330 HORRORS OF THE "JEANNETTE" EXPEDITION 



the pressure of the groaning and grinding floes being immense. 

 The ice moved to the eastward, piling up large masses under the 

 ship's stern and breaking the fore-foot so that the ship leaked badly. 



Water now began to flow in rapidly, standing three feet deep 

 in the fore-hold, and it was necessary to set the deck pumps at work. 

 This was accomplished, after some hours of severe labor, by the 

 indomitable energy of Mr. Melville, the engineer. The steam pump 

 made forty strokes a minute, pumping out 2,250 gallons to the 

 hour, while by packing with plaster of Paris and ashes the inflow 

 was largely decreased. The pumping went on constantly through 

 the four following months, and as the decreasing coal stock excited 

 apprehension, a windmill pump was arranged by the skill of Melville 

 and his assistants which rendered valuable service. 



Meanwhile the ship was drifting about in such a varying way 

 that DeLong lost all faith in theories of Arctic currents, thinking 

 that the movements of the water were the local creation of the vary- 

 ing winds. Lieutenant Danenhower later gave his evidence to the 

 same effect : 



"The important point of the drift," he said, "is the fact that 

 the ship traversed an immense area of ocean, at times gyrating in 

 almost perfect circles, her course and the observations of her officers 

 proving that land does not exist in that area, and establishing many 

 facts of value as regards the depth and character of the ocean bed 

 and its temperatures, animal life, etc." 



During the period in question they added to their food supply 

 by killing several large bears and an immense walrus, so heavy that 

 thirty of the dogs and four of the men were unable to drag the 

 carcass over the rough ice until cut in two. Its weight was esti- 

 mated at 2,800 pounds, a valuable prize for dog food. 



As for the drifting ship, her gyrations continued, with the 

 discouraging result that observations on the 3Oth of March placed 

 her in almost the same position she had occupied four months be- 

 fore, a fact that did not well accord with the theory of polar drift. 



