The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1909-09-23

A few hours sleep and we were on
the trail again. As the going was
now practically horizontal, we were
unhampered and could travel as long
as we pleased and sleep as little as
we wished
The weather was fine and the go-
Ing like that Of the previous day, ex.
cept at the beginning, when pickaxes
were required This and a brief stop
at another 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 1t was settling
back into equilibrium and probably
sagging due northward with its re-
lease from the wind pressure.
LEVEL ICE SURFACE.
Again there was few hours sleep
and we hit the trail before midnight.
The weather and going were even
better. The surface, except as inter
rupted by infrequent ridges, was as
level as the glacial fringe from Hecla
to Columbia. 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 1t.
We stopped in sight Of the eighty
ninth parallel in temperature Of 40
degrees below. Again scant sleep
and we were 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
occasionally the dogs were galloping.
We made twenty-five miles or more,
the air, the sky, and the bitter wind
burning the face till it 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.
A 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 success
sive march, our fear of an impossible
lead had increased. At every in
equality OF the Ice 1 found myself hur-
rying breathlessly forward, fearing
that it marked lead, and when ar
rived at the summit would catch my
breath with relief-only to find my
self 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 it gave me no uneasiness.
Before turned in / took an obser-
vation which indicated our position as
SO degrees 20 minutes.
A dense, lifeless pail hung over |
head The horizon was black and the |
ice beneath was ghastly, chalky |
white, with no relief-a striking con- |
trast to the glimmering, sunlit fields |
of 1t over which we had been travel |
ing for the previous four days.
MERCURY GOES UP.
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 sap
phire ice Of the previous summers |
lakes.
A rise in temperature to Is degrees |
below reduced the friction of the !
sledges and gave the dogs the ap-
pearance OF having caught the spirits |
sl ,;.
as they went along with tightly curled |
tails, frequently tossed their heads,
with short. sharp barks and yelps.
In II hours we had made 40 miles
There was no sign of lead in the |
march.
THE POLE AT LAST.
l had now made my five marches, i
end was in time for hasty noon OBJ
servation 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 years, mine at last. / cannot
bring myself 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 NOR
tai has ever penetrated before: ut
is Just like every day"
OF course ! had my sensations that
made sleep impossible for hours. de-
spite my utter fatigue-the sensations
of lifetime; but have no room for
them here.
The first 30 hours at the pole were
spent In taking observations; in go
ing some ten miles beyond our camp
and some eight miles TO the right of
IL; in taking photographs, planting my
flags, depositing my records, studying
the horizon with my telescope for
possible land, and searching for a
practicable place to make sounding.
AT TOP OF WORLD
Ten hours after our arrival the
clouds cleared before a light breeze
from our left and from that time un-
Ill our departure In the afternoon of
April the weather was cloudless and
fiawless.
The minimum temperature during
the 80 hours was SS below, the maxi
mum IL.
We had reached the goal, but the
return was still before us. 1t was es-
cantiul thaf mo rn.oh .hn Ioua |