The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-09-14
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I'D 4sBet.a good pace for about TN
houfH TWENTY. I'VE niles took me well
beyond the eighty eighth parallel
While q was bull ding my Eloos Il long,
lead formed by III east and southeastl
y OF ns at ID distance spf d few miles.
..5S "a few hours sleep and we Swereson
the trail again. al the going was now
practi caIly shor1z tai, we were unham-
5spered and could travel as long as we
pleased and sleep as little as we
\ wished X " ,t5.s d W !; p l5i
The weather was fine. and the going
like that of the previous day except at
the beginning when pickaxes were re.
sduired. This and j a brief stop at an
other lead cut down our distance.
x But we had made 20 miles in 10
hours and were half way to the eighty
ninth parallel. r =: a z. 4. .5s
4 The lee was grinding audibly in
every direction, but no motion was Wis
4 ible Eyl IDENTIFY 1t was settling back
Into equilibrium and probably sagging
due northward with It's release from
the wind pressure. ~
I s. Buckled Under eIeiahs. (.
H Again there was a few hours sleep
and we hit the trail before midnight.
The weather. and going were even bet
tter.S The surface. except az interrupt
ed by infrequents ridges. was as level
nBS the glacial fringe from Hecla to
i Columbia, and harder. We marched
some hing over 10 hours. the dogs be.
Ing often on the trot. and made 20
!. mil les. Near the end of the march we
rushed across % lead OF 100 yards wide
which 6bnckled under our sleighs and
finally broke as the last sledge left 1t.
I'VE stopped In sight OF the eighty.
ninth parallel in nltemperature OF 40
degrees below. Again scant sleep,
and we were on our way once more
and "a cross the eighty-ninth parallel.
This march duplicated the previous
spne as to weather and going.
* Position iWas 1925.
III Before Il turned in i took IN OBJ
servation which indicated our position
sas SO: 20. a. dense, lifeless pail hung
overhead. The horizon was black und
the Ice beneath was a CHASTITY. chalky
white. with no relief. striking con-
strast to the Igltmmering, sunlit fields
Sof:it;over which we had been travelling
/ for the previous four days.
ssS The last few hours 1t was on young
ice, and. occasionally the dogs were
Egalloping. We made % miles or more.
I the air, the sky and the bitter wind
burning the face till It, cracked.
sssst 1t was, like the great interior Ice cap
3of4 Greenland Even the natives COM
planned OF the bitter air. 1t was rs
keen as frost. of the steel. A little
longer sleep than the, previous ones
had to be; taken here. as we nll were
I'm need of It. Then on again!
! IS: 4 Their Fear Increased.
Up to this time, with each successive
march. our fear of an impossible lead
had Increased. = At every inequality of
the; Ice i found myself hurrying breath
leasly forward: fearing that 1t marked
"a lead, and when. 1 arrived at the sum-
mitfwould catch my. breath with relief,
only to find myself hurrying on In the
same way. Mt the next one.
Y But on this march, by some strange
shift OF Feeling. this fear fell from me
completely. The weather was thick.
s75 The: going was even better and there
was scarcely any snow on the hard.
granular, last summers surface OF the
old foes, dotted with the sapphire Ice
of the: previous summers lakes.
Ia rise tnttcmperature to Is below re.
iahcted the friction OF the sledges and
gave the dogs the appearance Of lav.
Ing caught.the spirit OF the party.
Dogs Voice the Spirit.
I q The more srrightly ones. as they
went along with tightly curled tails.
frequently tossed their heads with
short sharp barks and yelps.
~ In IL hours we had made 10 miles.
There was no sign OF lead in the
march I had now made my five
marches and was In time for a has:y
:noon observation through a temporary
break In the clouds. which Indicated
Our position as sS9:57.
II quote an entry from my Journal
sprne hours later:
b The pole at last! The prize OF three
.centnrlcsImy. dream and goal for 20
years. Mine at last! I can not bring
myself ito realize. it. 1t all seens SO
simple and commonplace"
IS Just Like Every Day.
As Bartlett said when turning back
when speaking of his, being in these
exclusive regions. which no mortal has
before:
! sit Is just like every day"
81 or course, I had my sensations that
made sleep q impossible for hours.
despite my utter fatigue-the sensa-
ton OF a lifetime but had no room
Tor them here. #
The first 80 hours at the pole were
spent IN taking observations: In going
= A., -, :, 1n.,,d f,,,r IN r,,r, mud