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

the rail, but with the least jerk we
slid OF hopeiessly.
We worked like mad. expecting the
ship to capsize any moment. There
was open water TO starhoafd, and II
we had more list or a foe struck US
| particularly hard. we were likely to
turn turtle. But suddenly our faith
full old Teddy began to straighten
herself up. Her. cracking tinlbers
trembied. We held our breath to see
what would come next.
And then. as il she had been pre-
destined to climb around on ice cor
niees as a daily occupation she slid
, gently back from the foe where she
had hung for at least 10 minutes. and
landed in the water right-side UP.
knew how much q bit of land or his
own country can mean TO man, but
had never realized how one can
come to love q ship. learned It then
and there. n,
It is an old saying that rnisfortunes
never come singly. But that day, the
18th Of September, proved to us
that one piece OF good luck can bring
another. While we were so absorbed
in our own affairs we had had NO
thought for our cache on the ice field
We had drifted two or three hundred
Yards away from Ii and now we saw
that the noe had developed fissure
right through our depot.
A couple Of men hurried over the
Ice and we stood staring at them In
excitement But they called to us to
say that nothing was lost, although
several cases were balanced on the
edge OF the ice. A few pieces Of
board had fallen into the tub. that
was all.
As the ice closed up completely
again, we did not succeed In getting
up next to q couple OF small foes
about 80 yards away. We froze fast
here and took soreiy needed rest
after the tribulations Of the past
week. Looking back on the days that
followed. they seem like q pleasant
Summer yachting tour, for, though in
the grip Of the Ice, we were still
drifting at q fairly good speed The
weather was gorgeous every day,
brilliantly clear and frosty. bright
sunlight from morning till evening,
northern lights at night and frost
to about 10 and IL degrees. We
glided along to thessouth on an aver
age OF four to Ave miles a day. For
a day or two we drifted to the south
east, thereby lessening the danger
most part our direction was to the
south.
Turing the next two or three
weeks there was virtually no
change in our immediate vicinity.
Then one morning, when a piping
storm blew up, the ice scattered sum.
GENTLY for US to sail out into q big
clearing leading to the east.
About / or o'clock we began 70
feel the main force of the storm. II
was next to impossible to hold the
Teddy's bow up into the wind with the
engine power we had at our disposal.
The ship fell on continually, but. for.
tunatelys there was space enough TO.
ward the east in the right direction.
We dashed along ut q rafting pace.
As the afternoon waned we began TO
realize that we were running race
with the darkness. II we could reach
the open sea before evening, we would
feel that we were safe. II we did not
succeed. we would have to ride out the
storm amid these fee fields. which we're
as hard as rocks. but were flung
around by the storm as II they, were
chips. That was all right as long as
I'll was tAttAlIs DuI d1tCE
At & o'clock Il was already dusk, 30
that It was difficult to gauge the ice
ahead Of US. At $50 O'clock sailing
was a risk. The captain was obliged
to stop and try to bring the vessel up
against an icefield There was moth
ing else to do, and we were fortunate
that we could do that.
The bow Struggled up TO the Ice so.
that the whole ship sang and whistied.
So far so good. But we looked for
ward to the night with forebodings.
Our premonitions were realized. 1t
was a night Of terror--one about
which few of us who experienced Il
like to talk The storm increased
around o'clock Thus far we had
been fairly well able TO hold the
Teddy's bow up against the icefield.
but n6w she began to fall on.
When the gusts hit her the whole
ship trembled and was flung asterr.
That was more than any fnooring
could endure The Ice anchors slid out
from their hold or else tore whole
pieces of the icefield, 90 that the yes.
sci was soon adrift. Under the lee Of
the ice the water was smooth, but out