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

picked out i've or the best slcdgcs
and assigned them expressly TO the
.aptain's party / broke up the Sow
anth for material with which to repair
she others and set Esklmos at this
work
Bartlett returned in time 20 take n
satisfactory observation for latitude In
clear weather and obtained for our po-
slilon s7.4s. and that showed that the
continued north wind had robbed us
of q number OF miles Of hard earned
distance.
Bartlett took the observation there,
as had Marvin I'VE camps back, partly
- snvc my eyes, but largely TO give
.u Independent record and dutermina-
I ton OF our advance.
Tho observations completed and two
f copies made, one for him and the other
for me Bartlett started on the back
rrlU In command OF my fourth sup
porting party. with two Esklmos one
s.,dEo aud IS dogs.
BARTLETT DID GOOD WORK.
when he loft felt for moment
p1ngs of regret as he disappeared in
th, distance, but Il was only mOmen-
'ury My work was stll ahead, not in
. tho rear.
Bartlett had done good work and had
been Eredt help TO me. Circumstances
had thrust tho brunt Of the pioneering
. upon him instead Of dividing It among
several, as / had planned.
lie has reason TO take pride in the
flrt that he had bothered the italian
record by % degree and quarter and
had covered distance equal TO the
'utir" al lance Of tho italian eNprdi-
tom from Franz JOscIs land to CaEuIs
ftrth"st north
had given Bartlett this position nnd
poet Of honor in command Of my
fourth and last supporting party. and
for two reasons. frat. because Of hts
magnificent handling ~ the Roosevelt;
r.rOud because he had ch"Hrfully stood
between mo and many trihlng annoy
ancss on tho expeditions.
Then there was a third reason II
seemed To mo appropriate In view OF
m" mnEulie NJ British record Of are
l.c work covering three centuries. that
% should be- Il British subject who
. could boast that, next to an American,
. ho had been nearest the pole.
LAST STRUGGLE AT HAND.
with the disappouranec Of bartlett /
turned To the problem before me. This
. was that for which had worked Tor 3.
years, for which | had lived the simple
life, for which | had conserved all my
energy on the upward trip, for which
. had trained myself as for "A race. crush
INK down every worry about success,
In optic OF my years, I felt IN trim
M for the demands Of the coming days
and ,ugrr To be on the trail
As Tor my party. my equipment. and
my supplies. ! WAS In shap" beyond my
most Hunguine dreams OF earliest years
Ny party might be regarded as ar
ideal. which had now come 10 realization
as loyal and responsive to my will u.
the fingers Of my right hand.
PARTY IDEAL FOR EFFORT.
-Four Of them possess the technique o
dogs, ucdges ice, and cold as their hcr!
Iagc Two ~ them. Hansen and Ooiam
wrTo my companions TO the farthc7t pnlu
three years before. Two others. EEnwul
and SlElno. were In Cilrk's division
which had such narrow escape at taI
time, ana now were willing to 20 any
whore with my immediate par y, an,
willing to risk themselves again In am
supporting party
The hfth was young man who ha,
never served before In any expedition
but who was, II possible. even NOR
/ willing and eager than the others 70
I'd" prncely Giits-a boat a rifle a shot
} gun, ammunition. knives etc. which
| had promised to each OF them WIN
reached the pole with me. for 10 knoS
that these riches would enable him L
wrrst from stubborn father the gir
; whose image filled his hot young heart
HAD CONFIDENCE IN HIM.
Al had blind confidence so long n
> / wns with them. and gave no though
. for tie morrow. sure that whatever hap
pcnod | should somehow get them bac
> TO land. Iut / dealt with the part
equally. ] recognized that all It's i'm
pctus centernd In mo, and that whateve
: pace / set It would make good. II any
ono played out ] would stop for shor
time.
E had no fault to find with the cond
7 | tons. My dogs were the hest, the pic
OF ig2 with which we left Columbia. Al
! most all were powerful malcs. hard n
nails. In good flesh, but without n super
= iuous ounce. and what was better ye
they were all In good spirits
! My sledgos, now that the repairs wer
completed, were in good condition. NJ
supplies were ample Tor ~ days. an,
J with the reserve represented by the dog
I themselves. could he made TO last So
b HIS PROGRAM PLANNED.
Pacing back and forth In tn ice of III
pressure ridge whore the igloos wcr
Q built, while my men got their load
ready for the next marches I settled o
my program. | decided | should strai
every nerve to make five marches OF
miles each. Crowding these marches
5 such "a way as TO bring us to the end {
the fifth long enough before noon to pei
] ton for latitude.
4 Weather and leads permitting. b'
I. licycd l could do this. II my propose
Q distances were cut down by any chanc
o ! had two means IN reserve for maxim
l up tho deficit;
h First-To make the last march force
g one, stopping 10 make tea and rest III
dogs, but not to sleep.
SCCOnd-At the end OF the nth mare
, to make forced march with a ligl
] slcdge, q double team Of dogs. and or
: or two of the party, leaving the rest
camp.
h SEES DANGER IN GALE.
e Underlying all these calculations was
] recognition OF the ever present neighbo
$ hood OF open leads and impossible waite
and the knowledge that u 24-hour ga
d would knock all my plans into a cooke
g hat, and even put us In imminent peril.
+ At little after midnight OF April
c after Il few hours Of sound sleep. h
o the trail. leaving the others to brea
y up camp and follow.
As climbed the pressure ridge bac
}. OF our igloos I set another hole in m
= belt, the third since / started. Ever
J, man and dog of us was lean and Il;
d bellied as n board and rs hard.
rnNNlTiONG ALL EANORAHI &