Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-08-30

we reached her. An hour more was re-
quired before we could moor the Sviatogor
by her side, 80 big and thick were the sur
rounding ice foes
The wholeicrew of the Solovei and all
her passengers, 81 altogether, had gather
ed on deck and were greeted by us with
resoundinp hurrah. to which they re-
sponded in the same way. Their Joy Is not
easy to describe. To drift without aim, al
most without hope, in the darkness ana
cold of the Polar night, with bad and IN
sufficient food, in cold and unclean. quart
ers, and in constant dread OF getting 80 lar
north that rescue would be impossible
that is an ordeal so hard that IT is not
every one who would come through IL en-
tlrely unscathed.
Immediately after we arrived the cap
tain OF the Solovei and his wife and all the
passengers, seven in number, came on
board. They were invited into the saloon
and treated to refreshments, which they
evidently appreciated One of them said II
was like coming into paradise after their
anxieties. The passengers asked leave TO
transfer to the Sviatogor as they were
greatly exhausted and needed medicai
attention and better diet, and was gao
TO be able To grant their request. Then we
set to work to put provisions and coal on
board the Solovei, so that the crew couid
at once prepare proper meal with some
thing better to eat and drink than they
had had in the last few months.
SECOND RELIEF SHIP ARRIVES.
About o'clock in the morning we
were awakened by loud hurrahs from the
crew of the Solovei, who were haiing the
arrival of the Kanada, 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, ~
would have been hardly possible for her 70
arrive so soon. Next day we shipped more
coal and provisions on board the Solovei,
and were helped with hearty good VIII by
the crews of the two Russians.
This done we started in the afternoon OF
June 20 on our homeward voyage, tne
Sviatoeor leading and the Solovei ana
kanada following. At first the ice was
loose and fairly easy to get through, ont
afterwards it became closer and more
difficult to force. There was fog, too,
which made it impossible to keep proper
observation of the ice conditions. Conse-
ouentlv we often had to stop fairly long
time, especially as the fog prevented ehe
other two ships from keeping with US !,
was evening on the 2lst when we reacheo
the Kara Sea entrance, and there we were
again obliged TO stop for thick log. :
We continued our voyage about
o'clock next morning, steering Tor tne
middle of the Kara Strait, but at 2.5o
p. m, were unlucky enough TO ground on
an unknown sandbank. We at once be,
gan to tranship coal TO the Solovei and
kanada in order to get the Svlato9ol
afoat again, and after unloading ooo
tons of coal we Mt last got her of. A diver
from the kanada examined the ship
bottom and pronounced the damage not
serious. So we continued our voyage te
Bielushya Bay, where we handed @ oVe'
more provisions and supplies to the Rus
SLAMS and took on coal from the Harde foi
| our voyage back to England
After a cordial leave taking from oul
| friends on the Solovei and kanada thes'
vessels left us on June %, shaping then
| course for Archangel. On July ] we hat
completed our coaling and next day q
2 p. m, we began our homeward voyage