Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-21
Frost - Gen1n0ed Galleries
Beautiful Sight, Says Haa-
kon Hammer Amundsen's
Exploration Associate
BY HAAkON III. HAMMER
Captain Road Amundsen's
Associated Cd.


SPITZBERGEN,J June 19.-On this
rim of the world from which Cap
tain Road Amundsen, Lieutenant
Ralph E. Dawson, U. S. n, and l
expect soon to hop off on our trans
polar flight, one finds a wonder
land.
Five hundred miles farther north
than the northern-most Alaska, and
only $50 miles from the North Pole,
coal mines flourish.
But they are far different from
the mines in other parts Of the
world. AS a rule pits must be dug
far down into the ground and the
work must be done in terrific heat,
moisture and gas fumes. Up here
the mines are right in the noun
tains The galleries are high above
water level, the average tempera-
ture is % degrees F., and gas fumes
an unknown quantity.
1T is extremely beautiful to visit
a Spitzbergen coal mine. The low
temperature causes frost to gather
on the roofs and walls of the mines
and when one walks through with
a torch, the frost glitters and spar
kles like diamonds. One can almost
imagine having been transferred TO
Aladdins treasure cave.
But alas the diamonds are only
frost" Operation costs and trans
portation difficulties makes the
Spitzbergen coal treasure a liability
instead of an asset.
For Spitzbergen lies three days b>
steamer from even the most north
ernly town in Norway, and its east
coast is generally ice-bound all the
year round. But on the west coast
where navigation is open three or
four months every year, five coal
mines are now in operation. Two
of them are Norwegian, one is
Swedish, another Dutch and the last
English.
The coal found is an excellent
hard coal but climatic conditions ma,
turallT makes it very hard to mine
during the long, dark and severe
winter. Some of the mines there
fore are only operating during the
summer.
Another severe handicap is the
short shipping season. During the
three to four months of open navi
cation the entire years output must
be shipped and the loading facili
ties are as vet in most cases very
primitive. The consequences are
that coal mining on Spitzbergen VI
TO the present time has been any
thing but revenue-bearing. Darine
1928 about $500 people were EN-
ployed in the various Spitzenberger
coal mines and about 1000 tons
of coal were shipped out from there
which is far above figures for pre-
Vious years.
All the miners and laborers arr
imported as the islands have no ia
tives. All supplies and provision:
must be shipped in by the respec
tive mining companies as nothing
whatever, not even potatoes. can be
raised up here.
l did hear about one Tadish be
ing raised, but that was in a flow
er pot in a mine superintendent
home.
In the early days Spitzbergen
which consists of five large anC
many small islands. was a favoritt
place for whalers, particularly Eng
lish and Dutch. Statistics show that
between the years 1859 and III;
about $4,000 whales were killed il
/ Spitzbergen waters and the conse
quences of this ruthless killing j!
/ that the whale now is entirely ex
tinct in that territory.
No longer do the islands hold ar
/ interest for the hunter or the fish
ermau.
by the defendant, the witness, after
/ reading it. said it was Of a kind fire
/ Quently written by sufferers from
dementia praecoX. He described i
as "Word-chatter.
DR.. Smith said dementia praeco,
was first described by physicians
about 1910. and later was classified
in 1879 or 1880.
The witness said Mcdowell wher
he examined him first, had a hay
recollection Of killing his parents
The boy told him, the physician testi
fled, on cross Xamination. hiatt dur
ing dream he saw a rectangular
/ object in the air, with a peculiarly
I shaped head. which told him in {
/ Numbering voice To kill the anti
/ Christs about him, and he shot the
two objects living IN bed. thinking
( they were the anti-Christs.
Dealing with the instinct of self
1 preservation. Special Assistan
States Attorney Bird asked the wit
ness if such instincts We're char
acteristic of crazy animals
THAT is not an intelligent ques
1 ton. Judge Bird. because animals
are not credited with having minds
/ replied DR.. Smith.
I DR.. Smith said most patients con
fined at the state hospital were ca
pable of knowing when they VIC
/ lated rules of the institution. al
/ though they might not recognize the
/ moral wrong. DR.. Smith said Nc
/ Doweu showed no signs when ne ex
| amined him Of being a drug addict