davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Heavy Running Ice.

Finally on September 2 we squeezed
around Cape Union and made fast in a
shallow niche in the ice, but after some
hours we made another short run to
Black cape and hung on to a grounded
bit Of ice. At last, a little after mid
night of September 5, we passed through
extremely heavy running ice into a
stream of open water, rounded Cape
Rawson and passed Cape Sheridan.
Within a quarter of an hour of the
same time we arrived three years before
seven a. m, September 5-we reached
the open water extending beyond Cape
Sheridan.
We steamed up to the end of 1t and 1t
appeared practicable at first to reach
Porter bay. near Cape Joseph Hen,y,
which / had for my winter quarters, but
the outlook being unsatisfactory, 1 went
back and put the Roosevelt into the
only opening in the fioe,' being barred
close TO the mouth of the Sheridan riv-
er a little north of our position three
Uaara nrior
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Prepare for SIedge Trip.

On September Is the null work of trans
ferring supplies to Cape Columbia was
inaugurated. Marvin with DR.. Good
sail and Borup and the Eskimos. took l6
sledge loads Of supplies to Cape Belknap
and on the 9th the same party started
wi:h loads to Porter bay.
The work of hunting and transporting
supplies was prosecuted continuously by
the members of the party and the Eski-
mos until November 5. when the sup
plies for the spring sledge trip had been
removed from winter quarters and de-
posted at various places from Cape Co
al to Cape Columbia.
The latter part OF September the move
ment of the ice subjected the ship to q
pressure which listed it to port some
eight or ten degrees, and it did not re-
cover till the following spring.
Or October / 1 went on a hunt with we
Eskimos across the field and Pass bay
and the peninsula, made the circuit Of
Clemants Markham inlet, and returned
to the ship in seven days with Is musk
oxen, a bear and a deer.
Later in October l repeated the trip,
obtaining five musk oxen. and hunting
parties secured some 40 deer.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
American Explorers Own Story Of His Thrilling and Successful
Dash to the Absolute Apex Of the Earth.

and we were on our way once more
and across the eight~-ninth parallel,
This march duplic. Al the previous
one as to Weather and foing. The last
few hours 1t was on y II ice and oc-
~casionally the dogs were ~galloping.
We made twenty-five miles or more.
the air, the sky. and the bitter wind
burning the face till ii cracked. 1t was
like the great interior ice gap of
Greenland. Even the natives COM
planned OF the bitter air. 1t was as
keen as frozen steel.
A little longer sleep than the previ-
Gus one had to be taken here, as we
were all in need OF IL. Then on again.
Up to this time, with each successive
march, our fear of an impossible lead
had increased. At every inequality OF
the ice | found myself hurrying breath
lessly forward, fearing that il marked a
lead, and when / arrived at the summit
would catch my breath with relief-only
to find myself hurrying on in the same
way at the next one.
But on this march. by some strange
shift of feeling, this fear fell from me
completely. The weather was thick, bul
ii gave ne no uneasiness.
Before i turned in / too an observa-
ton which indicated our position as SO
degrees % minutes.
A rise in temperature to 10 degrees be-
low reduced the friction of the sledges
and gave the dogs the appearance OF
having caught the spirits of the party
The more sprightly ones, as they went
along with tightly curled tails. frequent
ly tossed their heads, with short. sharp
barks and yelps.
There was no sign Of a lead in the
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Pass British Record.

We camped ten miles from Crane City.
The e~asterly wine and low temperature
continued. In the second march we
passed the British record made by Mark
ham in May, 1S76-S2. 2O-and were stopped
by open water, which had been formed
by wind after Bartlett passed.
In this march we negotiated the lead
and reached Bartlett's third camp. Borup
had gone back from here, but missed his
way, owing to the faulting of the trail
by tire movement of the ice.
Marvin came back also for more fuel
and alcohol. The wind continued, form
ing open water all about us. At the end
of the fourth march we came upon
Bartlett, who had been stopped by a
wide lake of open water. We remained
here from March 4 to March IL.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Makes Record Run.

