The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-03
ON THE GREAT ice CAP.
PEARy'S STORY OF his THRILLING
SLEDGE JOURNEY.

PEARy'S STORY OF HIS THRILLING
SLEDGE JOURNEY.
One of the Fiercest Storms An Arctic Part
Ever Encountered-In Tents on the Ice,
Mile in the Air, the Wind Blowing
! Fifty Miles an Hour and the Mer-
curry Sixty Degrees Below Zero
and the Party Buried
Under Snow Drifts.
1t was on March 6, 1894. that th'
start was made for the long Inland ics
trip. In the morning eight member:
Of my party, Entrikin, Astrup, DR.
Vincent, Baldwin, Lee, Davidson
Clark and Stokes, with the Eskimo:
Ootooniah, Panickpah, Kessuh, Ingiah
podu, and Kootootingwah. some eighty
dogs, and the last article of equipment
left Anniversary Lodge in the morn
ing for moraine camp. The day before
every one but Astrop and myself haC
/ gone with all the huskies Eskimos1 il
the village, taking four sledge loads Of
material to the 1noraine, returning to
Anniversary Lodge in the evening
The weather all through the first days
of March was cloudy and threatening
The day on which the start was made
however, was bright and clear.
THE FIRST CAMP ON THE INLAND ICE
Entrikin, Astrup, and Baldwin, who
met me just on the outskirts of the
camp, although closely enveloped in
their heavy furs, had apparently felt
the effects of the all-penetratipg ice.cap
wind on this their first night on the
cap, as was shown by the slightly
pinched and cerulean tinge of what
could be seen Of their faces. This effect
disappeared very quickly after pull at
the hot tea.
The boys had had a great deal OF
trouble with the numerous loose dogs,
inevitable in such pack, and had 90
tanned but very little sleep.
I remained with the party until
breakfast was finished, the dogs hitched
in, and the liue of march taken up,
and then, with Irgahwadu only, l
turned back to the lodge. After going
a short distance stopped to have an
other look at the caravan, and the
memory OF the scene, with the memory
of subsequent one, when further on,
will remain long with me. It was a
sublime spectacle to see that company
of thirteen men, dozen sledges, and
over ninety dogs, climbing the alabas-
ter slopes of the infinite ice cap, their
destination the frozen fastnesses Of the
north. Never before had such sight
been seen on the great desolate ice;
never, I thought to myself, would the
scene be repeated. =.
THE EQUINOCTIAL STORM.
On Tuesday morning, March %, al
though the weather was still very unrav-
orable, We got under way, but the fu.
rious head wind and stinging drift, with
the temperature $50, compelled US to
halt after going only three miles, the
dogs absolutely refusing to pull. Here
we camped. Entrikin and Baldwin,
with their double sleeping bag, took up
part of the light protean tent. while
the alcohol cooker and myself took the
rest. The Doctor, in a single hag,and
Clark and Davidson in second double
bag, occupied Astrups little silk tent.
The dogs were fastened as Usual, each
team was divided into groups, and,
dinner over, We turned in. About 5
o'clock next morning [ was awakened
by sudden increase in the force of the
wind, which now blew with such vio-
lence that, had not our tent been all in
one piece, connected with the floor
cloth on which We were lying, / should
| have expected to have had it blown
away at any moment.
The drift which accompanied this
storm was almost indescribable, and
had the members of the party been any
less perfectly clothed than they were it
would have been impossible to have
gone out of our shelter. AS it was,
however, Baldwin made his regular
| observations at the observatory sledge,
about 100 feet from the tent, and be
and took turns in carrying hot tea
and pea soup to the three men in the
silk tent, about fifty feet distant.
Throughout the day and the following
night the wind steadily increased in
violence, untifit became impossible to
shout SO as to be heard from one tent
to the other, even with the utmost
effort of our lungs,
PANDEMONIUM ON THE INLAND ICE.
On Thursday afternoon the drift
forced an entrance into the silk tent,
and in order to escape being smothered
| its occupants were obliged to get out as
best they could and retreat to the large
tent. In doing this Davidson had bis
heel, and Clark toe, two fingers and
a thumb frostbitten. AS soon as they
were safely in our tent, Entrikir turned
out of his bag and gave his place to
Clark. I turned my deerskin sleeping
trousers over to Davidson, and the Doc
! tor curled himself up on the foot of the
big bag. This left small space be.
tween the pole and the tent opening
| in which Entrikin and I could stand.
This space was constantly decreasing
in size from the drift, which, in spite OF
our best efforts, continued to force 1t.
self through the fly, after the entrance
of the boys. After time there was
room for only one of US, and We alter
mated in standing up, steadying our
selves by the pole, now and then curling
on the snow drift for a few winks OF
sleep, and making tea several times
during the night 10 warm up the boys
and keep up their spirits. The strain.
ing and Tapping of the tent, the deaf
ening roar Of the wind, the devilish
Kissing of the drift, the bowling and
screaming of the poor dogs, made 6
pandemonium never to be forgotten.
One consoling feature was the fact
that, owing to the quality and construc
ton of our fur clothing, DO one Of The
party suffered severely from the colo
while in the tent. Personally, though,
without sleeping bag or any other Gov
ering beyond the deerskin travelling
garments, I was entirely warm anc
Comfortable throughout the storm.
DOGS FROZEN IN THE SNOW.
Early on Friday morning, March %
the wind began to subside, and at
a. no. l was out looking upon a scene
that made me sick at heart. Half my
dogs were frozen fast in the snow, some
by the legs, some by the tails, and some
by both. Two were dead, and all wer'
in a most pitiable condition, their fur !
mass Of ice and snow driven into it by
the pit,less wind. Several had freed
themselves and had destroyed th'
double sleeping bag and many of tn,
b.rncssps which had been blown of