The Republican., 1896-10-29

termined to descend and make a trial
observation to find our latitude. The
gearing was changed and we descended
upon a somewhat elevated ice plateau.
The suns upper limb alone was visible,
though the horizon was sufficiently
sharply defined for all practical puI-
poses. After corrections for semi-di.|
ametcr, dip, parallax and refractionI
| computed the suns altitude, and FROM
it, by an indirect method sometimes
used by navigators, l determined ourl
longitude to be 90 degrees SO minutesl
west, which proved that we had gone
eastward of a true northerly course
Having thus fixed the meridian andi
the local time | proceeded to take thu
latitude, which found to be SO degreeAl
~ minutes, or only IS minutes or q
little over 20 miles from the pole. My
only course now was to pass over this
intervening distance by dead reckon
ing, dependent upon the speed of the
vessel. As there was still half an hour
TO midnight we took lunch and CONF
forted ourselves around the stove.
At five minutes before midnight we
were again rising over the ice-felds
and steering straight for the eastern
limb of the low. red sun. I allowed
seven minutes and half for covering
the 25 miles, at full speed. and two deA
grees of right ascension for the sunx
travel during that time; and, taki1K
this latter element into consideratio%
in the steering, as the chronometee.
marked the time, I signed to AuChiil-
Gloss to reverse the gearing. when we
slowly dropped upon the desolate
scene. \ blank landscape of barren
desolation stretched on every side to
the limits of the horizon, and the weird
crimson beams of an impotent sun
shed a ghastly light upon this frozen
sea. No land, no soil, no vegetation, no
animal life, no still or flowing water
acted as a relief to the death-like ma
ture of the picture. 1t seemed as if the
dead inertia of the planet at this point
had transferred itself to everything
around. The stiffness of death pre-
vailed, and deep horror came over me
as I stood upon this mysterious spot
hitherto trod-at least. within the
period of our physical history - by
none of the human race. Beside me
stood Auchincloss, looking, in his Es-
kimo suit, very different to the en-
gineer in blue overalls and jumper who
had left the ranch on the Stanislaus
river 10 hours previously.
Here we are, jim said I, "as near
as we can go. l don't think we're more
than a mile out, but in what direction,
Idon't know. Itwould require fresh OBJ
servation to 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
that anyone has been here before them?
| confess | am at a loss; but my mind
was so taken up with the sudden re-
quirements of the trip that this thing
completely escaped my notice"
make yourself easy, boss" said
Auchincloss, as he jumped back into
the vessel. Il thought of that very thing
while you were gone in the wagon to
Knights Ferry. | knew very well
there was no pole here, so | made one.
Here it is" and, suiting the action 70
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 it hung sup
ported by rope nooses beneath the
length of the boat.
''How will that do, boss?" he ex-
claimed, as he pulled it from it's fastep-
ings. Il rove a block and tackle to it,
and l 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 a 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 union jack,
and here they are;" and he brought ous
couple of extremely ordinary-looking
flags. "Now." continued he, 81 charred
the end of this pole, and after that l
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
floated to the breeze had there been
any. As it was, our black pole stood
out in bold relief against the inter-
minable icy white which surrounded it
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
dozen bottles of champagne, which
had been brought along, three had been
drunk, two had burst through eMpan-
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 to our vessel, again speeding
southward under a continuous sun,
passing over pretty nearly the same
country as we had done on our north