The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-09-16
sIREAcE ALMOST LEVEL.

northward with its release from tho
wind pressure.
SURFACE ALMOST LEVEL.
Again there was few hours sleep
and we hit the trail before midnight.
Tho weather and going were even bet
ter. The surface, except AS interrupted
by infrequcnt ridges. was ms level as
tho glacial fringe from Hecla to Column
b!a, and harder.
we marched something over ten
hours the dogs being often on the trot
and made 20 miles. Near the end OF
| tho march we rushed across lead 100
| yards wide which bucklud under our
/ slcdges and finally broke as the last
| slcdgc loft II.
we stopped in sight OF the eighty
| ninth parallel In "A temperature of 40
| degrees below. Again n scant sleep
| and we were on our way once more
and ncross tho eighty ninth parallel
This march duplicated the previous
| ono as to weather and going, The last
! few hours IT was on young ice and oc-
| casionally the dogs were galloplng.
We made twenty-five miles or more.
the air. the sky. and the bitter wind
| burning tho face till II cracked. II was
! like tho great interior ice sap OF
! Greenland Even the natives com
planned Of the bitter air. Ii was as
/ keen as frozen steel.
! GUS one had to be taken here MS we
| were all IN need of It, Then on again.
! Tn to this time, with each successive
/ march our fear OF an impossible lead
! had inCrra ~ every inequality Of
the ice / found myself hurrylug breath
| lcssly forward fearing that 1t marked Il
| lead and when | arrived NJ the summit
would catch my breath with rcllef-ouly
to find myself hurryin6 On in the same
way at the urEt one.
But on this march. by some strange
shift OF feeling this fear fell from me
completely The weather was thick, but
It gave me no uucasincss.
Before / turned ia l took an observa-
ton which indicated our position as 50
degrees % minutes
4 rise in temperature to n degrees be-
low reduced tho friction OF the slcdges
and gave tho dogs the appearance Of
having caught the spirits Of the party
The NOR" spriEhuy ones, as they went
along with tightly Curlcl tails. frequent.
~ tossed their heads, with short, sharp
hnTEs and yelps.
In L hours we had made 10 miles
There was no Sign Of lead In the
march
ARRIVAL AT THE POLE.
had now made my five marches. and
was in time for hasty noon observation
through temporary break In the clouds,
which indicated our position as 1871.
quote an entry from my Journal some
| hours later:
Tho pole at last. The prize OF three
centuries my dream and goal for p
years. mine at last, l cannot bring my
self to realize II.
II all seems so simple and common.
place. As Bartlett aud when turning
back. when speaking Of his being In
these exclusive regions, which no morta
l. l.a.t
like every day"
or course l had NV aensations that
made sleep impossible for hours dcspt,
my utter failgue--thr sensations OF life
time. but have no room for them here
The first 20 hours at the polo wer,
spent In taking observations; in gonl
some ten miles beyond our camp ant
some eight miles TO tile right OF II: II
taking photographs, planting my flags
doposlting my records. studying the hori
zou with my telescope for possible land
and searching FOR a practicable place tt
/ make a sounding.
PLAN FOR RETURN TRIP.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before light breeze from GU
left and from that time until our depar
( turc in the afternoon OF April tn
weather was cloudltss and nIwlcss.
The minimum temperature during tn
!
We had reached the goal. hut tho re
3 turn was stll before us. 1t was essentia
I | that we reach the land before the mex
spring tide. and we must strain ever,
| nerve to do this.
2 ! had n brief talk with my men. From
% now on It was 10 be n big travel. it'll
r slccp and hustle every minute.
81 We would try. | told them, to doubt
I | march on the returu-that Is. TO star
and cover ono OF our nurthwar
= marches. make ten and eat our luncheon
< In the igloos. then cover another march
= eat and sleep few hours. and repea
3 this daily
X SPEED NEARLY DOUBLED.
y As matter of fact. We nearly di
= this, covering regularly on our return
: journey Ave outward marches In tire
return marches.
. Just as long as we could hold tn
trail we could double our speed. an
we need waste no time In bulldln
new igloos every day. so that the tim
g we gained on the return lcssened tn
g chances of q gale Destroying the track
Just above the eighty-sovcnth paral
n lei was a region some nifty miles wild
? which caused me considerable uncasl
b ness. Twelve hours of strong castcrlS
u westerly. or northerly wind woul
I make this region AN open sea.
In the afternoon OF the 18th we start
= ed on our return. having double fe
the dogs. repaired the sledges FOR tn
I, last time. and discarded all our spar
u clothing to tighten the loads.
=, TRIES TO SOUND SEA.
Five miles from the pole q mario,
d crack filled with recent Ice throug
q which we were able to work u hol
with n pIckaN, enabled me to make
h sounding. All my wire. 1900 fathomi
It was sent down. but there was no bot
@ tom.
n In pulling up the wire parted fer
fathoms from the surface and lead an
wire went to the bottom. on went ret
n and handle. tightening the sledgcs stl
:, further. We had no more use for thei
now.
% Three marches brought us back
a the igloos where tho captain turne
back. The last march was In the will
I sweep OF northerly gale. with drift
II Ing snow and the tee rocking under q
i. we dashed over II.
NOT DELAYED BY LEADS.
X South OF where Marvin had turne
y back we came to where his party ha
y built several igloos while delayed b
Il open leads. stu further south "
found whore the captain had been hel
IN he an omen lead and nbliUaJ ,