Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-10-15


FoodAllowance Used-Mad- 3
9 dening Eject of Polar Gilt 3
3 ter--Despair of Ahwelah, 9
3 Beyond Is Impossible" % g
o@o>o>o~o~o>o>o~o>o>o~o>oS
at 10 and ending at z. The big marcu-
es and prolonged hours of travel with
which fortune favored us earlier were
no longer possible. Weather condi.
lions were more important In deter
mining the days run than the hands
Of the chronometers.
When the storms threatened the
start was delayed. and I'm strong blows
the march was shortened. but I'm one
way or another we usually found
few hours in each turn of the dial dur
ing which a march could be forced be-
tween winds. IL mattered little wheth.
err we travelled night or day-all hours
and all days were alike TO us-for we
had no accustomed time OF rest. no
Sundays. no holiday. nc landmarks or
mileposts TO pass. To advance and ex-
pend the energy accumulated durlr
one sleep at the cost OF our pound OF
pemmican was the one sole aim in.
life.
Tie observations OF April II gave
latitude 50 degrees 20 minutes. longi-
tude ~ minutes 10 seconds. The pack
disturbance OF Bradley Land was less
and less noted i'm the northward move
| meBt. The fields became heavier. lar
ger and less crevassed.
We had now passed the highest
reaches of all our predecessors and
had gained the inspiration OF the far
thest north for ourselves. The time
was at hand. however. to consider seri-
ously the necessity OF an early return.
Nearly half of the food allowance
had been used. In the long marches
supplies had been more literally used
than anticipated. and now our do,
teams were much reduced in numbers
y hard necessity had forced the cruei
law OF the survival OF the tittest. for
the less useful dogs were fed to the
steady working survivors. Owing To
the food limits aud the advancing sea
sou we could not prudently continue
the outward march fortnight longer
We had dragged ourselves 300 miles
over the polar sea in twenty-four days
Including delays and detours this gave
an average OF nearly thirteen miles
daily on an air line in our course
There remained an unknown line OF
1GO miles before our ambitions could
be satisfied. The same average ad-
vance which we had made on thepack
would take us TO the pole In thirteen
| days. There were food and fuel enough
TO risk this adventure.
In the diary OF the succeeding days
doings there appear numerous tabu-
lations OF work and observations. In
the new cracks the thickness of the
Ice was measured. The water was ex-
amined for life. Atmospheric, surface
water aud Ice temperatures were TAX
en-. the barometer was noted. the
cloud formations. weather conditions
and ice drifts were tabulated.
/ watched daily for possible signs
OF dangerous failure In strength. for
serious disability now mean, fatal
termination.
A disabled man could neither con-
tinue nor return. but every examina-
ton gave another reason TO push hui
man endurance To the limit of the
strain of every fiber and cell. The
hard work which followed. under an
occasional burst of burning sunbeams.
brought intense thirst
Forcing the habit OF the camel. we
managed TO take enough water before
starting TO keep sufficient liquid in the
veins for the days march. but IL was
difficult to await the melting OF the ice
at camping time.
In two sittings-evening and morn
ing-each took an average OF three
quarts OF water daily. This included
the ten and also the luxury OF an oc.
casional soup There was water about
everywhere in heaps. but 1t was In
crystals. and before the thirst could
be Quenched several ounces OF pre-
cious fuel. which had been carried
thousands OF miles. must be FUSED. And
still this water. so expensive and so
necessary TO US. ultimately became the
greatest bane TO comfort IL escaped
through the pores OF the skin. satu-
rated the boots. forced a band OF ice
under the knee and belt or frost
about the waist. while the face was
nearly always incascd In q mask of
icicies from the breath-a necessary
part OF our hard lot In life. and we
learned to take the torture philosoph- |
ically.
From the eighty-seventh to the
eighty-eighth parallel we passed for
two days over old ice without pressure
lines or hummocks. There was no dis |
cernible line OF demarcation for the
nelds. and IL was quite impossible Ia
determine IL we were on land or sea-
Ice The barometer indicated no ele-
walton. but ths ice had the hard. wav-
ing surface Of glacial ice. with only
Superficial crevasses. The water OBJ
tanned from this was not salty. but all
or the upper surface of the ice of the
polar sea makes similar water. The
nautical observations did not seem 10
Indicate drift. but nevertheless the
combined fluctuations do not warrant
the positive assertion OF either land or
sea for this area
The Ice gave cheering prospect. A
plain OF purple and blue ran in easy
undulations to the limits of vision