Gilpin observer., 1909-09-16

From here we followed tho captasn's
trail. and on Arril 23 our s1edges
passed up the vertical edge of tho
glacier fringe. little west of Cape
Columbia
When the last sledge came up
thought my Eskimos had gone crazy
They yelled and called and daIced
themselves helpless. AS Ootah sat down
on his sledge he remarked. in Eskimo:
The devil is asleep or having trouble
with his wife, or we never should have
come back so easily"
A few hours later we arrived at
Crane City. under the bluffs o. Cape
Columbia. and after putting four
pounds of pemmican into each Of the
faithful dogs to keep them quiet We
had' at last our chance to sleep.
LONG SLEEP WELCOME.
Never shall forget that sleep at Cape
Columbia. 1t was sleep. sleep, then turn
over and sleep again. We slept glorious
ly, with never a thought of the morrow
or having to walk and, too, with no
thought that there to be never q
night more of binding headache
Cold water to a parched throat Is Moth
Ing compared with sleep to numbed.
fatgued brain and body.
Two days spent here in sleeping and
drying our clothes Then for the ship
Our dogs like ourselves, had not been
hungry when we arrived. but simply life
less with fatigue. They were different
animals now, and the better ones among
them swept with tightly curled tails
and uplifted heads and their hind legs
treading the with pistonlike regu-
larity.
MARvIN'S FATE LEARNED.
We reached Hecla in one march and
the Roosevelt in another When we
got to the Roosevelt 1 was staggered by
@ of thn fata tel
He had either been less cautious or less
fortunate than the rest of us, and his
death emphasized the risk to which We
all had been subjected. for there was not
one of us but had been in the sledge at
some time during the journey.
The big lead, cheated of it's prey three
years before, had at last gained its hu-
man victim
The rest can be told quickly Mcmillan
and Borup had started for the Green
land coast to deposit caches for me. Be
fore 1 arrived a flying Eskimo courier
from me overlook them with instructions
that the caches were no longer needed
and they We're to concentrate their ener-
giles the ideal observations etc at
Cape Morris X. Jesup and north from
there.
ROOSEVELT STARTS BACK.
These instructions were carried out and
after their return in the latter part of
May Mcmillan made some further tidal
plies remaining at the various caches
were brought in and July Is the
Roosevelt left its winter quarters and
was driven out into the channel back OF
Cape Mon.
1t fought its way south in the center
of the channel and passed Cape Sabine
on August s. or 80 days earlier than in
1903, and 80 days earlier than the British
expedition in 1876.
We picked up Whitney and his party
and stores at Etah. We killed seventy
odd walrus for my E;skimos. whom I
landed at their homes. We met tho
Jeanne off Saunders island and took over
its coal and cleared from Cape York on
August 26. one month earlier than In
| 1906.
ANNOUNCES HIS TRIUMPH.
| On September we arrived at Indian
Harbor, whence the message, STARS and
| stripes nailed to north pole" was sent
vibrating southwark through the crisp
| Labrador air
The elimination of long experience. u
| thorough knowledge of the conditions OF
the problem gained in the last expedition
| these, together with new type OF
| sledge which reduced the work of both
| dogs and driver. and a new type of camp
cooler which added to the comfort and
| increased the hours of sleep of tho
members of the party. combined to make
| the present expedition an agreeable i'm
| provement upon the last in respect to the
l
| the lessened discomfort and strain upon
| the members of the party.
HIS CAPABLE AIDS.
As to the personnel. I have again been
| particularly fortunate. Capt Bartlett is
| just Bartlett--treless. sleepless, enthusi-
astic. whether on the bridge or in the
crows nest or at the head of sledge
| division in the field.
DIR. Goodsell. the surgeon of the expe-
dition. not only looked after its health
and his own speciality of microscopes but
| took his full share of the field work OF
the expedition as well. and was always
| ready for any work
Profs. Marvin and Mcmillan have Sc
| cured mass of scientific data, having
made all the tidal and most of the field
work. and their services were invaluable
| in every way
soRUP AND OTHERS PRAISED.
| Borup not only made the record as to
| the distance travelled during the jour
| ney. but to his assistance and his expert
| Knowledge of photography is due what
| l believe to be the unequaled series OF
| photographs taken bv the expedition.
| Henson in the field and Percy as
steward were the same as ever. invaI-
| liable in their respective lines.
Chief Engineer Wardwell. also of
| the last expedition, aided by his as
sistant. Scott. kept the, machinery up
| to high state OF efficiency and has
| given tne ROOSEVELT tne toTce ana pow
| er which enabled II to negotiate appar-
| emily impracticable ice.
| Mr.. Gushue. the mate, who was In
| charge of the Roosevelt during the alb
sence OF Capt. Bartlett and myself and
| Boatswain Murphy. who was put in
charge of the station at Etah for tho
| relief of Cook. were both trustworthy
| and reliable men, and I count myself
fortunate in having had them in my
| service.
HAD A WILLING CREW.