The Rich Hill tribune., 1909-09-16
.INDING THE N0RTH POLE


here iH c1mmaad 81 sac flurih r1p-
ptriinE party. and there usfs 30 rrr-
plies Tor an lacrosse iu ths nafn party.
Whan he irft ffis for = n1rerf
pangs ~ regret - be sianppeagtd ln
thf algtaTcf hui it rae pnir mpmgn-
tary So work was sui sAsad nst n
Bartlett had done gooa vork ana had
been great help tf me- CiFfaalstan nesg
had thrust the brrrt ~ shn ploneerinF
ppnn him instead ~ dividing B arsonR
several. as J BAD piaane1
he ned reaH1n 80 take pride On fhs
feet that ae had bcftered tka Lfauan
record BY degree end = quarter aas
had covered Glstnnca enraI % fha
entire distanoe o. the uailan aEpsdl-
iion from Franz gosefa land 70 CaGnfa
farfreat north-
had given Bartlett this poaition ana
post % honor Oh command Of ny
fourth and last nupportinF party. ara
for two reasons. first beasuse % his
magnificent handling of ths Roosevelt
second. because be had cheerfullY stood
between me and many triGing annoy
ances on the expeditions.
Then there vas a third rsas0n II
seemed 20 me appropriate IN view u
the magnificent British record u are
tic work. covering three centuries. thaf
it should Be g Rrlffsh Fuhfect whr
could boast that next 70 an American.
be had been ueareE9 the pole
Last Struggle a. Hand.
With the disappearxncs of Bartlett
turned 70 the problem before ne. This
vas that Tor which I had worked f1r =
years. Tor which I had lived the simple
Hfe for which Z had conserved an nv
energy on the upward trip. Tor uhsch
7 had trained myself az for race. crurl,-
Ing down every worry about success
In spite % my years. / felt IN trim
az for the demands q the comizg days
and eager 70 be on the trau
A. for my party. my equipment. and
my supplies. 7 was in shape beyoud my
most sanguiuc dreams OF earliest years.
Aiy party might Be regarded as az
ideal. which had now come 70 realization
-as loyal and responsive 20 my viii Is
the dngers q -uy right hand.
Party Ideal for Effort
-Four of them possess tire tschuiQus of
doEs. sleGEes. Ice. sad cold as their heri-
tase. Two q tkem. Hansen and oofaEu-
were my companions 20 the fzrthsst soInt
three years before Two others. Eefnus1ir
and sglon. were iu Ciark'a division
which had such narrow escape a. that
tine. and now were willing % 60 any
where with ny immediate party. ard
willing 20 rlak themselves again in any
supporting party.
TIE hfth vas a young man who had
never served before 81 any expedition
but who was. ~ possible, even more
willing and eager than the others fer
the Princely gifts-a boat a rife. a shot
gun. ammunition knives. etc which
had promised 10 each of them who
reached the pole with me: for he knew
that these riches would enable him 70
Urrst from q stubborn father the rirl
whose image FLIED his hot young heart
Had Confdence In Him.
All had bind ,onfdenoe 20 long A.
I was with them. and gave no thought
Tor the morrow, sure that whsterer hap
pened I should somehow get them hack
10 land But ] dealt with the party
equally I recognized that al is i'm
petuE cenfercd in me. and that whatever
! pace Z set 81 would make good- II any
one played our. ! would stop for a short
time
had no fault 70 and with TIE oandl-
tons Ny dogs were the best. ths pick
u ~ with Which We left Columbia Al
most al were poacrfui males hard a.
nails. IN good lesh. bat without 3 super
nuuUs ounce. and. what vas better yet
they Uere an 90 Eood spirits
Ny siedges. now tnut the repairs were
completed were On good condition Ny
supplies were ample for g. days. an1
with the reserve represented by the dogs
themselves, could be made 20 last g.
His Program Planned.
Pacing back and forth 90 ~ ice q the
pressure ridge where the iEloos were
built. while my men got their loads
ready Tor the next marches. / settled "a
ny program. 7 decided I should strain
eyCfy nerve % make eve marches az s.
miles each. crowdinE these marches IN
such a way as 20 bring us % the end o.
the nfth long encagh before neon 20 per
uit the immediate taking of AZ ebserva-
don fer iautule
Weather and leads permitting. b.
Z hevcd I could 90 this ~ nay proposed
distances were cut down b. any chance
had two means Ia reserve fer making
up the dencit
Ffrst-ro make the last march q forced
/ one. stopping 20 make tea and rest the
doEs. but not 20 Eiean
/ second-At the enc % the ara march
90 make a forced march with q hight
siedge. doutie team 90 dogs. and enc
/ or two o. TIE party, leayiug The res, ir
/ camp
Sees Danger IN Gale.
| unicrlstng an these calculations was a
/ recognition 81 the ercr prcsrut nciEh hor-
( hogd of open leads and imu1ssshia water.
I ans the knowiodgc that a 1l-hour sale
| would knock al my plans into ccckci
/ hat and even PVT us in immlneut perl.
A little after mi3uight % April l.
! after few hours of eouna slecp, hlt
/ the trail leaving the others 90 hreak
| up camp and fellow,
AE Z climbed tho pressure ridge back
/ of eur iEloos 4 SCI another hole in ny
| belt she laird sinee Z started Every
/ man and toE % ua was lean and sai
| bcllicd as a beard ana az harA
Conditions All Favorable
90 was hne morning The wtnd of
the last two days hat suhsttea and the
/ Eoihg was she best and most cQuahle
i % any ! bad bsd ycL The aoes WIRE
/ larEg and eid and clear. and were sur-
/ rounded by pressure ridErs saHsa es
I Which we're almost sturrnaula.
The biEErst 90 theul however were
/ easily negotiated. citafr throasa saue
] creNice ur up seme huEa hriEk p sea
! cood pace Cos Et-7=s tSs haaFs
/ Twtnty-age miles teck me Rrll De-
| yUnd Iac eighty -nfEht1 parallel
while Z was huiIdIur nay tEtcos a
I long lead forward by the east and
southwtst uf ea zt a distance ~ q feuf
] miics.
Travel Was Easy.
/ A Few hours sitep ard ue were ca
! thc iraN again As are rllnr Was rou
I pracucsuiy horiroutai We ucre ln-
I hamarvtd and ceaid rraEel as lguE "a
l vI pleased ana sielp ss NtDa as 80