Washington State journal. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1907-1911, 1907-12-26
ON TKIN ICE.

When Commander Peary, OIL his lat.
est trip north, let his winter quarters
at Cape Sheridan and set out on his
dash for the pole" he virtually burn
ed his bridges" behind him, II so warm
q metaphor can be used Of polar work.
With a small party, equipped with dogs
and sledges, he dashed ahead, having
several assisting parties engaged IL
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
aud with conviction that proved well
founded that no more supplies coule
come across the lead to him.
Killing their dogs one by one as the,
needed them, the party advanced to lat
itude eighty-seven degrees. six minutes
when all were so weak and the supple;
so scant 1t was evidently certain deatt
to go farther; then they turned back
At that moment perhaps Peary alone
realized what the retreat meant. They
had almost no supplies. and the oper
| hn<u opI Polinf
that was uncrossable, they were doom
ed to speedy death.
When they came to the lead, about
week after turning back, they found i
open, and half mile wide. For two
days they skirted 1t to the eastward
part of the time during terrible
storm. Nothing was in sight in any
direction but Ice and snow and thi'
black water, slowly widening until Il
extended two miles from the Ice ho'
they were on to that which stretched
toward them scores of miles from th'
northern end of Greenland.
At last scouts reported skim Of Lex
forming to the eastward. The who'll
party hurried thither. Yes-there wa
Ice across the lead. but 90 soft ant
thin no man could step on It withou
going through. At any moment 1t nigh
break up. Peary tied on his SNOW
shoes and essayed to step en- the ic'
with them. 1t bore him monentarily
but be could not stand still.
This was the only hope Of life. Hast
lily snowshoes were tied ou--and yer!
tightly, since life depended on them
and then the weary, worn-out part!
stepped gingerly on the ice and begal
soft-footed run for the opposite side
The three remaining dogs with the sin
gle sledge scurried with them.
It was a heart-breaking race. say
Commander Peary in his account o
the voyage. No one dared stop or evel
lift his snowshoes. Even as they scuf
fed the Ice swayed and gave will
them. A single misstep might meal
death.
Once Commander Peary stubbed I
toe into the Ice, and stumbled. ant
thought he was lost; but he fortunatel!
recovered. A moment later he heart
a similar splash from tho rear. bu
lared not turn his head.
"who Is it," he called, but no ont
answered. The CLASSY Ice swelled ant
fell away, the snowshoes seemed II
grow every moment heavier; but at las
the two miles were passed. and the!
stepped upon the firm Ice Of the Green
land foe.
Then Peary turned to see who hat
been-lost. but his party was entire
The other stunbler had also savet
himself. But an Eskimo, pointing bacl
At the Ice, said: "If the chief hat
been with us he would be down Their
now." The chief engineer weighed
over two hundred and thirty-fv'
pounds.
Even with the lead crossed the part!
was not safe; but at last they reached
the Greenland coast. and there. whil'
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 To-
three days as they marched along thu
coast toward their ship.