The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1915-07-15
IN THE
ARCTIC ICE
BY NJ QUAD
Copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
By M QUAD

|
had worse luck When we had been
out for four months we had to buy a
barrel of oil to keep our lamps going.
One afternoon as we had half cut
whale on each side of US a gale sprang
up, heavy snowstorm came ON, and
In less than an hour we had to let go
cur prizes and look sharply after the
bark.
Morning came again. and 1t brought
In wind. while the cold was intense.
well. boys, 1t looks very serious to
me, and l expect you had better pre-
pare to winter this side of Dundee"
said the captain.
That settled 1t with us. We turned
to and began to calk and batten to
keep out the cold, and in a couple of
days we were as ready as we could be.
For the next month our life was
like that SO often described in books.
Then sudden and terrible Interrupt
ton came. The bark began to heave
out. The first movement came about
10 o'clock in the forenoon and filed
everybody with dire alarm. After five
minutes she heaved again, lifting right
out of the solid field, with great cakes
cling1ng to her, as II machinery were
at work. As she lifted she canted to
starboard, and at noon her decks were
at an angle of 45 degrees. The car
penter. who had little plan of his
own, reported that the heave had shat
tered several pianks In her bottom and
that she would fill If she were Graded
back. She took one more heave, can't
ing over until almost on her beam
ends, and then we got our clothing,
bedding, provisions, a compass and
four boats and at midnight headed
away In four gangs for Smiths bay.
each gang having a boat which was
dragged and lifted over the ice.
We had made forty miles or more
and were strung out on the pack for
mile or SO when the two Of us who
were in advance to pick the route
turned large hummock or hill of ice
to find ourselves humping up against
a three masted ship. We soon found
her to be the Bristol ship Endurance,
whaler. Of course. and two-thirds full
or blubber and oil She had a slight
list to port. and after looking her over
the officers said she had heaved out,
the same as our bark, but had settled
back again She had been abandoned
In hurry, as there were many evil
dences, but an inspection showed plen-
ty of provisions aboard and proved her
perfectly sound
We had been aboard the Endurance
about a month when the carpenter fell |
sick. In his case 1t was pure home
sickness and nothing else. / was ap-
pointed to nurse the carpenter. and |
when he had been brought very low
and knew that he must go he told me
secret He said he had made false
report to the captain about the damage |
to the ships bottom on purpose to In
duce him to abandon her and start for |
land.
told the captain, and he at once
fitted out an expedition to 60 back and |
look up the bark. The first mate and |
five men composed the party, and after
being gone week, during which time
the weather was full OF tempest, snow
and sleet, they returned from the west
and Numbered right up against US be-
fore they saw the ship. Their COM
pass had been broken. and they had
been lost for six days ON that fearful
waste OF Ice.
No further efforts were made. Day
by day the sun lasted little longer,
giving us more OF the blessed day
light. and at last a gale came to break
up the great field and showed us
streaks OF open water. When we were
finally clear OF the icy bed which had
held the ship we headed for Point
Barron. sometimes gaining and some
times losing ground. One day, / re-
member, we made twenty miles to the
south, but on the very next a change
of wind packed the ice and drifted US
that far back to the north. We were
slowly working down toward the
strait, however. when one day at noon
a snow squall lasting about two hours
drove us into channel running south
west We had scarcely entered 1t be-
fore we caught sight OF bark coming
down a channel from the north and
not over mile to the west of rs
Twenty voices at once cried out that
the stranger was our old craft, and as
we neared each other, running on the
long lines of triangle. everybody felt
sure Of it We also noticed the crew
ON the bark. hut it was only when the
two craft were within a stones throw
Of each other that matters were fully
explained.
Who do You suppose the strange men |
were3 None others than the crew of
The Endurance. They had our bark
and we had their bark. A swap had
been made of craft Their ship had
leaved up about the same time ours ,
lid. and they had abandoned her for
he same reason. Instead Of trying to !
make the land they had sought to find ,
brig which had been sighted to the G
forth Of them. This vessel was myth