The Van Buren press., 1896-11-14

hours Ee had been trZFerSILg the
frozen deep. and TOW. 81 II p. In. de-
termined 10 descend and make a trial
observation 10 find our latitude. The
gearing vas changed and we descended
upon somewhat elevated ice plateau
/ The suns upper limb alone was visible.
though The horizon was sufficiently
sharply defined fer all practical pur-
poses. After corrections for semi-di-
ameter. dip. parallax and refraction,
l computed the suns altitude, and from
F I. By an Indirect method sometimes
used b. navigstors. l determined cur
longitude 10 be 81 degrees % minutes
west. which proved that we had gone
eastward Of true norfheriy course.
IIaxing thus fixed the meridian and
the local time | proceeded 10 take the
latitude. which found to be 50 degrees
- minutes. or only ls minutes OF s
little over 20 miles from the pole. Ny
only course row was 10 pass over this
intervening distance by dead reckon
ing. dependent upon the speed Of the
vessel Is there was still half an houi
70 midnight re took lunch and ccm-
soHtea ourselves around the stove.
II fire minutes before midnight We
sssFe again rising over the ice-feids
and steering straight for the eastern
limb q the lew. red sun I allowed
szrza minutes ard Z half for covering
tie : niles. - full speed. and two de-
E1ez< - right ascsusi0n for the suns
travel during thzt tine; snd. taking
Us latter element into consideration
II Tie steering. sS the thermometer
aazFked the fime. ! signed TO Auchin.
eaas< % reverse the gearing. when we
slowly dropped upon the desolate
se4ne 1 blank landscape of barren
desoiatson stretched on every side 10
tie limits Of the horizon, and the weird
crimson beams Of IN imPotent sun
Sled a ehastIy light upon this frozen
sea. No land, no soil. no vegetation. no
animal life. no still or flowing water
scied as a relief TO the death-like na-
saTe Of the picture. It seemed as if the
dead inertia Of the planet at this point
BAD transferred itself to everything
around. The stiffness of death pre-
vailed. and 4 deep horror came over me
As 7 stood upon this mysterious spot |
hitherto trod-at least. within the |
period Of cur physical history - by |
none Of ire human race. Beside me |
stsod auehincloss. looking, in his Is
: no suit. very different to the en-. |
gineer in blue oyeralls and jumper who
bad left the ranch on the Stanislaus
river 70 hours previously.
Here we are, jim" said /, "as near
as we can go. | don't think we're more |
than a mile out, but in what direction, |
Idon'tknow. Itwould require fresh OBJ.
serFation 10 determine everything with |
perfect accuracy. and that | don't feel |
disposed to make. And now to signal
ize the accomplishment of the fact. |
How are subsequent explorers to tell
fhaf anyone las been here before them |
| confess am at loss: but my mind |
VAS 50 taken up with the sudden re.
quirements Of the trip that this thing |
completely escaped my notice"
Make yourself easy. boss" said
Auehineloss. as he jumped back into
the vessel. Il thought of that very thing |
while you were gone in the wagon tc |
Knights Ferry. / knew very well |
there was no pole here, so l made one
Here it is" and, suiting the action to
the word. he proceeded TO pull out
from beneath the center of the vessel
a roughly planed piece of timber which
had escaped my notice, as ii hung sup
ported by rope nooses beneath the |
length of the boat
How will that do, boss?" he ex-
claimed, as he pulled ii from its faster |
ings. II rove a block and tackle to it. |
and | took that union flag of yours that
was tucked up on the top shelf of the |
shanty, and busted it, and brought it
along. Likewise, ! took couple OF |
yards of our calico awning and slapped |
the red, vertical cross of St. George |
over the blue diagonal cross of St. |
Andrew, thereby making a union jack, |
and here they are;" and he brought on.
a couple of extremely ordinary looking |
flags. "Now," continued he, II charred !
the end of this pole, and after that | |
tarred it. Now, if you'll take the pick |
and crow-bar and put hole in this ice,
l have no doubt we can leave a pole |
here. even If we didn't find one"
In IS minutes our pole was securely |
imbedded in the ice, surmounted by the |
twin banners of the stars and stripes |
and union jack, which would have |
foated to the breeze had there been |
any. As il was, our black pole stood |
out in bold relief against the inter-
minable icy white which surrounded il |
on every side, and afforded sufficient !
landmark and guarantee TO future ex-
plorers that they had not been the first |
TO acquaint themselves with the virgin |
position of the planets axis. OF half |
a dozen bottles of champagne, which |
had been brought along, three had been !
drunk, two had burst through expan- |
sion as they froze, and but one had re-
tanned its liquid condition, having |
been kept beneath the stove. This last
was shivered against our rough mast |
which Auchincloss christened North |
Pole" while l stood sponsor.
Formalities having been expended, !
and our mission accomplished, we re- |
turned 10 our vessel, again speeding |
southwark under a continuous sun.
passing over pretty nearly the same
country as we had done on our north |
ward voyage. Suffice it to say that we
arrived at our ranch on the banks Of |
the Stanislaus river by seven p. m, OF d 1
little after sundown, of the day subse-
quent 10 that on which we started, hay- |
.-......-l.a--l IL - 1 /