The next day Bartlett let himself out,
evidently, for a record, ana reeled off 20
miles. Here Marvin obtained another
satisfactory sight on latitude, which gave
the position as S6.3S Cor beyond the farth-
est north of Nansen and Abruzzi). and
showed that we had covered so minutes
of latitude in three marches.
In these three marches we had passed
the Norwegian record of S6.14, by Nam
sen, and the Italian record Of So. "a, by
Cagni.
From this point Marvin turned back in
command OF the third supporting party.
My last words to him were: BE care
full of the leads, my boy"
The party from this point comprised
nine men, seven sledges, and so dogs.
The conditions at this camp and the APP
parently unbroken expanse of fairly level
ice in every direction reminded me Of
Cagni's description of his farthest north.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Little Trouble in Leads.

South Of where Marvin had turned
back we came to where his party had
built several igloos while delayed by
open leads. Still further south we
found where the captain had been held
up by an open lead and obliged to
camp.
Fortunately the movement of these
leads was simply open and shut. and ii
took considerable water motion to fault
the trail seriously.
While the captain, Marvin, and as
found later. Borup. had been delayed
by open leads. we seemed to bear a
charm and with no single lead were we
delayed more thar a couple of hours.
Sometimes the ice was fast and firm
enough to carry us across; sometimes
a short detour. sometimes a brief halt
for the lead to close, sometimes an i'm
provised ferry on an ice cake, kept the
trail without difficulty down to the
tenth outward march.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Strike Ice and Foo.

From this point we had a clear run
through the middle of Robson channel
uninterrupted by either ice or fog, to
Lady Franklin bay. Here we encoun-
tered both ice and fog. and while
working along in search of a practi-
cable opening were forced across to
the Greenland coast at Thank God
Harbor.
The fog lifted there and enabled US
to make out our whereabouts and we
teamed north through a series of leads
past Cape Lupton, and thence south
ward toward Cape Union. A few miles
of that cape we were stopped by i'm
practicable ice. and we drifted back
south to Cape Union. where we stopped
gain,
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Bartlett Leads the Way.

On the last day of February Bartlett,
with his pioneer division, accomplished
this, and his division got AVA due
north over the ice on March /. The rest
of the party got away on Bartlett's
trail, and l followed an hour later.
The party now comprised seven mem
bers of the expedition, II Eskimos, 1873
dogs and 10 sledges. One Eskimo and
seven dogs had gone to pieces.
A strong easterly wind, drifting
snow, and temperature in the minus
marked our departure from the camp at
Cape Columbia, which l had christened
Crane City. Rough ice in the first march
damaged several sledges and smashed
w beyond repair, the teams going back
to Columbia for other sledges in reserve
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Double Speed on Return.

AZ a matter OF fact, we nearly did
this, covering regularly on our return
journey five outward marches in three
return marches.
lust as long as we could hold the
trail we could double our speed, and
we need waste no time in building
new igloos every day. so that the time
we gained on the return lessened the
chances Of a gale destroying the track.
Just above the eighty-seventh paral-
lei was a region some fifty miles wide
which caused me considerable uneasi-
ness. Twelve hours of strong easterly,
westerly, or northerly wind would
make this region an open sea.
In the afternoon Of the 7th we start
ed on our return. having double fed
the dogs, repaired the sledges for the
last time. and discarded all our spare
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Temporarily DISCOURAGED.

l came upon Bartlett and his party,
tagged out and temporarily discouraged
road.
l knew was the matter with
them. They were simply spoiled by the
good going on the previous marches. /
rallied them a bit, lightened their sIedges
and sent them on encouraged again.
During the next march we trayeied
through a thick haze drifting over the
Ice before a biting air from the north
east. At the end of the march we came
upon the captain camped beside a wide
open lead with a dense black water sky
northwest, north and northeast.
The next march was also a long one.
1t was Bartlett's last hit. He let him
self out over a series of large cid foes,
steadily increasing in diameter and
covered with hard spow
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Ship Forced Aground.

