The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1909-09-16
FINDING The NORTH POLE

e-~~~--~~-~~o~~o~~~~-~~~
on the march I'm the rear The temper
ature was 80 below zero
The following morning, March Is. | sent
Hansen with his division north to pio-
ncer trail for FIVE marches. and Dr.
Goodscll, according to the program, start
ed back TO cape Columbia
Mcmillan Turns Back.
At night Marvin and Borup came spin
ming In with their men and dogs steam
ing In the bitter air like "a squadron Of
battleships. Their arrival relieved me
OF all anxiety as TO our oil supply.
In tho morning | discovered that Mac
Mlllnn's foot was badly frost bitten. The
mishap had occurred two or three days
before, but Mac MILAN had said nothing
about Il in the hope that II would come
out all right.
A glance at the injury showed me that
the only thing was to send him back to
cape Columbia at once. The arrival OF
Marvin and Borup enabled me to spare
sufficient men and dogs to go back with
him.
Loss Is Serious One.
This early loss Of Macmillan was seri-
ously disappointing To me. He had "a
sledgc all the way from Cape Columbia,
and with his enthusiasm and the powers
and physique OF the trained athlete |
had confidence i'm him for at least the
SGth parallel. but there was no alterna-
tive.
TIE best sledges and dogs were select.
ed and the slcdgc loads brought up to
the standard The sounding gave "a
depth Of 32j fathoms.
We were over the continual shelf, and.
az | had surfuiscd, the successive leads
crossed in the fifth and sixth marches
composed the big lead and marked the
continual shelf
IAV, l.,s,,. -,
comprised IL men, Il slcdges and 100 dogs.
The next march was satisfactory as re-
CARDS distance and the character of the
going. In the latter part there were
pronounced movements In the ice, both
visible and audible
Some leads were crossed, In one of
which Borup and his team took "a bath,
and we were finally stopped by an inn
practicable lead opening in front of US.
We campcd In n temperature OF 80 de-
grces below.
At the end Of two short marches we
came upon Hansen and his party in
camp mcnding their slcdges. We de-
voted the remainder OF the day TO over
hauling and mcuding slcdges and break
ing up our damaged ones for material.
Make Forced Marches.
The next morning | put Marvin in the
lead to pioneer the trail with instruC-
lions to make two forced marches to
bring up our average which had been
cut down by the last two short ones
Marvin carried out his instructions inn
pliCitly. a considerable amount of young
Ice assisted In this.
At the end OF the tenth march, latitude
SOB, Borup turned back in command of
the second supporting party having trav-
olod Il distance equivalent to Nauscn's
distance from this far to his farthcst
north.
a, IL Nst,t,
runner, with his enthusiasm and pluck
He had led his heavy slcdge over the
tlOcs In a way that commanded every
ones admiration and would have made
his fathers eyes Glstcn.
Changes His Plan.
From this point the expedition com
priscd 70 men, ~ slcdEcs. and 20 dogs. 1t
was necessary for Marvin to take
slcdg" from here, ana | put Bartlett
and his division in advance to pioneer
the trail.
The continual daylight enabled me to
make moderation here that brought my
advance and main parties closer together
and reduced the likelihood of their be-
Ing separated by open leads.
After Bartlett left camp with Hender-
son and their division, Marvin and | re-
malncd with our division 20 hours long
or and then followed, When We reached
Bartlett's camp he broke out and went
on and we turned In. by this arrange
mcnt the advance party was travelling
while the main party was asleep, and
vice versa, and | was in touch with my
advance party every q hours.
Moves ExpedtousIy.
had no reason to complain OF the
going for the next two marches, though
for less experienced party, less adapt
able slcdgos, or less perfect equipment 1t
would have been an impossibillty.
At our position at the end of the sec
ond march, Marvin obtained "A satlsfaC-
tory sight for latitude IN clear weather,
which placed us at Si,iS, The result
agreed satisfactorily with the dead rcCk-
onng of Marvin, Bartlett and myself
Up to this time. the slight altitude OF
the sun had made IL not worth while to
waste time in observations.
on the next two marches the going i'm
proved, and We covered good distances.
In one OF these marches IA lead delayed
us a few hours. We finally ferried across
the ice cakes.
Makes Record Run.
The next day Bartlett let himself out,
evidently, for record, and reeled off 20
miles Here Marvin obtained another
satisfactory sight on latitude. which gave
the position as 6S tor beyond the farth.
est north OF Nanscn and AbruZzD, ana
showed that we had covered 30 minutes
of latitude in three marches
In these three marches we had passed
the Norwegian record OF SOFA. by Nan
sen, and the Italian record of 1924. by
Cagni,
From this point Marvin turned back in
command Of the third supporting party.
My last words To him were: BE care
ful of the leads, my boy"
The party from this point comprised
nine men. seven slcdEes. and 90 dogs.
The conditions at this camp and the APP
parcntly unbrokcn cNplnso Of fairly level
lee in every direction reminded me OF
Cugni's description of his farthest north
Danger Is Encountered.
But | was not deceived by the appar-
entity favorable outlook, for available
conditions never continue for any dis
lance or any length of time In the arc
Nc regions.
The next march was over good GO
ing, but for the first time since leaving
land We experienced that condition FREE
qucnt over these ice fields, of n hazy at
mosphcre, in which the light is equal
everywhere. All relief is destroyed. and
II is impossible TO see for any distance.
We were obliged in this march To make
dctour around an open lead. In the
noNt march we encountered the heaviest
ana deepest snow OF the journey, through
a thick, smothering mantle lying In the
deprcssions Of heavy ruhble ice.