Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06

~ breeding. Nevertheless it cured us
of all desire for any more of this form OF
entertainment In the future any one who
suggests going out and getting wrecked can do
it alone.
On leaving Thule we proceeded to Inglefield
Gulf for the purpose of picking up some Eskimo
hunters and bagging a few walruS, but again
found ourselves cut of from the villages by
the ice pack.
After feasting our eyes on glaciers and ice
bergS Of every conceivable shape, we wormed
cur way through the foes and headed around
the north side of Herbert Island.
It was late. We had just joined the cowboy
in q sandwich, consisting of half-cooked seal
meat and sliced raw onion, with the result
that when we retired we found ourselves in
the condition where "the chrySaliS of faint mis-
giving becomes so readily the butterfly of panic"
We lay in our bunk and imagined molehills
into mountains.
THEN we got up and went on deck. few
minutes later we hit the reef of lava. There
was Just a series Of nasty bumps as our keel
locked itself into the jagged spikes of volcanic
nickel fence. That was all. There were no
crashing spars, wild screams, frenzied humanity
fighting for life or any Of the natural con-
comitantS of shipwreckS Nevertheless, we
were fastened to that reef with an irrevocable
of the local geology. ..s... ....
The chief was asleep. AS we shook him,
such was our ignorance, the whole affair
seemed exceedingly ludicrouS. ,...,,s..
whats the natter" he said sleepiy.
'"The funniest thing has just happened"
"Yes?" ....-... ,.:.s... 49,.
we've just climbed up on top of lot Of
rocks" 49,. ... .<
In two minutes every one was ON deck. The
Hnsvr ckNooT
full Of nothing but insomnia and grueling
labor.
, The tide was at flood when the schooner
struck, SO Immediately three anchors were run
out and all hands called to the levers Of the
capstan. Then the engine was set at full speed
ahead and titanic effort made to pull her
off, We might just as well have attempted to
move Pixies Peak.
Now the tide began to go out. 1t was very
annoying. In IL hours another tide would
rise and float us of, however, SO why worry!
We would just have to wait. During the inter-
mission we went ashore to stretch our legs.
There was a rocky beach, narrow patch OF
greensward from which rose a high and very
nude mountain and the ruins Of three SodiglooS
That was all.
The schooner was nicely balanced on a knife
edge of lava az point just abaft her mainmast
So, as the tide receded, her bow gradually sub
merged itself in deep water while her stern
climbed up in the air until it looked like the
Leaning Tower of Pisa. Finally as though she
was thoroughly bored with the whole business,
she rolled over on her side until her deck was
just few degrees less than vertical. This
precipitated an avanlanche Of miscellaneous
cargo and personal effects that wouldn't have
been nice to be buried under. Then she began
to I'LL with Arctic sea water, strongly impreg-
mated with black, fetid, oily bige. In this pleas
ant mixture most of our books, clothes, inStru-
ments. cutlery and crockery were soon swai-
lowed up.
OF course she couldn't go to the bottom She
was luted too securely to the rocks But any
ordinarily playful Summer breeze was all that
was needed to saw her in two in the middle.
Her false keel had vanished already, while the
planking on her port side was gnawed to shreds.
One of the saddest sights in the world is
ship in distress, especially sailing ship where
slack shrouds and tangled ropes add mourn
full touch to the general appearance of desc
lation. The Fife M. Morrissey was no excep-
ton. She looked completely abandoned, the
frowzy, touSled, inebriated wreck of lost soul.
If she had possessed the gift of vocal express
sion her walls of anguish would have filled
1nglefield Gulf with mournful echoes. But she
suffered in silence.