The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-09-22

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and was in time for hasty Noon OBJ
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 myself to realize it.
It all seems SO simple and common
place. AS Bartlett said when turning |
back, when speaking of his being In |
these exclusive regions. which no NOR |
tai has ever penetrated before: 1T
is just like every day"
OF course / had my sensations that
made sleep impossible for hours. de-
spite my utter fatigue-the sensations
of a lifetime: but I have no room for
them here.
The first 30 hours ut the pole were
spent in taking observations; In go
ing 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 horizon with my telescope for
possible land. and searching for a
practicable place to make a sounding.
TEMPERATURE At TOP OF WORLD
Ten hours after our arrival the
| clouds cleared before q light breeze
from our left and from that time un-
til our departure in the afternoon OF
| April Z the weather was cloudless and
| fawless.
| The minimum temperature during
the 80 hours was 80 below. the maxi
mum IL.
We had reached the goal. but the
return was still before us. It was esq
! sential that we reach the land before
( the next spring tide. and we must
strain every nerve to do this.
had a brief talk with my men.
From now on 1t was to be a big travel.
little sleep and q 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 an
other march. eat and sleep a few
hours. and repeat this daily.
FAST TIME ON RETURN.
As a matter of fact. We nearly did
this, covering regularly on our return
journey five outward marches in three
return marches.
Just as long as we could hold tho
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 q gale destroying the
track.
Just above the eighty-seventh paral-
lei was a region some nifty miles wide
which caused me considerable uneasi-
ness. Twelve hours of strong easter.
ly, 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
clothing to tighten the loads.
NO BOTTOM TO SEA.
5 Five miles from the pole . narrow
!, crack filled with recent ice. through
. which we were able to work a hole
l with a pickax, enabled me to make 8
= sounding. All my wire, $500 fathoms
was sent down. but there was NO bot
, tom.
5 In pulling up the wire parted a few
3 fathoms from the surface and lead ant
y wire went to the bottom. On wen
= reel and handle, Tightening the sledge,
still further. We had no more use fo
them now.
= Three marches brought US back Il
!. the igloos where the captain turne,
back. The last march was in the will,
sweep of a northerly gale, with drift
ing snow and the ice rocking unde
as we dashed over it.
a ICE FAVORED THEM.
South of where Marvin had turne
a back we came to where his party ha
q built several igloos while delayed b.
. open leads. Still further south W
a found where the captain had bee
d held up by an open lead and oblige
q to camp.
Fortunately the movement Of thes
F leads was simply open and shut. an
% It took considerable water motion I
p fault the trail seriously.
q While the captain, Marvin, and as
i. found later, Borup. had been delaye
ID Uy open ledOS, we seemed 10 OcAI
st charm and with no single lead WEI
ID we delayed more than a couple I
3. hours. Sometimes the ice was fal
Q. and firm enough to carry US across
ID sometimes a short detour. sometime
It a brief halt for the lead to clos
of sometimes an improvised ferry on q
n ice cake, kept the trail without diff
- Guilty down to the tenth outwal
march.
r. MEET SLIGHT HANDICAP.
70 1gloOs there disappeared complete
n. and the entire region was unrecogni
g. able. Where on the outward journ'
lie had been narrow cracks. there We
n now broad leads, one of them ov
IT. five miles in width. caught over wi
ag young ice.
r. Here again fortune favored US, n
~ no pronounced movement of the 1
y having taken place since the capita
at passed. We had his trail to folio
We picked up the old trail aga
~ ~ h. I'll FILL