Lögberg-Heimskringla - 14.10.1988, Page 3

LÖGBERG CENTENNIAL YEAR, FÖSTUDAGUR 14. OCKTOBÉR 1988-3
Naturefs calamity and difficulties
Dyngjuflalla eruption.
At the beginning of 1875 Dyngjuf-
jall erupted and covered the neigh-
bouring area. Eruptions continued off
and on until Christmas. The eruption
which did the greatest damage, was
on the second day of Easter. The
wind was from the west and the ash-
es carried over the eastern area of
Iceland. During the eruption, there
was complete darkness. In conjunc-
tion with the eruption, thunder and
lightning was so intense that every-
thing was continuously shaking. A
large part of the eastern areas were
covered with a thick layer of ashes.
Sixteen farm units were completely
destroyed and abandoned and 200 se-
verely damaged. Fund raising was
implemented in Iceland and Den-
mark to assist farmers in the
damaged areas. From England came
the Icelander Erikur Magnusson,
librarian at Cambridge with a
shipload of grain, which had been
purchased with funds raised in En-
gland through his efforts.
* * *
The Hardship Years 1880-1890
During these years Arctic ice often
accumulated along the coastline,
spring was often delayed, shortage of
grass was common and often very
scarce. At the beginning of 1881 there
was a severe storm with a heavy
snow fall, which caused heavy
damage to boats, houses and hay fod-
der. The frosts were so severe that
fjords were covered with ice. Ocean
drift ice came to the West Fjords, the
Northern Coast and East Coast. The
drift ice and coastal ice froze together
into one solid mass. A large number
of Polar bears came ashore and found
their way long distances inland. Peo-
ple walked from Akraness to Reyk-
javík, and from Flatey in the Breidaf-
jord to the mainland. At the Akurey-
ri pond there was almost two meters
of ice. The inside walls of Basdstofas,
(sleeping quarters) in houses were
widely covered with a layer of hoar-
frost and icy slush on the floors. In
some places, people remained in bed
for days at a time, except for the most
hardy to take care of the bare mini-
mum of essential chores. Due to lack
of fuel, villagers and rural areas burnt
trees, sticks taken out of the habita-
tions and fences. It was common to
slaughter sheep and even cows be-
cause of the shortage of fodder. In
spring the lamb population had a
high death rate and growth öf grass
was stunted. The summers were
cold, frost in the ground remained all
summer in many areas. Hay produc-
tion was far less than ordinary.
During 1892, 2000 people died
from measles.
in Saskatchewan
Settlers
On the other hand there is no way
to achieve a resident count in the dis-
trict unless there are many people
making the count all on the same
day, because of the movement of
people to other areas seeking employ-
ment and others taken up with going
to distant points for supplies.
I believe that the same number of
people per family are comparable in
the western and eastern parts of the
district, in the Icelandic homes. I
have counted the Icelandic homes in
three townships, in one the average
was four persons per family home. In
another the average was four and
two-thirds, and in the third four and
three-quarters.
While these figures do not give one
an accurate count they are close
enough to give an idea of the total
population until an accurate count is
made. If I count an average of 4V2
persons per each Icelandic home
then there should be 3600 permanent
Icelanders here aside from all the ex-
tra hired help which moves in and
out of the area and those who live in
towns and villages, who have never
taken district then I have estimated.
When I have totalled all these peo-
ple the one unconsciously must
wonder what the drawing card is to
the area and what are the occupa-
tions of the people belonging^ó our
national origin.
In this instance our people did not
have to create laws or define land
rights as in the original years of set-
tlement in Iceland, who came and
settled to create a life for themselves
and their descendants.
Thus under protection and rights
endowed by the British crown peo-
ple could immediately without con-
cern or worry take over land and na-
ture's bounty which was theirs to use
as they saw fit. There was no ques-
tion the land was fertile it had there-
fore common purpose for the Settlers
to cultivate the land and grow grain.
Translated from Ölafur Thorgeirs-
son Almanak
Kristjanson descendants
Continued from Page 1
an so often found in reading about
our forefathers who came here from
Iceland and carved out a life of suc-
cess against odds seldom equalled.
When Kristján was not satisfied with
Icelandic
know how
Icelandic experts to give advice in
Hungary according to a recent head-
line in the Morgunblad. This involves
the distribution of hot water for heat-
ing purposes in a city of 50,000.
Recently an agreement was en-
tered into with an Icelandic Consor-
tium to provide the expertise re-
quired for the project. Two agree-
ments were entered into. One was
that the Icelanders would provide the
cost estimate figures for the heat dis-
tribution system. The other is to pro-
vide the estimates for heating and
piping the hot water into two or three
health hotels which are to be con-
structed during the coming year. Hei-
mir Hannesson Director of Market-
ing at the Farmer's bank was the
negotiator for this project. Virki pow-
er consultants in Iceland estimate the
costs will be 200,000 dollars. The ex-
perts were expected to leave for Hun-
gary shortly, and the project proba-
bly completed by the end of next
year. A third project could be a joint
Icelandic-Hungarian expert project or
even a joint consortium effort for
similar projects in the Soviet coun-
tries, China and Africa.
his circumstances he did not hesitate
to pull up stakes and face the
unknown. His wife Svanfríður re-
mained at his side regardless of the
nigh impossible circumstances they
had to face. The trek from Riverton
to Pembina had to be one of great
courage and determination. He final-
ly found his Valhalla at Mountain
and there he carved out a farm home,
where he and his good wife could
live the life they had been seeking af-
ter three major moves. Once they
found it their steadfastness held them
to reap the success they deserved, of
security including a family of which
they could be proud.
While we as a people, descended
from an Icelandic heritage may not
always be able to find the story of our
pioneer, forefathers as clearly as we
can with Kristján Kristjánsson and
his wife Svanfríður, we can find
enough stories as related above to ap-
preciate our Icelandic background.
The tales of poverty and woe indi-
cate, a race of people who did not
hesitate to make decisions and act
upon them, regardless of the odds
stacked against them. This is the
background to our heritage, which
reflects in the success of our people
in the Western Hemisphere. It is be-
ing aware of the strength of our fore-
fathers that justifies a pride in our
Icelandic heritage, through having
the privilege of being able to look into
the lives of people such as Kristján
and Svanfríður.
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