The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-04-11
FOR yIER. RESIDENT or
CLARKSBlJRG IN LAND
or THE MIDNIGHT SUN

I1hln6 upWdTu IfOma tine horizon
thrusting spears OF lambert fame
among I'M the murky retreating clouds.
"a blazinl: Arcn OF gold 1eaped from.
east to wesr. long flmy threads OF
emerald and azure binding 1t to the
earth. Above hung fleece like
.Whtteness through which palpitated.
sudden flashes OF amethyst. Grim
son beams darted across it.
In swift success succession like
arrows shot at the dark target OF the
world, round and round swept the
varying circles of color. now advanc-
Ing, now retreattng, beating against
the ice covered mountains till they
seemed like great heaps of cut glass.
It was the most beautiful sight i
ever saw and watched it four
months.
Novemb Der, December. January.
February, during all that time it was
from So to 4s degrees below zero.
Ell no Christmas Here.
Christmas came and went By. This
was no Santa Claus country here. no
store window display Just the same
dark night and my. how lonely.
There was joy IN our hearts be-
cause it showed about eight feet,
which means drinking water here.
1t Is not very pleasant to drink, vet
1t is water. We have to haul our:
fresh water Ice Ave miles and is very
scarce at that. JustS1 900 feet from
our camp. we are hemmed in by hun
dreds Of miles OF ice, but it Is salt
water Ice. so salty you can not drink
the water
Feb. %. 1s14.We have a little
twilight which lasts from IL O'clock.
till 1890
March S. 1914 Today is the first
time we saw the sun since October
u. 1913. From Flo, $50 feet above
the sea, we saw it at 10 o'clock for
about 8 minutes. then it disappeared
behind the glacier Nord Mount Ski
ould. the highest glacier in West
SpitsberEer. Our camp is at the
foot of it. have climbed It several
times. You have to travel on skis
Cbetter knows as snow s11oes) and
something nice to learn They are
IS feet long, 8 inches wide, L inch
thick and are made from hickory or
ash wood. You strap your foot in
the center of them You have two
sticks. Four inches from the bot
tom of the sick iE.a ring four inches
in diameter. In the bottom Of this
are sharp spikes. The rings on the
sticks are put on to keep sticks from.
going too far down in the snow.
Travel on Snow Shoes.
Let me tell you. tits no Joke going
on kis. when you fall down and get
your feet crossed. have expert
enced it a few times and did not en-
joy it.
For shoes. you wear konmargers.
which are made from deer skin and
sewed up like sack You fill them
with dry grass. then tie them on
your feet. You have to@be very care
ful and be sure the grass Is dry. The
least bit damp grass may be froz-
en- foot q
March 25. 191 4-Tha sun shone
In the valley today for the first time
this year.
April ~. 1e14The sun shines.
SO strong now that. we have to wear
smoked glasses 2 beautiful day 90 de-
gress below zero.
April i 3. 1914It# is SO light now
5th t1a you can read without the aid of
q candle any hour In the night.
Russian Calls for Help.
April ~ 10 I = Russian arriv-
sed>1n camp ting that his. brother
was dying and needed aid. Mr.
Bryne, Mr.. Dalbrrs and: myself cot
the dog team ready and started for
Ice Ford which Is composed Of ice
.bergs and packed ice, which makes
# very difficult and vigorous to
travel on II s.t 4.a3 81
We started at Is .. m. April In.
a. l.. Old, from Advent Bay to the Rms
sian hut which was 728 miles from
our camp The Russian government
owned claim and had the 9 broth
sers gliding the same for them.
It was fifteen degrees below zero.
but very fine weather when we STAR. u
ed for the hut. AZ
We arrived at Coles Bay at twelve
o'clock and got our sleeping bags
out 17s
When we55lay down to sleep On the
ice It was21 degrees below. we
woke up at S am. April is. 1914,
made some coffee from snow on a
little oil stove we had. After COT.
fee, we started for the hut which
was six miles away. II. ls
Fierce Snow Storm
We did not get very far when the
wind started to blow and snow + N
drift. Suddenly one OF those ter
rife storms which are SO common In
the Arctic regions was beating IN our
faces. Now the dogs wanted to Law
down. 1t was hard work to keen
them m owing. thought we were
going to finish. It looked like MAJ q
ness to keep on going when our only
thoughts were that we would only
freeze to death. There would times.
when I thought 1t would be much
pleasanter to sit down and wait.
Suddenly the dogs began barking.
They had caught the trail to the hut.
It was with tears OIL joySwe greeted
It. When we got insid and found
some wood, II was not long until We
had roaring fire. VIII lie the snow
was melting, we sat down and began
EN- EN- RIEI