The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-06

as the bleam mountains on the outside.
 "The subterranean light continued, and I was able to travel for days and weeks with ease and comfort. From subtel ranean streams l was able to replenish my stock of provisions from time to time with a peculiar specie of fish that in- habited those waters.
 With the help of my compass and other instruments l was able to locate myself pretty accurately as to longitude and latitude and after I had traveled for perhaps four weeks I became aware that l was somewhere in the region of the north pole. My compass acted queer ly as if in the region of the source of It's magnetic influence, and by the aid of my other instruments I was convinced that possibly I was nearer the north pole than any man had been before.
 "A change in the temperature, fresh ness of the current that passed contin- ually through the passage, also told me that I was nearing some outer opening.
 Another days journey brought me to the free open afr again, and l reJolced Tn the sight of sun and sky once more. Knowing that I must be in the extreme polar region, I was very much aston ished to find the climate milder than in Alaska The atmosphere was perfectly still, and the sum- which was just above the horizon, beamed down on the earth with a steady glow that made the blood jingle.
 There was no ice or snow on the land and I soon discovered that l was on an island about twenty-five miles In elrcuni- ference Off across the water In every direction were mountains of Ice just piercing the horizon. The water about the island abounded in fish and on the island I saw unmistakable signs of Vege- tation It appeared that winter had just broken in the country and that spring was approaching.
 q was not surprised to find that the sun, instead of rising to the zenith, moved in horizontal direction, going no higher up in the sky. In twenty-four hours the orb made a complete circuit of the hori- zon and I was then convinced that l had req ached the extreme northern end of the earth and that this was the beginning Of the long Arctic summer day. Day by day and week by week the suns course rose higher and higher up to about the middle of June, when It began to recede slowly. In midsummer the island was covered with vegetation in profusion and l had no difficulty In providing myself with fruit and vegetables in plenty much like those grown in the temperate zone.
 The climate was even and temperate, really the most delightful have ever ex-
 perienced. account for this in this way: After the long summer day begins the sun shines steadily on the island without the cooling effects of the night. There are no winds to chill the atmosphere, this being the center of wind disturbances from | the north. Being entirely surrounded by | the Ice regions which are affected by | the cold nights the winds have no. play | room and arc still. \. "It was approaching the autumnal sun 1-AA ,tr Ftrao or | chilly I am sure that the climate would | be almost unbearable during the Iona | winter night.
 T returned to Alaska by the subter- | ranean passage and hurried to the states | I secured enough gold in the cavern to bring me homo and to buy small farm | in Sout4. Alabama. may return td | Polar Island as I have named It, for l the summer, but I like Alabama better. | By the way, Birmingham is growing | handsomely since was here five years l ago."