The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-12-07
ON THIN ICE.

S~escS~N~NNc~~~
When Commander Peary, OH his lat
est trip north, left his winter quarters
at Cape Sheridan and set out on his
dash for the POLE" he virtually burn
led his bridges" behind him, if so warm
a metaphor can be used Of polar work
With small party. equipped with dogs
and sledges, he dashed ahead, having
several assisting parties engaged In
caching provisions and bringing up new
supplies
Unfortunately, all the advance par
ties were thrown back on his by COM
Ing upon an open ''lead," or river OF
unfrozen water In the Ice, which they
could not pass.
Sending some back, and waiting
many days, during which his enlarged
party made dangerous inroads on the
supplies, he at last got across on thin
ice with eight men, with short supplies
and with a conviction that proved well
founded that no more supplies coulc
come across the lead to him.
Killing their dogs one by one as they
needed them, the party advanced to lat
itude eighty-seven degrees, six minutes
when all were so weak and the supplies
so scant it was evidently certain death
to 60 farther; then they turned back
At that moment perhaps Peary alone
realized what the retreat meant. They
had almost no supplies, and the open
lead was between them and relief. II
that was uncrossable, they were doom
ed to speedy death.
When they came to the lead, about
week after. turning back, they found II
open, and half mile wide. For two
days they skirted 1t to the eastward
part Of the time during a terrible
storm. Nothing was in sight In any
direction but Ice and snow and thii
black water, slowly widening until II
extended two miles from the Ice foe
they were on to that which stretched
toward them scores Of miles from ths
northern end Of Greenland.
At last scouts reported skim OF ict
forming to the eastward. The whole
party hurried thither. Yes-there was
ice across the lead, but so soft and
thin no man could step on it without
going through. At any moment it might
break up. Peary tied on his snow
shoes and essayed to step On the Ice
with them. 1t bore him momentarily'
but he could not stand still.
This was the only hope Of life. Hast
lily snowshoes were tied on-and very
tightly, since life depended on them
and then the weary. WORKOUT party
stepped gingerly on the Ice and began
a soft-footed run for the opposite side
The three remaining dogs with the sin
gle sledge scurried with them.
1t was a heart-breaking race, say,
Commander Peary in his account OF
the voyage. No one dared stop or even
lift his snowshoes. Even as they scuf.
fled the ice swayed and gave with
them. A single misstep might mean
death.
Once Commander Peary stubbed 9
toe into the ice, and stumbled, and
thought he was lost; but he fortunately
recovered. A moment later he heard
similar splash from the rear, bu'
dared not, turn his head.
"Who Is it?" he called, but no one
answered. The CLASSY Ice swelled and
fell away, the snowshoes seemed to
grow every moment heavier; but at last
the two miles were passed. and they
stepped upon the firm Ice of the Green.
land foe.
Then Peary turned to see who had
been lost, but his party was entire
The other stumbler had also saved
himself. But an Eskimo, pointing back
at the ice. said: 'If the chief had
been with us he would be down there
now!" The chief engineer weighed
over two hundred and thirty-f1ve
pounds.
Even with the lead crossed the party
was not safe; but at last they reached
the Greenland coast, and there, while
their last remaining dog worried bull
musk OK and kept the herd from fee
ing. Peary, SO weak he could scarcel;
stand, killed enough to furnish food
on which the party ate continuously fol-
three days as they marched along TIN
coast toward their ship.
His Profession.
In the midst Of our tea-drinking II
the little Partisan restaurant, say,
Miss Betham- Edwards in an accoun