Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-11

water in which we lay on Sep
TENDER 5, and during the night
the ice gathered completely
around the ship before we had
been able to find a better anchorage,
There was ice. ice, ice, everywhere,
the barometer was falling, and stiff
breeze blowing from north.northeast.
Although the ice lay close around
the ships side, there was no sign Of
actual nipping as yet, but the situa.
ton was sufficiently threatening for
the captain to give orders to unload
supplies and provisions onto the ice.
woke about o'clock. aroused by
unusual activity on deck, and tumbled
out to see what was going on. Sailors
and hunters were pulling and Juggling
at big -four barrels, cases of canned
goods. bread. etc.
We were unloading the supplies for
the stations on Scoresby Sound ana
Denmark Harbor--in ell. supplies for
eight men for two years. And we
were also getting OF the coal that lay
on deck, our scanty store Of lumber,
kitchen stove and q few extra sails
which could be used for a tent.
It began to snow early in the fore
s noon, but the storm did not become
really serious until about noon, when
the ice began to crash against the
ships side. For several hours we had
been watching the foes twisting and
turning around US. They were not
happy, and the tension among them
Increased as the wind stiffened.
Soon they began to wedge them
selves into one another or to climb
over each others backs when the
Two big foes which for several days
had been lying peacefully side by side
would suddenly ny at each other in
mad fury, tearing great blocks from
each others tanks, which few up into
the air and settled down again on the
,arger pieces like small bergs.
While the ice was scraping against
the ships side so that you could
scarcely get a knife between them, II
sure. But now ii got to work In
earnest. 1t was as IL the pieces near.
est us did not really want to be about
this dirty work, but the pressure from
behind was irresistible, We could see
4 big foe in the second rank shoulder
Ing itself forward to find room.
80
A ND then the advance guard
charged with bands playing. The
poor Teddy creaked and groaned and
ratified and cracked until we thought
we were smashing to kindiing wood.
Every now and then there would be
knoise like rife shot down in the
hold. That was the heavy oak rein
forcernents, boards two feet in thick
ness, which bent and readjusted them
selves in their ebearings under the
strain. ea1 a
The ice Quoted down late that after.
noon, although there was still some
pressure. The storm kept at 1t, and
the deck was mighty uncomfortable
place to be. But, to tell the truth, we
were not very much more comfortable
down in our berths, where the timbers
creaked and groared In the bare
cabins. All our belongings were up on
deck, packed in bags, sacks and sheets,
ready to be thrown on the Ice at
moments warning.
The next afternoon it looked as II
the storm were about to slacken. The
wind had been worse than ever, ana
we sat and waited for the Teddy to
70 through her usual treatment. But,
to our astonishment, It did not happen:
The ice did not begin to move until
between IL and ] o'clock. Then we
experienced the worst pressure that
we had endured thus far. Without
any warning. the ship was suddenly
flung about and raised up forward, to
be Wrenched back q couple OF lengths
immediately afterward. 1t all came
about so swiftly that we aft heard
only q violent rasping and crashing
as the ship shouldered her way
through the ice. Then suddenly all
was still.
It was so dark that it was inpossi.
bic for any one to get clear view OF
what had really happened. Fortu-
nately, the Teddy did not seem to have
suffered any serious damage and we
could await the dawn calmly.
{ About o'clock 1t was finally light
enough for us to judge the nights
events Our mornings to the ice field
had ali been broken or torn loose, and
our surroundings were as different as
possible. The ship had been flung so
far astern that a couple of huge ice
blocks, which the day before had been
good bit aft Of our position, now lay
under our bow.
The Teddy seemed to have taken no
serious harm, but where. oh, where
was our supply depot? II was no.
where to be seen, so that at first we
believed the foe had drifted OF. Then
we caught sight OF q bread box just
beyond q huge mass Of twisted pack
ice. When we went to investigate we
found pieces of lumber sticking out
here and there among the ice. one
corner of a sail was visible. and coal