We lay for some time In a lake OF
water, and then. to prevent being drift
ed south again. took refuge under the
north shore of Lincoln bay. in nearly
the Identical place where we had our
unpleasant experiences three years be-
fore. Here we remained for several
days during a period of constant and
at times violent northeasterly winds.
Twice we were forced aground by
the heavy ice; we had our port quar-
ter rail broken and a hole stove in the
bulwarks, and twice we pushed out in
an attempt to get north. but were
forced back each time to our precari-
nus shelter,
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Goal of Centuries Reached By Marvelously Swift
Travel, Smooth Ice and Mild Weather
MISREPRESENTATION of Intrepid
Commander at Climax of
His Life Work.

the distance. but IL was only momen-
tary. My work was still ahead, not in
the rear.
Bartlett had done good work and had
been a great help to me. Circumstances
had thrust the brunt of the pioneering
upon him instead of dividing it among
several, as l had planned.
He had reason to take pride in the
fact that he had bettered the Italian
record by a degree and a quarter and
had covered a distance equal to the
entire distance of the Italian expedi-
ton from Franz Josef's land to Cagni's
farthest north.
l had given Bartlett this position and
post of honor in command of my
fourth and last supporting party. and
for two reasons: first, because of his
magnificent handling of the Roosevelt;
second, because he had cheerfully stood
between me and many trifiing annoy
ances on the expeditions.
Then there was a third reason. 1t
seemed to me appropriate in view Of
the agnifcent British record of arc
tic work, covering three centuries, that
II should be a British subject who
could boast that, next to an American,
ba had hapn naaraSt fhA npla
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Macmillan Turns Back.

At night Marvin and Borup came spin
ning in with their mel and dogs steam
ing in the bitter air like a squadron Of
b~attleships. Their arrival relieved me
of all anxiety as to our oil supply.
In the morning / discovered that Mac
Millan's foot was badly frost bitten. The
mishap had occurred two or three days
before, but Macmillan had said nothing
about 1t in the hope that 1t would come
out all right.
A glance at the injury showed me that
Inc 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 Jack with
him.
ON leaving the camp .he expedition
comprised is men. II sledges and 100 dogs.
The next march was satisfactory as re-
gards distance and the character Of the
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Going improves on Way.

Again there was a few hours sleep
and we hit the trail before midnight.
The weather and going were even bet
ter. The surface. except as interrupted
by infrequent ridges. was as level as
the glacial fringe from Hecla to Column
bia, and harder.
We marched something over ten
hours. the dogs being often on the trot.
and made 20 miles. Near the end of
the march we rushed across a lead 100
yards wide. which buckled under our
si1SSes and finally broke as the last
sledge left II.
We stopped in sight of the eighty
ninth parallel in a temperature Of 40
degrees below. Again q scant sleep
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
CHANCES His Plan.

From this point the expedition COM
prised 20 men, 10 sledges, and 70 dogs. 1t
was necessary for Marvin to take a
sledge from here, and l put Bartlett
and his division in advance to pioneer
the trail.
The continual daylight enabled me to
make a 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-
manned with our division 20 hours long
err and then followed When W. reached
Bartlett's camp he broke out and went
on and we turned in. By this arrange
ment the advance party was travelling
while the main party was asleep, and
vice versa. and ! was in touch with my
advance party every "a hours.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Pole Reached at Last.

