River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-10-29


Intervening distance by dead reckon
ing. dependent upon the speed of the
vessel. As there was still haitian hour
10 midnight we took lunch and COM
forted ourselves around the stove
At five minutes before midnight we
were again rising over the ice-fieids,
and steering straight for the eastern
seven minutes and half for covering
the 25 miles. at full speed. and two de-
grees of right ascension for the suns
travel during that time; and. taking
this latter element into consideration
IN the steering. as the thermometer
marked the time. I signed TO Auehin-
Gloss to reverse the gearing. when we
slowly dropped ,pon the desolate
scene. A blank landscape of barren
desolation stretched on every side to
the limits of the horizon, and the weird
crimson beams of an impofent sun
shed a CHASTITY light upon this frozen
sea. Nc lana, no soil. no vegetation. no
animal life, no still or flowing water
acted as a relief 20 the death-like ma
ture of the picture. II 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 O deep horror came over me
as I stood upon this mysteric is 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. don't think we're more
than a mile out, but in what direction,
Idon'tknow. Itwould require fresh OBJ
servation 10 determine everything with
perfect accuracy. and that l don't feel
disposed 70 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. l knew very well
there was no pole here, SO 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 planned 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 it's fasten-
ings. 81 rove a block and tackle to il,
and | took that union flag of yours that
was tucked up on the top shelf of the
shanty. and busted 1t, 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 a union jack,
and here they are;" and he brought on.
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 a hole in this ice,
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
ioated 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 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 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 / stood sponsor.
Formalities having been expended,
and our mission accomplished, we re-
turned to 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 il TO say that we
arrived at our ranch on the banks of
the Stanislaus river by seven p. m, or a
little after shutdown, of the day subse-
quent TO that on which we started, hav-
ing completed the trip to the north
pole and back in somewhat less than
IS hours.-San Francisco Argonaut.