Entry Index: 390
Position: 73.39, 178.28
Date by Position: 20 July 1880
Logbook Volume: 2 of 4
Logbook Metadata: Volume 2
Latitude by observation at noon Sun N. 73° 23' 10" Longitude by chronometer from afternoon observations Sun E. 178° 16' 30" Using melted ice Coal consumed during the preceding 24 hours: 110 lbs Coal remaining on hand at noon: 55 tons 1498 lbs The pumping is done as required by hand at the quarter deck bilge pump. Sounded in 22 1/2 fathoms, muddy bottom. A slight drift to S.E. being indicated by the lead line. Lowered and hauled the dredge. The narrow lane of open water herein before mentioned as entirely surrounding and making an island of the ice in which the ship is held, has again opened and is the circumference of a circle whose radius is about 1 mile. The ice immediately surrounding the ship being of one season's formation has an average thickness of 5 feet, except where under-riding or over-riding blocks and then freezing together have formed solid blocks whose thickness may be 10 or 15 feet. But at the edges of this ice island at the deep water there are large masses about forty feet in thickness whose surfaces are about three feet above the surface of the water. Weather disagreeable during forenoon, with mist, drizzling rain and even snow; but in the afternoon it clears somewhat and becomes pleasanter. Light north-westerly breezes backing as far as south before midnight with falling barometer and but little change in the temperature. The ship being held firmly in a cradle of ice, the surface of the water is at the heights of her stem and rudder post as follows: Forward 7 feet 4 inches, aft 11 feet 8 1/4 inches, ship heeling 5 1/2° to starboard. Water temperatures and specific gravities Surface temperature = 34.5° - Specific gravity = 1.001 at 41.5° 2 fathoms = 33.5° - Specific gravity = 1.003 at 41° 21 1/2 fathoms = 30° x - Specific gravity = 1.026 at 40° x Miller-Casella No 25251 Moon 23° S. First quarter
See full digitized page provided by the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Excerpt:
Hoping to see something consoling, I took a team of dogs out to-day to the S.E., to the open lane of water; and after having been run away with twice and brought back to the ship by the dogs, I was forced to secure the services of Alexey to get me to my destination. A white man inspires no fear among these animals. Reaching the open water I found it was about one fourth of a mile in width, enough to handle a vessel in under steam, but made a circle around the ship irregularly. I am satisfied that nearly all the ice in our neighborhood is of this last winter's formation, having frozen over the small lake into which we were squeezed out from among the heavy ice on November 25th last. The borders of our island are formed of ice of great thickness, perhaps forty feet thick, whose surfaces are about three feet above the level of the water. The ice which immediately surrounds us has an average thickness of say five feet, except where crowding, as for instance under our bows, has caused one layer to ride over or under another, making a thickness of ten or fifteen feet. Owing to decay, the cradle of ice holding the ship is becoming specifically lighter, and buoying us up; for to-day the water-level stands at seven feet four inches forward, and eleven feet eight and a fourth to starboard, it being now 51°.
See digitized manuscript page provided by NOAA PMEL.
Hour |
Wind |
Pressure |
Att'd |
Dry |
Wet |
Sea |
Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | nw | 29.69 | — | 30.5 | — | — | bc |
| 2 | nwxw | 29.69 | — | 30.5 | — | — | bc |
| 3 | nwxw | 29.7 | — | 29.8 | — | — | oc |
| 4 | nw | 29.7 | — | 29.3 | — | — | ocf |
| 5 | wnw | 29.71 | — | 30.0 | — | — | ocmsd |
| 6 | wnw | 29.71 | — | 30.0 | — | — | bcm |
| 7 | wnw | 29.71 | — | 29.5 | — | — | ocmd |
| 8 | wnw | 29.71 | — | 30.0 | — | — | ocmd |
| 9 | wnw | 29.7 | — | 29.0 | — | 34.5 | ocm |
| 10 | wxn | 29.7 | — | 30.0 | — | — | ocm |
| 11 | w | 29.7 | — | 30.0 | — | — | bcm |
| 12 | w | 29.7 | — | 31.0 | — | — | ocm |
| 13 | swxs | 29.67 | — | 31.0 | — | — | bcf |
| 14 | swxs | 29.66 | — | 31.0 | — | — | bcf |
| 15 | sw | 29.66 | — | 31.0 | — | — | bc |
| 16 | swxs | 29.66 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 17 | swxs | 29.64 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 18 | ssw | 29.63 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 19 | s | 29.61 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 20 | sse | 29.61 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 21 | sse | 29.58 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 22 | sse | 29.57 | — | 32.0 | — | — | bc |
| 23 | s | 29.54 | — | 31.5 | — | — | oc |
| 24 | sxe | 29.53 | — | 31.5 | — | — | oc |
