AUTUMN AT CAPE SHERIDAN 59 



Roosevelt had easily and gracefully turned under her 

 sloping bilges, but the edge of the big floe rose to the 

 plank sheer and a few yards back from its edge, was 

 an old pressure ridge which rose higher than the 

 bridge deck. This was the crucial moment. For a 

 minute or so, which seemed an age, the pressure was 

 terrific. The Roosevelt's ribs and interior bracing 

 cracked like the discharge of musketry; the deck 

 amidships bulged up several inches, while the main 

 rigging hung slack and the masts and rigging shook 

 as in a violent gale. Then with a mighty tremor 

 and a sound which reminded me of an athlete 

 intaking his breath for a supreme effort, the ship 

 shook herself free and jumped upward till her pro- 

 peller showed above water. The big fioe snapped 

 against the edge of the ice-foot forward and aft and 

 under us, crumpling up its edge and driving it in-shore 

 some yards, then came to rest, and the commotion 

 was transferred to the outer edge of the floe which 

 crumbled away with a dull roar, as other floes smashed 

 against it, and tore off great pieces in their onward 

 rush, leaving the Roosevelt stranded but safe. 



When the tide turned on the ebb the ship settled 

 down again considerably but never floated freely 

 again until the following summer. Anticipating fur- 

 ther pressure with following tides, and to provide 

 against the contingency of the ship being rendered 

 untenable, the work of putting some coal and all 

 supplies and equipment ashore was commenced at 

 once and prosecuted without interruption by the 

 officers, crew, and Eskimo men, women, and chil- 

 dren, for some thirty-six hours. Planks were put 



