Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-09-17

Over the Ice.
second march, Marvin obtained a sat
isfactory sight for latitude in clear
weather, which placed us at S5.4s. The
result agreed satisfactorily with the
dead reckoning Of Marvin. Bartlett
and myself. ......
Up to this tina, the slight altitude
OF the sun had made II not worth
while to waste time h observations
% the next two marches the going
improved. and We covered good dis.
tances. In one Of these marches, a
lead delayed us q few hours We final
" ferried across the ice cakes. ... /
MAKES RECORD RUN.
The next day Bartlett let himself
out, evidently. for record, and reeled
on 20 miles. Here Marvin obtained
another satisfactory sight on latitude.
which gave the position as Se.3S Tor
beyond the tarthest north OF Nansea
and Abruzzi. and showed that we had
covered 80 minutes Of latitude in three
marches. A
In these three marches we had
passed the Norwegian record of S6.l4.l
by hansen, and the Italian record OF
1854, by Cagni.
From this point Marvin turHed back
in command Of the third supportingI
party. My last words 20 him were:
BE careful of the leads. my boy
The party from this point comprised
nine men, seven sledges, and 60 dogs.
The conditions at this camp and the
apparently unbrOken expanse OF fairly
level ice in very direction reminded
me Of Cagni's description of his farth.
est north.
DANGER is ENCOUNTERED. !
bnt ! was not deceived by the apI
parently favorable outlook. for avail
able conditions never continue for any
distance or any length of time in the
arctic regions 4
The next march vas OVer good goi
ing, but for the Arst time since leav1
ing land we experienced that conds4
ton, frequent over these ice fields. OF
a hay atmosphere, in which the light
is equal everywhere. All relief is de-
stroyed, and 1t il impossible to see
for any distance.
We were obliged In this march toI
make a detouT around an open lead
In the nnyt march We encountered tkeI
heaviest and deepest snow Of the
Journey, through a thick, smOthering
mantle lying in the depressions q
heavy rubble ice.
TEMPORARILY DISCOURAGED.
! came upon Bartlett and his party.
tagged out and temporarily GlscGlr-
aged by the heartrscking work n
making road. 49,.
knew what was Che matter with
them They were simply spoiled byl
the good going O. the previous
rallied them a bit, light
ened their sledges, and sent them on
encouraged again.
During the next march We travelled
through a thick haze drifting over ths
Ice before a biting air from the n0rth1
east At the end Of the march wc
came upon the captain camped beside
a wide open lead with a dense black
water sky northwest, Rorth, and morrill,
east
HAS MARROW ESCAPE
We built our igloos and turned mi
but before | had fallen asleep pla
reused out by a movement Of the ie,l
md found a startling condition OF al
'airs-a rapidly-widening road Of badld
water ran only a few feet frem ot1
gloOs'
One of ny teams Of dogs had es-
.aped by only a few feet Rom berg
ragged by the movement of the ice
INTO the water.
Another team bad an equally mar
'ow escape from being crushed by theI
oe blocks piled over them. The ice
IN the north side Of the lead was NOV.
ng around eastward. The small floor
IN which we're the captains igloos
vas drifting eastward. in the omen
water. and the side Of our iglooss
threatened to follow suit.
scAVED BY QUICK DASH.
Kicking out the door Of the iRloo:
called to the oaptaia's men to mack
heir .sledges and be ready for a quick
lash when favorable chance arrived
We hurried our things on our
ledees. hitched the dogs. and moved
IN to large ice sHOe west Of us