile Of the surf. At that
'I"ut the depth Of the ravine was
al,out n hundred feet. and though the
sun was shining above. ii was like
rvriin" down there. A few yards be
fore we were brought to Il standstill We
found the body of II man lying against
the wall Of u rock on the right hand
side and ten feet above our heads. II
was caught and held fast on n point of
rock We We're both a good deal star
tied by the .rewsome sight.
AT some time or other" said the
professor as he looked about. this RI
Vine had been Il creek Of considerable
size flowing down 10 the sea This
man came w the creek from the
beach. but we now find wall Of ice
booking 1t up There should be II
boat frozen up in the wall between us
and the sea
We had nothing to make torch OF
and rrtracing our steps to point
where we could climb out of the RI
vine. we left the mystery to he solved
another day. There was much discus
sion around the camplires that even
linz. and early next morning we set ont
to see if the ravine had once upon
time opened to the sea. We soon found
that II had Its mouth had been on n
small bay. but a storm had Tiled II
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 II the sun melted 1t for
few feet In the summer the rains and
SHOWS of winter speedily replaced
what had been lost We found this
Ice ~ clear as glass and rs hard ms
iron, but powder was brought from
the brig and holes were drilled. and In
Il couple of days we had blasted out
great rift to half its depth
Everybody had II suspicion OF what
was frozen In down there, but yet the
discovery gave us a shock When but
thirty feet of ice l,ry between us and
the bottom Of the ravine we could see
through ii well enough 10 make out the
hull OF ship standing on an even Keel
1t was the hull of brig. with mnsts
gone. but otherwise intact We could
even make out the ropes. which had
been frozen stiff ms iron while they
streamed along her decks. but there
were no bodies of dead men In sight
To blast ont the remaining depths OF
ice and clear the ravine was n 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 aud
tide had blocked her exit.
II one of the crew got away up TO
the ravine. why not all Of them? And
vet no other body or remains were to
be found on the island This man.
who may have been the captain. prob
ably started our 10y himself to see II
There was chance Of escape. but In
his way up the ravine he per.
isbcd of cold and hunger There was
scarce hnne for tho others II they
left the hulk they were forced 10 re-
turn 10 IL for shelter and food There
came day when food and fuel were
exhausted. when avaanches Of snow
covered the decks aud 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
n