The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1920-08-27
Arctic Rescue
Very Thrilling,

Vardo that the soviet government was
,eQuipping a new expedition.
Soon afterward we received a di-
rect inquiry from the Kanada as TO
our position, which we Immediately
telegraphed both to the Kanada and
the Solovei, at the same time asking
them to give us theirs. The Kanada
replied asking us to stop for a con-
versation, and in the conversation
which followed with Commissar of
Marine Mikhailoff and Captain Moka-
loft of the Kanada it was explained
that the vessel had been dispatched
by the soviet government in order to
give assistance If it should be neces-
sary or in case there should be diff
culties of any sort in consequence Of
the political changes which had oc-
Cured since the Solovei had left
Archangel. 1t appeared also that they
had orders to bring the ship back to
Archangel direct.
Exciting Race in lce-Laden Sea.
After the conference was over,
therefore, there began an exciting race
between the two ships. The ice
through which we had to force a pas
sage was very different from that we
had had to tackle before. This was
the ordinary polar ice of the Kara sea,
closely packed, with only few small
gaps of open water. had very little
hope of getting through, and that we
did succeed was due only to the re-
markable qualities of the Sviatogor
as an icebreaker.
With full steam up from all of her
ten boilers she burst her way splen-
didly through the strong pack ice
Now and then she was beaten and
had to back and make a fresh attack
at full speed. 1t was not often that
more than two attempts had to be
made, but it happened sometimes that
the maneuvers had to be repeated nine
or ten times where the ice was 20 feet
thick or more.
At first the Kanada had little
start, but the roles were soon changed
The Sviatogor went ahead and con-
tinued to increase her lead, and when
at last, at 7:30 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 We're 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 keenly
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 tb~ sight of the
great blocks of ice, now crushed into
fragments before our bows, now
hurled in a whirling mass along the
ships sides-and all TO wild accom-
paniment of deafening 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 a retreat to 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 a 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 inn
prudent spectators to a headlong re-
treat.
In the meantime we were approach
ing the Solovei. but it was slow bust
ness. The ice became worse and worse
in the last stage, and it 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.