Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1909-09-17


tary. My work was still ahead. not in
the rear.
Bartlett had done good work and had
been great help to me. Circumstances
had thrust the brunt of the pioneering
upon him instead of dividing 1t among
several, as 1 had planned.
He had reason to take pride in the
fact that he had bettered the Italian
record by degree and a quarter and
had covered a distance equal to the
entire distance of the italian expedi-
tion from Franz Josefs land to Cagni's
farthest north.
I had given Bartlett this position and
post of honor in command of my
fourth and last supporting party, and
for two reasons: first, because of his
magnificent handling of the Roosevelt;
second, because he had cheerfully stood
between me and many trifiing annoy
ances on the expeditions.
Then there was a third reason. II
seemed to me appropriate in view OF
the magnificent British record of arc
tic work, covering three centuries, that
1t should be British subject who
could boast that, next to an American,
he had been nearest the pole.
Ready for Final Effort.
With the disappearance of Bartlett l
turned to the problem before me. This
was that for which I had worked for az
life; for which I had conserved all my
energy on the upward trip; for which
had trained myself as for a race, crush
ing down every worry about success.
In spite of my years, felt in trim
fit for the demands of the coming DAYS
and eager to be on the trail
As for my party, my equipment, and
my supplies, was in shape beyond my
most sanguine dreams of earliest years.
My party might be regarded as an
ideal, which had now come to realization
-as loyal and responsive to my will as
the fingers of my right hand.
Men All Tried and True.
Four of them possess the technique of
dogs. sledges. ice. and cold as their heri-
| tage. Two of them, Hansen and Ootam,
| were my companions to the farthest point
| three years before. Two others, Eginwuk
and Sigloo, were in Clark's division,
| which had such narrow escape at that
timer. and now were willing to go any
where with my immediate party, and
willing to risk themselves again in any
supporting party.
The fifth was young man who had
never served before in any expedition,
but who was, IL possible, even more
willing and eager than the others for
| the princely gifts-a boat, a rifle, shot
| gun, ammunition, knives, ETC., which 1
| had promised to each of them who
reached the pole with me; for he knew
| that these riches would enable him to
| wrest from a stubborn father the girl
whose image filled his hot young heart
All Followed Him BIindIy.
All had blind confidence so long as
| / was with them, and gave no thought
for the morrow, sure that whatever hap
| pened should somehow get them back
| to land. But I dealt with the party
equally. I recognized that all its i'm
| petus centered In me, and that whatever
| pace I set 1t would make good. If any,
one played out. would stop for a short
| time.
I had no fault to find with the condi-
| tions. My dogs were the best, the pick
| of 122 with which we left Columbia. AL
most all were powerful males, hard as
nails, in good flesh, but without a super
fiuous ounce. and. what was better yet,
| they were all in good spirits
My sledges, now that the repairs were
| completed, were in good condition. My
| supplies were ample for 40 days, and,
with the reserve represented by the dogs
| themselves, could be made to last so.
At little after midnight of April /,
| after a few hours of sound sleep, hit
the TRAIL leaving the others to break
up camp and follow.
AS climbed the pressure ridge back
of our igloos I set another hole in my
belt, the third since 1 started. Every
man and dog of US was lean and fiat
Fine Morning for Start.
It was a fine morning. The wind of
the last two days had subsided, and the
going was the best and most equable
of any I had had yet. The foes were
large and old. and clear. and were sur
rounded by pressure ridges some OF
which were almost stupendous.
The biggest OF them, however, were
easily negotiated, either through some
a good paces for about ten hours
yond the eighty-eighth parallel.
While I was building my igloos q
long lead forward by the east and
miles
Few Handicaps Are Faced.
A few hours sleep and we were or
the trail again. AS the going was now
hampered and could travel as long al
we pleased and sleep as little as W,
wished.
like that of the previous day, excep
at the beginning, when pickaXes wer,
required. This and a brief stop at an
we had made 20 miles in ten hours ant
were half way to the eighty-nint
parallel
Going Improves on Way.
and we hit the trail before midnight
4.