Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-12-04

THE r
tours. Resolutions were REINFORCED
and energy was harbor.d SO press on
ward for the pole In an air line.
Fair Marches Made.
Every observation. however. indicat-
ed an easterly drift. and a westerly
course must be continuously forced to
counterbalance the movement. cur
tain was drawn over the land in the
afternoon Of March 81. and we saw
no more OF it. Day after day we now
pushed along ia desperate northward
efforts. Strong winds and fractured,
irregular ice increased the difficulties.
Progress was slow.
In one way or other we managed to
gain fair march between storms dur
ing each twenty-four hours. In an oc-
caslonal spell of stiffness mirages
spread screens OF fantasy out for our
entertainment Curious cliffs. ode
shaped mountains and inverted Ice
walls were displayed in attractive col
ors- Discoveries were made often. but
with clearer horizon the deception was
detected.
On April the barometer remained
steady and the thermometer sank.
The weather became settled and clear.
The pack became a more permanent
glitter of color and joy At noon there
was now a dazzling light. while the
NJ Init O..
moments under a persistent northerly
haze. leaving the frosted blues bathed
In MONDAY splendor.
In these days we made long marches.
The ice steadily improved. Fields be-
came larger and thicker, the pressure
lines less frequent and less trouble
some. Nothing changed material ly
The horizon moved: our footing was
seemingly n solid crust Of. ice. but it
shifted eastward. All was In notion
Often we were too tired to build snow
houses. and In sheer exhaustion we
biyouacked In the Ice Of hummOcks.
Here the Overworked body called for
sleep. but the mind refused to close the
eye.
In a Lifeless World.
There was a weird attraction In the
anomaly @ our surroundings which
aroused the spirits. We had passed
beyond the range OF all life. For
many days we had not seen n sugges-
ton OF animated nature. There were
no longer footprints TO indicate other
life; no breath spouts escaped from
the frosted bosom OF the sea.
Even the sea algae OF the surface
waters were no longer detected. We
were alone. all alone. I'm a lifeless
world. We had come TO this mental
blank In slow but progressive stages.
As we sailed from the barren areas ~
the fisher folk along the outposts OF
civilization the complex luxury OF the
metropolis was lost and the brain call
ed for food
Beyond. In the half savage wilder
ness OF Danish Greenland. there was
the dawn OF n new life OF primitive
delight Still farther along. In the
ultima Thule OF the aborigines. the
sun rose over the days OF prehistoric
joys. Advancing beyond the haunts
OF man. we reached the MONDAY spIen-
dor OF thought I'm times before mans
creation.
Now, as we pushed beyond the habi-
tat or all creatures. ever onward. into
the sterile wastes. the sun sets. Be-
yond were night aud hopelessneSs.
With eager eyes we searched the
dusky plains OF frost, but there was
no speck OF life to grace the purple
run OF death.
In this mid-polar basin the ice does
! not readily escape and disentangIe. II
is probably In motion at all times OF
the year and I'm the readjustment OF
the fields following motion and expan-
sion there are open spaces Of water,
and these during most months are
quickly sheeted with new ice.
Measuring the Ice.
In these troubled areas we we're civ
en- frequent opportunities TO measure
ice thickness. and from our ohserva-
lions we have come TO the conclusion
that the ice during one year does not
freeze TO a depth OF more than about
ten feet. But much OF the ice Of the
central pack reaches depth Of from
sionally we crossed fields fifty feet
thick. These invariably showed signs
OF many years Of surface upbunding.
IL is very difficult 10 surmiSe the
amount Of submerged freezing after
the first year. but the very uniform
thickness Of the antarctic sea ice leads
TO the suggestion that a limit is reach
ed in the second year. when the ice.
with its cover OF snow. is so thick that
very little Is added afterwarG from be
low
Increase in size after that Ia prob
ably I'm the main the result Of addi-
ton TO the superstructure. Frequent
falls Of snow, combined with the al
ternate melting and freezing OF sum-
mer and a process similar to the up
building OF glacial ice, are mainly re-
sponsible for the growth in thickness.
The very heavy. undulating fields
which give character to the mid-poIar
fee and escane along the east and west