Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-05

tude, the uttermost horizon would become
a bank of indigo rising vigorously to
meet a pale-purple sky. or it would pre-
sent a wall Of orange, or, again, and most
frequently, an unlifting cloud of smoki-
ness.
Snow goggles of amber colored glass had
little to do with the wonderful color eff
fects. These glasses served admirably to re-
duce the frlghtful brllliancy of snow-re-
Elected light enabling me to see much fur
Their and more clearly than with any other
device. Often through the night that or
ange band frightened the northern horizon,
but the predominant color of the polar re-
gton is blue, in most exquisite shades, al.
ways changing with changes OF the atmos-
phere. The way ahead lay now into violet
depths, then lilac and then purple, the
coiors rising like an emanation from the
frozen pack. Sometimes the sun sank into
purple haze, only TO reappear Immediately
as three suns of prismatic hues, and then
settle into the sea, Into the general color
scheme was sometimes propelled a low
block line over a pearly cloud: but this
was water sky indicating open water or
very thin ice at no great distance.
Sometimes the fitful haze which so fire.
quently obscured everything on the horizon
Mould distort the face of the midnight
sun. This phenomenon interested me as
greatly as any which 1 observed. The
enormous golden disk would appear TO
change its shape, becoming a huge crater
Of flames. 1t would become oval, its
brightness paled and intersected with dark
lines. 1t would assume fantastic shapes.
But quite the most remarkable phase of
al, the exhibition invariably ended in the
likeness of some grotesque man or beast.
Possibly some OF this was due to imagin-
alton. Material objects were inverted as in
a mirage, when mountains and strange
appearances and even the horizon danced
before us as behind a veil. As we neared
the pole my Eskimo companions imagined
seals where seals cannot be. But l do not
recall having detected what my compan-
ions actually looked to see the Tigl Shu-
Big N~ail-rakishly pointing toward the in
visible North star.
There were deeper blues upon the hori-
ION as seen from the poe, and / believed
as / approached over the final rwo de-
grees that vision reached farther before
1t failed in this haffling mystery. on the
last eager stretch the entire color scheme
changed, for the frosty way became a
golden plain surrounded by sapphire walls.
surmounted in turn by a glittering fiiigree
OF gold, but looking back over the track
the walls were flaming gold, the ley plain.
a shimmering sea Of blue. All this. In
fact and IN fancy, Is the magic OF the
polar atmosphere.
The changing color effects constitute the
sum total OF pleasurable experiences in
that far region. There was nothing else
10 stimulate thought or awaken wonder.
All else was ufe-sapping toll, have jus,
referred 70 the streak Of water sky. So.
even among the few beauties OF the Arctic
menace stalked. That lack band was re-
Elected by a great lead between the eighty
fourth and eighty-fifth parallels. which
caused me at,the time the greatest anxiety.
We succeeded In crossing It on thin ice at
a narrow point, and / am inclined to think
the lead extends entirely around the Polar
sea ice. The polar ice is In constant mo-
tion, generally in response 10 prevailing