Gilpin observer., 1909-09-16

| northward with its release from the
| wind pressure.
SURFACE ALMOST LEVEL.
Again there was few hours sleep
and we hit the trail before midnight.
The weather and going were even bet
ter. The surface except as Interrupted
by infrequent ridges. was level as
| the glacial fringe from Hecla to Colum-
bia, and harder
We marched something over ten
hours. the dogs being often on the trot,
| and made 20 miles. Near the end of
the march we rushed across a lead 100
| yards wide, which buckled under our
| sledges and finally broke as the last
| sledge left 1t.
| We stopped in sight of the eighty
| ninth parallel in temperature of 40
| degrees below. Again scant sleep
and we were on our way once more
and across the eighty-ninth parallel
| This march duplicated the previous
| one as to weather and going. The last
| few hours 1t was on young ice and oc-
| casionally the dogs were galloping
| We made twenty-five miles more,
the air. the sky, and the bitter wind
| burning the face till it cracked. 1t was
IKE the great interior ice gap of
| Greenland. Even the natives COM
planned of the bitter air. 1t was as
| keen as frozen steel.
A little longer sleep than the previ-
| Gus one had to be taken here, as we
| were all in need of it. Then on again
| Up to this time, with each successive
| march, our fear of an impossible lead
| had Increased. AT every inequality of
| the ice 1 found myself hurrying breath
| lessly forward, fearing that 1t marked a
| lead. and when l arrived at the summit
| would catch my breath with relief-only
| to find myself hurrying on in the same
| way at the next one.
| But on this march, by some strange
shift of feeling. this fear fell from me
| completely. The weather was thick but
| 1t gave me no uneasness.
Before l turned in 1 took an observa-
| ton which indicated our position SO
| degrees 25 minutes.
| A rise in temperature to Is degrees be-
low reduced the friction of the sledges
| and gave the dogs the appearance of
| having caught the spirits of the party
| The more sprightly ones, as they went
along with tightly curled tails. frequent
| ly tossed their heads. with short sharp
| barks and yelps.
In II hours we had made 40 miles.
There was no sign of a lead in the
| march.
ARRIVAL AT THE POLE.
| I had now made my five marches and
was in time for hasty noon observation
| through a temporary break in the clouds,
which indicated our position as ss57
quote an entry from my journal some
hours later:
| The pole at last. The prize of three
centuries. my dream and goal for 20
| years. mine at last. 1 cannot bring my
| self to realize it.
1t all seems so simple and common
| place AS Bartlett said when turning
back, when speaking of his being in
| these exclusive regions, which no mortal
has ever penetrated before: at is just
| like every day"
OF course I had my sensations that
| made sleep impossible for hou-s, despite
my utter fatigue-the sensations of life
| time: but have no room for them here.
| The first 30 hours at the pole were
| in taking OhservatiOps. in opD
some ten miles beyond our camp and
| some eight miles to the right of 1t: in
taking photographs, planting my flags.
| depositing my records, studying the hori-
zon with my telescope for possible land.
and searching for practicable place to
| make a sounding.
PLAN FOR RETURN TRIP.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before a light breeze from our
left and from that time until our depar-
ture in the afternoon of April the
weather was cloudless and fawless
The minimum temperature during the
30 hours was 80 below. the maximum L.
We had reached the goal but the re-
turn was still before us. 1t was essential
that we reach the land before the next
spring tide. and we must strain every
nerve to do this
had a brief talk with my men, From
now on 1t was to be big travel. little
sleep and hustle every minute.
We would try, l told them. to double
march on the return-that is. to start
ana cover one of our northward
marches. make tea and eat our luncheon
in the igloos, then cover another march,
eat and sleep few hours. and repeat
this daily.
SPEED NEARLY DOUBLED.
AS matter of fact we nearly did
this. covering regularly on our return
journey five outward marches in three
return marches.
trail we could double our speed and
we need waste no time in building
new igloos every day. so that the time
We gained on the return lessened the
chances of gale destroying the track
Just above the eighty-seventh paral-
lei was region some fifty miles wide
which caused me considerable uneasi-
ness. Twelve hours of strong easterly.
westerly, or northerly wind would
make this region an open sea-
In the afternoon of the 7th we start
ed on our return. having double fed
the dogs, repaired the sledges for the
last time. and discarded all our spare
clothing to tighten the loads.
TRIES TO SOUND SEA.
Five miles from the pole a narrow
crack filled with recent ice. through
which we were able to work a hole
with n pickax. enabled me to make a
sounding. All my wire. 1900 fathoms,
was sent down. but there was no bot
tom.
In pulling up the wire parted a few
fathoms from the surface and lead and
wire went to the bottom. on went reel
and handle. tightening the sledges still
further. We had no more use for them
now.
Three marches brought us back to
the igloos where the captain turned
| back. The last march was in the wild
sweep of n northerly gale. with drift
ing snow and the Ice rocking under as
we dashed over IL.
NOT DELAYED BY LEADS.
South of where Marvin had turned
back we came to where his party had
built several igloos while delayed by
open leads. Still further south wa
found where the captain had been held