Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-21

some of the natives that the schooners
Blue Sea and Eagle were still ice-bound
in the vicinity of Kaluchin. Rather
than run into a similar predicament
once more, now that we were safely out
of it at last, we determined to give up
any further attempts in the way of far
out ocean travel and instead to work
our way along the leads between the ice
and the shore.
This, though a fairly dangerous pro-
ceeding. was the only alternative left If
we were to reach our stations and
traders at Kaluchin, Chaun Bay and
Kolyma, as well as the many intermedi-
ate points where the season before we
had established trade relations with the
natives. There were also small traders
inland, mostly Chukchis and Deermen
(for we were out of the Eskimos' coun-
try since leaving East Cape, who gath
cred trade by dog sled and reindeer over
a wider area than we could have
reached from the schooner. This they
brought once year to one of our sta
tions, usually Kaluchin or Kolyma, to
be ready for our coming.
These posts must all be visited, re-
conditioned and reorganized If we were
to realize the profits on our carefully
built up organization.
We made our way slowly in what
little clear water we could find in occa-
sional leads. and then, when these failed
U.s. by sending the schooner full speed
against the narrowest portion of the ice
barrier. Repeatedly We ran lines astern
to heavy ice pinnacleS and with the
combined use of engine, winch and
man power pulled ourselves of the ice
we had climbed upon and back into
open water, only to send the long-Suf-
fering little ship full speed again
against the blocading ice.
y X X x
TT was slow progress, and hard on the
schooner, but We did make Roadway
in the direction we wished to go. Our
travel in the leads we thus reached was
constantly interspersed by lodging large
ice foes near shore, where the open
water w1dened, or charging reckleSSly
into and over smaller ones when there
was no room for maneuvering.
The water must be sounded continu-
ously, yet even by throwing the lead
every few minutes we were SO close to
shore that the shallowneSs not infre-
quently put us on sandbars in spite Of
all we could do. Indeed, we were
aground on bars no less than five times
in getting to Kalucrin, though fortu-
nately we were able on each occasion to
back off by reversing our engine. There
had apparently never been any accurate
charting of that coast, the ouly charts
available being most unreliable.
This method of navigation became so
uncertain and perilous that we finally
kept two men out ahead of us in the
dory throwing the lead and prodding
q hnI1t with q VHO1a ~ 10 vxyo
did not strike submerged rocks or fur
ther bars.
It should be remembered that the
principal requisite in navigating Arctic
waters is to make as much haste as
possible.
If you are lucky enough to strike
water mile or more long and much
wider than the schooner, you can make
up some lost time, and you are not
under quite such desperate tension of
watchfulness; but when the lead is very
narrow, you do not know at what mo-
ment the ice will close up ahead, or
about the schooner-either crushing
her outright or imprisoning her for an
other long and helpless wait.
In the latter case, there is still the
always-preSent chance Of the ice far out
at sea piling in on the shore ice which
v.
that is something navigators in the
Arctic do not like to think about.
When such trap is sprung, the
stoutest schooner can be splintered to
match-wood in less time than 1t takes
to describe.
It was drawing near the last of July.
The Captain and Astrosoff (who in
sisted upon doing his full share as a
member of the crew. had Just returned
from their turn at dory duty, when the
wind shifted with great suddenness even
for those ATTITUDES, and we found our
selves beset by heavy weather from the
south.
The lead we were then running had
southwesterly course which led us al
most into the teeth of the storm, and 1t
was with the utmost difficulty that the
schooner was able to make Roadway at
all against both wind and ice.
When morning broke, we beheld the
Blue Sea and Eagle still ice-bound, not
more than five or six miles away.
We had entered Kaluchin Bay and
were at the time not such great dis
lance southeast Of our Kaluchin Sta
ton. But though we kept on persist
emily bucking the ice all day. at mid
night We knew it for a losing fight, and
gave up the useless battering.
We were entirely hemmed in on all
sides, like our sister ships across the
pack. !?
Copyright, 1929
A Remedy.