The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-11
In Letter to Friend Here, F. ].
DoDnelly Tells of Life IN
Far Norway.

e at NORWAY.
sTORMER RESIDENT IN
The following letter received here
frereutIy by VOL known local man
from II. J DonneliS, who was In the
coal business In this county for sew
eral years and who has number or
friends here. was mailed at Advent
Bay. 5pitsherEer. Tronso, Norway,
june S. 1911
The delay in the delivery is caused
by he fact that Advent Bay. Spits-
* berger. Is one of the most northern
4 points In Norway and mail boats only
visit that place every six months 8.
The average temperature is 40 de-
grees below zero and the only mode
of travelling liz by dog teams.
Mr.. Donnelly Is in the en- ploy4 of
the Arjc Coal Company and is pros
pecting in this region. In his geo
logical notes at the conclusion Of his
letter, he tells about the coal found
there.
The Letter.
- LETT tfronso. NORWAY. September
25, 1913, 3 n. m. After sailing for
i've hours we passed Hammerfast,
Norway, the most northern inhabited
place in the world. Their wiard
stiffness reigned. broken only by sui
len and nlonntonnus splash of the
Invisible waves upon the scarcely
visible shore
Va few tiny twlnkling lights show
edsthe irregular outline Of that town.
now and then one or two fishing
boats, with sable sails and small col
ored lamps at mast and prov would
hit across the inlE waters like dark
messengers from another world.
Five days later we arrived at Ad-
vent Bay, SpftsberEer, N. 1915 d.
gress, 100 miles from the North pole
10 YOU ever want to gaze on a G OIL
forsakep bit Of county. you can't do
better than visit this place. Tt beats
anything I ever saw for desolation
he whole landscape. lay as though
1t We're frozen sculptured stone and
no sun could ever melt 1t.
No Trees Grow Here.
Mountains are covered with Ice and
EnoW. Nat a tree grows here and
the only thing that grows here is the
Arctic birch and it never gets over
two inches high.
..E5 What a number Of experiences i
had sailing from Tronso. Norway, to
Spitsberger.
Some were awful, others were
terrifying There was times when
the waves of maddened sea threat
ened to swallow up our little fishing
boat and send us all to eternity.
For three long days, and nights the
seething foam of a furious sea swept
around Us. During the storm every
thing was bleck except that was
white Giant waves were dashed in
to a milky white making noise like
cracking thunder as the crests curled
over the waters they doomed likeI
guns as. the mountainous volumes
struck our xesasI 1t rained, hailed
and showed the whole time
Boat Left October 2.
0cto Der w e watched the yes
sci until her hull disappeared In the |
mist. One hour later we were alone
In an uninha bit eI1 land, frozen hard
er than granite. with no hope Of a
word from any one or news from any
where.
The fifth day Of October arrived
and 1T was cold day The country
was all white The sky was free
from clouds. In heSsouth there was
"a. kind OF a twill ght. then Just a few
minutes before midday. Slowly the
golden orb arose from the sea, how
cred a few minutes above Its surface
then slowly sank When the g1eam-
from view. the waters turned red
and the ice lined shore purple and
the snow on the mountain assumed
every col or of the rainbow
Good Bye to Sun.
Good bye we cried to the setting
sun that we knew was going to glad
den the homes OF southern ATTITUDES.
Slowly our twilight began to
shorten day by day till November 4,
1918, we were in total darkness
then the long change1ess night OF
winter.
The sharp snow covered crests of
the mountains rose in white appeal
against the darkness of the sky The
wild north wind tore through the
ice covered mountains.
The sun slept and the black brood
ing shadows seemed to ask where
was the great king OF light.
The glitterinE warrior with fam
ing shield and where had he found
rest, by what strange enchantment
had he fallen in SO deep and long a
drowsinesF.
Northern Lights.
The northeast heavens were lit up
by aurora borea1is. better known as
northern fli ghts. They shed glor-
ious light on the crisp frozen snow.
Suddenly a strange unearthly glow
flashed over the sombre scene.
"A rosy radiance. deepening to bril-
liant streaks Of fire the dark heav-
ems were torn asunderg and through
them -streamed faring pinions Of
light wavering. trembling. dancing.
luminous ribbons OF red. blue. green
and a4dazzling delicious AMI Der more
lustrous.
The The, wondrous glory shone alott
$780,
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