Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1909-10-20
Bradley Land Passed-Steam
From Frozen Seas-Half the
Food Allowance Used--Mad-
dening Effect of Polar Gilt:
ter--Despair of Ahwelah,
Beyond Is Impossible" %
beyond Is Impossible"

3 Beyond Is Impossible" %
S>o<o<o>o<o<o<o>o>o<o>o>o'
We now changed our working hour
from day to night, beginning usual,
at 10 and ending at 7. The big march
es and prolonged hours of travel witt
which fortune favored us earlier wer
no longer possible. Weather condi
tons were more important In deter
mining the days run than the hand,
Of the chroncmeters.
When the storms threatened thu
start was delayed, and In strong blows
the march was shortened, but in one
way or another we usually found q
few hours in each turn of the dial dur.
ing which march could be forced be-
tween winds. 1t mattered little wheth.
er 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. no landmarks or
mileposts to pass. To advance and ex-
pend the energy accumulated during
pemmican was the one sole aim In
life.
The observations OF April II gave
latitude 81 degrees 20 minutes, longi-
tude 95 minutes 10 seconds. The pack
disturbance of Bradley Land was less
and less noted In the northward move
ment. 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 dog
teams were much reduced In numbers.
A hard necessity had forced the cruel
law Of the survival Of tho tittest. for
the less useful dogs were fed to the
steady working survivors. Owing 10
the food limits and the advancing sea-
son we could not prudently continue
the outward march fortnight longer.
We had dragged ourselves 800 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 |
100 miles before our ambitions could |
be satisfied. The same average ad-
vance which we had made on the pack
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
loings there appear numerous tabu-
ations of work and observations. In
the new cracks the thickness of the
zee was measured. The water was ex-
AHMED for life. Atmospheric. surface
water and ice temperatures were TAX
III, the barometer was noted, the
loud formations, weather conditions
md ice drifts were tabulated.
| watched daily for possible signs /
If dangerous failure in strength. for
serious disability now meant fatal
termination.
a disabled man could neither con-
inue nor return. but every examina
ion gave another reason to push hui
I'D, IN ~ lnn |
train OF every fiber and cell. The
ard work which followed. under an
OCCASIONAL burst Of burning sunbeams.
fought intense thirst.
Forcing me habit of the camel. we
10 take enough water before
tarling TO keep Sufiicien liquid In the
ems for the days march. but 1t was
itiicult to await the melting OF the ice
t camping time.
In two sittings-evening and morn
~ each took an average Of three
uarts of water daily. This included
be tea and also the luxury of an oc-
asional soup. There was water about
in heaps. but it was in
rystals, and before the thirst could
e Quenched several ounces Of pre-
ous fuel, which had been carried
of miles, must be used. And
I'LL this water. so expensive and so
to us, ultimately became the
reatest bane to comfort. 1t escaped
trough the pores of the skin. satu- I
tied the boots. forced band of ice
nder the knee and q belt Of frost {
Dout the waist, while the face was
early always incased In q mask Of
icles from the breath-a necessary
art of our hard lot In life. and we
armed to take the torture philosoph-
ally.
From the eighty-seventh to the ,,
ghty-eighth parallel we passed for
yo days over old ice without pressure
mes or hummocks There was no dis
,rnible line of demarcation for the
alds. and ii was quite impossible to
atarmine If we were Oh land or sea
o. The barometer indicated no ele- ,,
alton. but the ice had the hard. wav I
z surface Of glacial Ice, with only
lper6cla crevasses. The water OBJ
ined from this WIS not salty, but all
the upper surface of the ice of the =.
,lar sea makes similar water. The /,
lutical observations did not seem to
dictate a drift. but nevertheless the
'mbined tabulations do not warrant =
e positive assertion of either land or +
a for this area. g
The ice gave a cheering prospect. G
ain Of purple and blue ran In easy
ldulatiOns TO the limits of vision q
Ithout the usual barriers Of uplifted y
Ocks. Over it a direct air line course "
rs possible Progress. however. was :.