The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1908-01-24
on TI1N ICE.
NN~r~~~N<~Nr~~~NNN

~--~~S~-@c-~~~-~
When Commander Peary. on his lat
est trip north, LETT his winter quarters
at Cape Sheridan and set out on mis-
dash for tile pole lie virtually burn
ed 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 We're thrown back on lis 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 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 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 opeE
lead was between them and relief. II
that was uncrossable, they We're doom.
ed to speedy death.
When they came to the lead, about 8
week after turning back, they found II
open, and half mile wide. For two
days they skirted it 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 II
extended two miles from the Ice foe
they were on to that which stretched
toward them scores Of miles from thu
northern end OF Greenland.
At last scouts reported skim Of lex
forming to the eastward. The whole
party hurried thther. Yes-there wal
ice across the lead, but 80 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 en- the ics
with them 1t bore him monentarily
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. worn-out 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.
It was a heart-breaking race, says
Commander Peary In his account OF
the voyage. No>one dared stop or even
lift his snowshoes Even as they scuf.
fed the Ice swayed and gave with
them. A single misstep might mean
death.
Once Commander Peary stubbed 8
toe into the Ice, and stumbled, and
thought he was lost; but he fortunately
recovered. A moment later he heard
a 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 tc
grow every moment heavier; but at last
the two miles were passed, and they
stepped upon the firm ice of the Green
land foe. .-z-.
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 haC
been with us he would be down there
now!" The chief engineer weighed
over two hundred and thirty-tive
pounds.
Even with the lead crossed the party
was not safe; but at last they reached
the Greenland coast and there, whit
their last remaining dog worried a bn!
musk OK and kept the herd from flee
ing. Peary, so weak he could scarcely
stand, killed enough to furnish food
on which the party ate continuously fol
three days as they marched along thu
coast toward their ship.