The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-21
by broad lead extending east and
west as far as could be seen.

by a broad lead extending east and
west as far as could be seen,
f. a CAREFUL reconnaissance showed no
Immediate prospect Of crossing and /
sent Captain Bartlett and Mr.. Clarke
with their sleds back to bring up more
Mr.. Henson's party to get across the
lead at the first opportunity.
AT TINS time the parties of Mr.. Mar
yin, DR.: Wolf and Mr.. Ryan were bound
outward from the land on their second
trip The lead slowly widened, keep
ing passable strip Of water constantly
open. After delay Of six days the
beneath our weight and necessitated
half loads on the sleds Mr.. Henson Is
party proceeded north Immediately,
Wnile remained a day longer to es-
tabl1sh cache on the north side of
the lead and leave instructions for the
supporting parties which I hoped would
started north from the land the wealth
er was so thick it was almost impossi-
bic to follow Mr.. Henson trail, and
a, westerly. wind was blowing which set
the ice grinding. At the end of three
days | overlook Mr.. Henson in S5.12
north latitude, camped in a dense fog.
NY own igloo was hardly completed
pefore. 1T began to blow heavily. The
zee quickly responded to the pressure.
Mr.. Henson 8 igloo, built too near the
edge OF the ice foe, was shattered by
the breaking of the ice, and his party
were obliged to build another nearer
the center. The gale, accompanied by
snow, increased in violence and con-
tined without interruption for six days.
At It's close my observations showed
mat we had been driven some seventy
q md /
all communication with my supporting
parties. -
Mr.. Henson was started northward
again, and two Eskimos, with empty
sledges, were sent back on the track
10 meet any. supporting parties that
might possibly have crossed the lead
before the storm. Or if none had done
cache at the lead. Those men re tn ned
inside of seventy-four hours, saving
they had been able to get less than
half the distance back to the cache
when they had encountered open water
and completely shattered ice as far
north as they could see from the high
est pinnacles. ss
The Final Desperate Dash.
It was evident that I could not
longer count in the slightest degree on
~ oopPoA 'AAS P1II 1es, anu IlaC Wnat-
ever was to be done must be done by
a. dash, with the outcome hanging en-
tlrely upon the weather and condition
Of the ice.
At the storm camp we abandoned
everything not absolutely necessary and
Dent every energy to setting a record
29a a IN the legacy Of retrievable
wind had not torn from the face Of the
Hoes noe was beaten and banked hard and
the snow. which had fallen had been
hammered into the areas of rough ice
and the shattered edges Of the big foes
SO that they gave us little trouble.
North of the storm camp we had no
occasion for snowshoes or pickaxes.
The first march Of ten hours in the
aaS diog tar;ot' the sledges following in
side or behind, placed us thirty miles
to the good. my Eskimos said. Forty
tour hours out on the second march T
overlook Mr.. Henson in his third camp.
beside lead which was closed. When
| arrived he hitched up and followed
oeh1nd my hurry party, I had with
me now seven men and six teams, with
less than half loads for each. r.. =
AS we advanced, the character Of the
ice improved the foes becoming much
larger and rafters infrequent, But the
cracks and narrow leads increased and
were nearly all active. These cracks
were uniformly at right angles to our
course, and the ice on the northern side
was moving more rapidly eastward than
on the southern. Dogs gave ont. unable
TO- keep the pace; they were fed to the
others. April 20. we came into a region
of open leads leading nearly north and
south, and the ice motion became more
pronounced. Hurrying on between
these a forced march was made. Then
we slept a few hours, and starting
till noon of the 21st.