Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-05-22
fEARY ON THIN ICE.

When Commander Peary, on mis- LAT
est trip north, left his winter quar-
tiers at Cape Sheridan and set on
on his dash for the POLE" he virtu
ally burned his bridges" behind him
II so warm metaphor can be uset
of polar work. With a small party
equipped with dogs and sledges, h,
dashed ahead, having several assist
ing parties engaged in catching pro
visions 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. enlarg
ed party made dangerous inroads Oh
the supplies, he at last got across
on thin ice with eight men, with short
supplies, and with conviction that
proved well founded that no more
supplies could come across the lead
to him.
Killing their dogs one by one as
they needed them, the party advanced
to latitude eighty-seven degrees, six
minutes, when all were so weak and
the supplies so scant it was evident
ly certain death 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 open lead was
between them and relief. II that was
uncrossable they were doomed to
speedy death.
When they came to the lead, about
a week after turning back, they found
1t open. and half a mile wide. For
two days they skirted it to the east
ward, part of the time during a
terrible storm. Nothing was in sight
In any direction but ice and snow and
this black water slowly widening, un-
til 1t extended two miles from the ice
noe they were on to that which
stretched toward them scores OF miles
from the northern end of Greenland.
At last scouts reported a skim of
ice 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 1t without going through. AT any
moment it might break up. Peary
tied on his snowshoes and essayed
to step on the ice with them. II bore
him momentarily, but he could not
stand still.
This was the only hope of life.
Hastily snowshoes were tied on-and
very tightly. since life depended on
them-and then the weary, wornour
party stepped gingerly to the ice and
began a soft footed run for the oppo-
site side. The three remaining dogs
with the single sledge scurried with
them.
1t was a heartbreaking race, says
Commander Peary in his account of
the voyage. No one dared stop or
even lift his snowshoes. Even as
they scuffled the ice swayed and gave
with them. A single misstep might
mean death.
Once Commander Peary STUDDED a
toe into the ice and stumbled and
thought he was lost, but he fortunate
ly recovered. A moment later he
heard a similar splash from the rear,
but 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 Greenland foe.
Then Peary turned to see who had
been lost. hut his party was entir-.
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 235 pounds.
Even with the lead crossed the
party was not safe: but at least they
reached the Greenland coast, and
there, while their last remaining dog
worried a bull musk OK and kept the
herd from fleeing. Peary, so weak he
could scarcely stand, killed enough
% furnish food on which the party
ate continuously for three DAYS as
hey marched along the coast toward
heir ship.-youth's Companion.
AND BOYS PREFERENCES
A hundred AID thirty-two boys and
'eventy-two girls in Partisan school
we're invited to describe their prefer
'nce in the way of toys. Among the
former thirty-one voted for a railway
rain, twenty-three for tin soldiers.
en- for steam engines, nine for build
ng bricks and eight each for toy
and mechanical horses.
Forty girls-a solid majority-dec.ar.
ID without hesitation that a doll was
superior to any other implement OF
recreation. The superchild seems
happily a long way OF. And as dia-
polo had only two Coy and six girl |
importers, the Devils Disciple" may
TIL be called an infrequent object |
u the playground.-The Schoolma.
er.
GATHERING KNOWLEDGE.
1T seems strange to me-" said Mrs.
Nakeman. parsing on the sidewalk
o let the grade pupils, Just released