Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-09-09

uoTe tudu TWO attempts naQ 10 %
made, but it happened sometimes that
the maneuvers had to be repeated nine
or ten times where the Ice was 20 feet
thick OF more.
At first the Kanada had q little
start, but the roles were soon changed.
The Sviatogor went ahead and con-
tinued to increase her lead, and when
at last, at 7:3O in the evening, we
sighted the Solovei far away north
ward on the horizon, the Kanada had
fallen far behind.
At about the same time we re-
ceived the following message from the
Solovei: "We see. your smoke in the
south, 20 degrees east" We~were de-
lighted by this message, which made
us realize that our hard-tried and
anxious friends on board the Solovei
were in high hopes of relief.
Thrilling Night on Icebreaker.
In the SviatogOr all were keenfy
alive to the anxiety and seriousness
of the situation, and followed with
eager interest the display of prowess
given by the icebreaker during these
hours of the night. OF the crew all
who were not actually keeping watch
were on deck hour after hour discuss
Ing and marvelling at the carrying fea-
lures of this extraordinary drama.
Some stood leaning over the rails so
as better to enjoy the sight of the
great blocks of ice, now crushed into
fragments before our bows. now
hurled in a whirlng mass along the
ships sides-and all to a wild accom-
paniment of deafeniag crashes in the
ice, and of groans and walls and
shrieks from the hard-pressed vessels
hull and rig and engines.
Suddenly an ice foe would rise and
threaten to fall over the ships rail.
and then the sailors were not slow In
beating retreat tc safer quarters.
Others, who stood in groups right for
ward in bows, Jared no better. When,
as frequently happened, the ship
crashed at full speed against really
high solid block of ice, and at the
same time rose several feet in the air
a shower of spray and Ice splinters
flew over the deck and forced the i'm
prudent spectators to headlong re-
treat.
In the meantime we were approach
ing the Solovei, but 1t was slow busi-
ness. The ice became worse and worse
in the last stage, and 1t was mid
night when we reached her. An hour
more was required before we could
moor the Sviatogor by her side, so big
and thick were the surrounding ice
foes.
The whole crew of the Solevei and
all her passengers, 81 altogether, had
gathered on deck and were greeted by
us with resounding hurrah, to which
they responded in the same way.
Their joy is not easy to describe. To
drift without aim, almost without
hope, in the darkness and cold Of the
Polar night, with bad and insufficient
food, in cold and unclean quarters.
and in constant dread Of getting so
far north that rescue would be inn
possible-that is an ordeal so hard
that 1t is not every one who would
come through it entirely unscathed.
Immediately after we arrived the
captain Of the Solovei and his wife
and all the passengers, seven In num-
Der, came on board. They were invit-
ed into the saloon and treated to re-
freshments, which they evidently ap-
preciated. One of them said 1t was
like coming into paradise after their
anxieties. The passengers asked leave
to transfer to the Sviatogor as they
were greatly exhausted and needed
medical attention and better diet, and
1 was glad to be able to grant their
request. Then we set to work to put
provisions and coal on board the Solo
vel, so that the crew could at once
prepare q proper meal with something
better to eat and drink than they had
had in the last few months.
Second Relief Ship Arrives.
About four o'clock in the morning
we were awakened by loud hurrahs
from the crew Of the Solovei, who
we're mailing the arrival Of the Kama
da, which had at last also got through.
Had the Kanada not been so fortunate
as to get into the lane made in the
ice by the Sviatogor, 1t would have
been hardly possible for her arrive
so soon. Next day we shipped more
coal and provisions on board the Solo
vel, and were helped with hearty good
will by the crews Of the two Russians.
This done we started In the after
noon Of June 20 on our homeward voy-
age, the Sviatogor leading and the
Solovei and Kanada following. At
first the ice was loose and fairly easy
to get through, but afterwards 1t be-
came closer and more difficult to force.
There was fog, too, which made 1t i'm
possible to keep proper observation Of
the Ice conditions. Consequently we
often had to stop fairly long time,
especially as the fog prevented the
other two ships from keeping with us.
1t was evening on the 21st when we
reached the Kara sea entrance, and
there we were again obliged to stop
for thick fog.
We resumed our voyage at 2 o'clock
next morning steering for the mid
die of the Kara strait, but at 2:30
D. m. were unlucky enough to ground
on an unknown sandbank. We at once
began to tranship coal to the Solovei
and Kanada in order to get the
Sviatogor afioat again, and after I'M
loading $50 tons of coal we at last got
her off. A diver from the Kanada ex-
amined the ships bottom and pro-
nounced the damage not serious. So
we continued our voyage to Bielushya
bay, where we handed over more pro-
visions and supplies to the Russians
and took on coal from the Harde for