442 POLAR PROBLEMS 



of ice and make a bed for her. At times, where the ship is the ice is 

 hard, so wooden fenders are used, and after a while these become 

 broomed. The difficulty is with a narrow string of ice along shore and a 

 gale of wind on shore raging with sea and swell. A ship getting on the 

 edge runs for shelter. For awhile all is well, but in time the ice wears 

 away and nothing is left next the coast line, so it's either go ashore 

 or work offshore or run for a harbor if one can be reached. A steamer 

 may get out of it, but often doesn't. I know of three steamers that 

 were lost in this way. The crews were saved by getting on shore over 

 the ice fringe before it was destroyed. One sailing vessel I knew 

 drove over a shoal, and all of her crew was lost except one. I had a 

 similar experience myself, losing my ship but saving my men. 