i had now made MY five marches, and
was In time for "a hasty noon observation
through a temporary break in the clouds,
which indicated our position as 1857. i
quote an entry from my journal some
hours later:
The pole at last. The prize of three
centuries, my dream and goal for 20
years, mine at last. / cannot bring my
self to realize 1t.
1t all seems so simple and common
place. As Bartlett said when turning
back. when speaking of his being in
these exclusive regions, which no mortal
has ever penetrated before: 1T is just
like every day"
OF course / mad my sensations that
made sleep impossible for hours, despite
my utter fatigue-the sensations of a life
time; but ! have no room for them here.
The first 30 hours at the pole were
spent in taking observations; in going
some ten miles beyond our camp and
some eight miles to the right of it; in
taking photographs, planting my flags,
depositing my records, studying the hori-
zon with my telescope for possible land.
and searching for a practicable place to
make "A sounding.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before a light breeze from our
left and from that time until our depar-
ture in the afternoon of April the
weather was cloudless and fawless.
The minimum temperature during the
30 hours was 80 below, the maximum IL.
We had reached the goal. but the re-
turn was still before us. 1t was essential
that we reach the land before the next
spring tide, and we must strain every
nerve to do this.
l had a brief talk with my men. From
now on 1t was to be a big travel, little
sleep and a hustle every minute.
We would try, / told them, to double
march on the return-that is. to start
and cover one of our northward
marches, make tea and eat our luncheon
in the igloos. then cover another march,
eat anu sleep a few hours, and repeat
this daily.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
DANGER Is Encountered.

But l vas not deceived by the appar-
emily favorable outlook. for available
conditions never continue for any dis
lance or any length of time in the arc
tic regions.
The next march was over good 60
ing, but for the first time since leaving
land we experienced that condition, fire.
quent over these ice fields, of a hazy at
mosphere. 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
a detour around an open lead. In the
next march we encountered the heaviest
and deepest snow of the journey, through
a thick, smothering mantle lying in the
depressionS of heavy ruhhle ice
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Sleep Finally in Safety.

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 was to be never .
night more of binding headache.
Cold water to a parched throat is nth
ing compared with sleep to a numbed.
fatigued brain and body.
Two days we 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 on with tightly curled tails
and uplifted heads and their hind legs
treading the snow with pistonlike regu-
Iarity
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Supplies Moved to Base.

In the February moon Bartlett went to
Cape Hecla. Goodsall moved some more
supplies from Hecla to Cape Colan, and
Borup went TO Markham inlet on a hunt
ing trip. On February Is Bartlett left
the Roosevelt with his division for Cape
Columbia and Parr bay.
Goodsall, Borup, Macmillan and Han
sen followed on successive days with
their provisions. Marvin returned from
Cape Bryant on February II and left for
Cape Columbia on February q. l brought
up the rear on February p.
The total of all divisions leaving the
Roosevelt was seven members of the
party, So Eskimos, 40 dogs and % sledges.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Sea 1900 Fathoms Deep.

Five miles from the pole a narrow
crack filled with recent Ice, through
which we were able TO work a hole
with a pickax. enabled me to make a
sounding. All my wire. 1900 fathoms,
was sent down. but there was no bot
tom.
In pulling up the wire parted a few
fathoms from the surface and lead and
wire went to the bottom. on went reel
and handle. tightening the sledges still
further. We had no more use for them
now
Three marches brought us back to
the igloos where the captain turned
back. The last march was in the wild
sweep of a northerly gale, with drift
tng snow and the ice rocking under as
we dashed over IL.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Make Ready for Dash.

BY February q such Of the Cape Collar
depot as was needed had been brought
up to Cape Columbia, the dogs were
rested and double rationed and harnessed,
and the sledges and other gear over
hauled.
Four months of n~ortherly winds during
the fall and winter instead of sOuther-
ly ones, as during the previous season,
led me to expect less open water than
before, but a great deal of rough ice, aud
| was prepared "a hCU a road through
the jagged ice for The first hundred miles
or so. then cross the big lead.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Peary Denies Cook Claim.

