The Portland daily press., 1894-10-06
RETREAT FROM THE ICE CAP.
A Chapter in Lieutenant Peary's Arc.
tic Exploration.

How Provision Cache is Built on the In
land Ice-Sleeping on the Snow when
the thermometer Says SO below.
Having decided that our journey to the
north coast of Greenland must be given up
for this season, the next thing to do was to
cache the pemmican and mark it's position
by prominent signal. writes Lieutenant
Peary to the New York Sun. This was
done by piling the pemmican bags on each
other around the base of fourteen-foot
bamboo pole driven into the snow two and
one-half feet till it came to bearing upon
an icy crust. The bags were then covered
deep with snow, forming a pile some five
feet high. The pole just above this was
braced by tripod formed of two ski and
sledge runner, and the top of the pole
itself was surrounded by an empty cracker
tin, firmly wired to it. This signal could
be easily seen for a distance of between
two and three miles under ordinary condi-
tions, and with the sun in favorable posi-
ton, SO as to have it's rays reflected from
the sides of the cracker tin, probably twice
that distance.
This cache is situated ia miles north
east, half east G1ue,) from the moraine
camp, and is at an elevation of some $500
feet above the sea level. The surface of the
inland ice before reaching this point had
been practically level during the last two
or three marches, and it was apparently
the same in every direction from the cache.
though probably still rising slightly to the
northeast and east.
The work of erecting the signal together
with the rearranging of the sledge loads
and repairing the harnesses, took up the
whole Gay, and the following morning we
started back over our outward sledge
tracks.
ANOTHER HARD STORM.
On our first return march we covered
eighteen and half miles, owing to the re-
ducsd loads and down grade, and the fact
that the wind was now behind us instead of
in our faces. Then the dogs played out
ard we camped. Duringt his march anoth-
er dog was attacked with the pibIccto
Greenland dog diseased After reaching
camp three others that showed undoubted
symptoms of the disease were shot, AS we
made camp there were all the indications
of another storm. solid mass of dark, sui
len clouds sweeping rapidly over us from
the southeast By the time our dinner was
finished the storm burst upon us. and furi-
Gus wind with snow and drift held sway
throughout the night and until late the
following afternoon, when there came
lull. which enabled us partially TO dig out
the sledges, and for short time gave
hopes of our being able to move on An
other dog was found at his last gasp and
put out of misery The lnll was of short
duration, and the wind and drift closed in
on Us and drove US back to the hut until
the next morning.
Baldwin, In an attempt to reach the OBJ
servatory sledge was thrown down by the
fury of the wind, nearly suftocated by the
drift. and struggled back to the tent, his
clothing driven full of the fine snow, and
he himself numb and almost helpless with
the cold. EARLY the next morning the
storm ceased, and found two more of my
dogs dead and another frozen to the stake
to which he was fastened and evidently not
good for moro than one more march, The
entire forenoon was spent in digging out
the sledges and tent and in untangling the
dogs. In the afternoon We covered four
teen more miles on our return. Mr.. Ent1i-
kin was obliged to ride all day on account
of the condition of his feet
Words are powerless to give an idea of
the relief afforded us by the calm night
D.,
days and nights of storm and wind Shrek
ing past the tent. The next morning the
thermometer at my head was up to-32 deg,
yet three more of my dogs were unable 10
travel, and were killed before we left
camp This reduction in the number of
dogs, and the exhausted condition of those
left. compelled me to cache here some $40
pounds of supplies. During his days
-. 4
seemed to us summer weather and com
plete calm, the thermometer registering-4
deg. when placed upon piece of fur and
exposed directly to the rays of the sun.
This day again Entrikin, in spite of repeat
ed efforts to hobble along with his feet
mufled in several thickne sss of fur as cush-
ions, was obliged to ride the entire dis
lance.
Monday, April 6, was a clear. calm day
with the thermometer at 40 deg Fahr 1
found two more dogs nearly dead in the
morning, and big kessuh, the most power
full ANNA, in the pack, was taken very sick
soon after We started. Eleven miles from
the camp l was obliged to cache Clark's
sledge and the greateriportion of the load,
and divide his dogs between Entrikin and
Badwin's sledges. At the end of sixteen
miles we went into camp.
THE DOGS STILL GIVING OUT.
The morning of the 18th, found three
moro dogs in no condition to travel, and
during the march we had for aecompani-
ments heavy drift and wind. We were en-
couraged. however soon after starting by
coming upoa our old acquaintances, the
giant sastrugi (snow piled up in long
heaps) of the equinoctial, and an hour later
we crossed the wind divide of PIudhoe
Land, where the atmospheric currents from
the interior separates, part flowing north
ward to Kane Basin and part southwark to
Inglefield Gulf and Whale Sound. Two
hours after this l came upon our outward
sledge tracks, now twenty-three days old,
still distinct and easily traceable After
following these tracks for three miles Bald
wins team gave out and we camped with
fourteen miles to our credit. During this
march one of the dogs fell exhausted in
his harness and was shot. The Kessuh dog
con tinued very sick.
Wednesday. April IS, was a brilliant,
clear, calm day. Still another dog was