Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-09-16

While / was building my igioos
long lead forward by the east and
southwest of us at distance OF few
miles.
Travel Was Easy.
A few hours sleep and we were on
the trail again. AS the going was now
practically horizontal. we were un-
hampered and could travel 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 piekaxes were
required. This and 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
parallel.
The ice was grinding audibly In every
direction. but no motion was visible
Evidently II was settling back into
equilibrium and probably sagging due
northward with its release from the
wind pressure,
Surface Almost Level.
Again there was 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
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 lead 100
yards wide. which buckled under our
sledges and finally broke as the last
sledge left It,
ninth parallel in temperature of 40
degrees below. Again scant sleep
and we We're on our way once more
and across the eighty ninth parallel.
This march duplicated the previous
one as to weather and going. The last
few hours 1t was on young 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 1t 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.
little longer sleep than the previ-
Gus one had to be taken here. as we
were all in need OF 1t. 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 II marked a
lead, and when 1 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, but
1t gave me no uneasiness.
Before j turned In / took an observa-
ton which indicated our position as 81
degrees rs minutes.
A dense, lifeless pail hung overhead
The horizon was black and the Ice be-
meath was a CHASTITY, chalky white. with
no relief-a striking contrast to the glim-
mering, sunlt fields of IL over which we
had been travelling for the previous four
days.
Weather Becomes MiIder.
The going was even better, and there
was scarcely any snow on the hard.
granular, last summers surface of the
old foes, dotted with the sapphire Ice
of the previous summers lakes.
A rise In temperature to Is 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
banks and yelps. N
In IL hours we had made 40 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 1857.
quote an entry from my journal some
hours later:
The pole at last The prize OF three
centuries, my dream and goal for 20
min nj 10 OF n INrt,.
self to realize It.
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: ut is Just
like every day"
OF course i had 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 tho pole were
spent in taking observations; in going
some ten miles beyond our camp and
some eight miles to the right OF 1t; In
taking photographs, planting my flags.
depositing my records. studying the hori-
zon with my telescope for possible land,
and searching for practicable place to
make O sounding.
Plan for Return Trip.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before light breeze from our
left and from that time until our depar-
ture in the afternoon OF April the
weather was cloudless and fiawless.
The minimum temperature during the
80 hours was 80 below, the maximum II.
We had reached the goal, but the re-
turn was still before us. II was essential
that we reach the land before the next
spring tide. and we must strain every
nerve to do this.
had brief talk with my men. From
now on 1t was to be 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 and sleep few hours. and repeat
this daily.
Speed Nearly Doubled.
AS 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 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 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
clothing to tighten the loads.
Tries to Sound Sea.
Five miles from the pole narrow
crack filled with recent ice. through
which we were able to work 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 few
fathoms from the surface and lead ana