Battle Ha-boI, Labrador (via Marconi
wireless, Cape Ray, n. F., Sept. lO.-Do
not trouble about Cooks story. or at
tempt to explain any discrepancies in his
statements. The affair will settle itself.
He has not been at the pole on April
81, 1908, or at any other time. He has
simply handed the public a gold brick.
These statements are made adVisedly,
and / have proof of them. When he
makes a full statement of his journey
over his signature to some geographical
society, or other reputable body, II that
statement contains the claim that he mas
reached the pole, / shall be in a posi-
ton to furnish material that may prove
distinctly interesting reading for the pub
tic. ROBERT b. PEARY.
Battle Harbor, Labrador (via Marco
nj wireless, Cape Ray. N. F.). Sept. 3
The steamer Roosevelt, bearing the
north polar expedition of the Peary
Arctic club, parted company with the
Erik and steamed out of Etah ford late
in the afternoon of August Is, 1908.
setting the usual course for Cape Sa-
bine. The weather was dirty, with
fresh southerly winds. We had on
board ~ Eskimo men, II women. and
10 children. 226 dogs. and some forty
odd walrus.
We encountered the ice a short dis
lance from the mouth Of the harbor.
but it was not closely packed, and was
negotiated by the Roosevelt without
serious difficulty.
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Moves ExpeditiouSIy.

l had no reason to complain of the
going for the next two marches, though
for a less experienced party, less adapt
able sledges, or less perfect equipment 1T
would nave been an impossibility.
At our position at the end of the Sec
ond march, Marvin obtained a satisfac-
tory sight for latitude in clear weather,
which placed us at 5.4S. The result
agreed satisfactorily with the dead reck-
oning of Marvin, Bartlett and myself.
Up to this time, the slight altitude of
the sun had made it not worth while to
waste time in observations.
On the next two marches the going inn
proved, and we covered good distances.
In one OF these marches a lead delayed
US a few hours. We finally ferried across
tho Too caEaS
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Fine Morning for Start.

1t was q fine morning. The wind Of
the last two days had subsidized, and the
going W s the best and most equable
Of any 1 had had yet. The foes were
large and old, and clear, and were sur
rounded by pressure ridges, some of
which were almost stupendous.
The biggest Of them, however, were
easily negotiated, either through some
crevice or UP some huge brink. / set
a good pace for about ten hours.
Twenty-Five miles look me well be-
yond the eighty-eighth parallel.
While / was building my igloos a
long lead forward by the east and
southwest of us at a distance Of a few
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Few Handbags Are Faced.

A few hours sleep and we were on
the trail again. AS the going was now
practically horizontal. we were I'M
hampered and could ravel as long as
we pleased and sleep as little as we
wished.
The weather was fine and the going
like that of the previous day. except
at the beginning, when pickaxes were
required. This and a brief stop at an
other lead cut down our distance. But
we had made 20 miles in ten hours and
were half way to the eighty-ninth
no rallal
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
First Handicap on Return.

Igloos there disappeared completely
and the entire region was u~nrecogniz-
able. Where On the outward journey
had been narrow cracks. there were
now broad leads one of them over five
miles in width. caught over with young
Ice.
Here again fortune favored us. and
no pronounced movement Of the ice
having taken place since the captain
passed. We had his trail to follow. We
picked up the old trail again north of
the seventh iEloos, followed Il beyond
The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1909-09-16
Ready for Final Effort.

With the disappearance of Bartlett l
turned to the problem before me. This
was that for which / had worked for SO
years, for which / had lived the simple
life; for which 1 a conserved all my
energy on the upward trip; for which
/ had trained myself az for a race, crush
ing down every worry about success.
In spite of my years, l felt in trim
At for the demands of the coming days
and eager to be on the trail.
AS for my party, my equipment, and
my supplies, l was in shape beyond my
most sanguine dreams Of earliest years.
My party might be regarded as an
ideal, which had now come to realization
as loyal and responsive to my will as
the fingers of nv right hand.