The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1909-09-10

elevation and no positive sign of land
or sea.
Observations on the 14th gave lati-
tude SO degrees 21 minutes and longi-
tude 95 degrees 80 minutes.
We were now less than 100 miles
from the pole.
The pack was here more active, but
the temperature remained below. 40,
cementing together quickly the new
crevices.
Young ice spread on the narrow spaces
of open water so rapidly that little de-
lay was caused in crossing from one
field to another.
The time now had arrived to muster
energy for the last series of efforts.
In the enforced effort, every human
strand was strained, and at camping
time there was no longer Sufficient
energy to erect snow shelter, though
the temperature was still very low.
The silk tent was pressed into service
and the change proved agreeable. 1t
encouraged a more careful scrutiny of
the strange world into which fSase had
pressed us.
Signs of land were still seen every
day, but they were deceptive illusions
or mere flight of fancy.
1t seemed something must cross the
horizon to mark the important area in
to which we were pushing.
MIDNIGHT SUN CAUSES MIRAGEs.
When the sun was low the eye ran
over the moving plains of color to dane
ing horizons. The mirages turned things
topsy-turvy. Inverted mountains and
queer objects ever rose and fell in
shrouds of mystery, but all of this was
due to the atmospheric magic of the
midnight sun.
Slowly, but surely, we neared the
turning point. Good astronomical OBJ
servations were procured daily to fix the
advancing stages.
The ice steadily improved, but still
there was depressing monotony of
scene, and life had no pleasures, no
spiritual recreation, nothing to relieve
the steady physical drag of chronic fa-
tigue.
But there came an end to this, as to
all things. On April q the first cor
rected altitude of the sun gave SO de-
grees SO minutes 46 seconds.
The pole, therefore, was in sight.
We advanced the fourteen seconds,
made supplementary observations and
prepared to stay long enough to permit
double round Of observations.
Etukishook and Aswelab were told
that we had reached the 'Neig Nall
and they sought to celebrate by dance
of savage Joy.
At last we had pierced the boreal
center and the flag had been raised to
the coveted breezes of the north pole!
The day was April 21, 1908. The sun
indicated local noon, but time was a
negative problem, for here all merid-
ians meet.
With a step it was possible to go from
one part of the globe to the opposite
side.
From the hour of midnight to that
of midday the latitude was 80, the tenn
perature SO and the barometer 1888.
ALL DIRECTIONS VANISH.
North, east and west had vanished,
1t was south in every direction, but the
compass pointing to the magnetic pole
was as useful as ever.
Though overioyed with the success of
lHC COHNuCSb, Jul splllIo DCSdll W uO-
scend. On the following day, after all
the observations had been taken with a
careful study of the local conditions, a
sense of intense loneliness came with
the further scrutiny of the horizon.
What cheerless spot to have aroused
the ambition of man for so many ages.
An endless field of purple SHOWS! No
lifel No landl No spot to relieve the
monotony of frostl We were the only
pulsating creatures in dead world of
icel
We turned our back to the pole on
April % and began the long return
march. Counting on a continued east
erly drift, the course was forced farther
west. With fair weather, good ice and
the inspiration of the home run, long
distances at first were quickly covered.