The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1909-10-21
BradleyLand Passed-Steam
From Frozen Seas-Half the
Food Allowance Used-Mad-
dening Effect of Polar Gilt
ter-Despair of Ahwelah,
Beyond Is Impossible" %

the frost Of the air pierce with a more
painful sting.
There was a weird play Of orgies.
seemingly most impressive at this
tine-clnudS of steam rose from the
frozen seas. In marching over the
golden glitter Sn0w ScGldS the face.
while the nose is bleachcd with frost.
In camp a grip of the knife left pain
FIJI! burns from cold metal. To the
frozen finger the wafer was hot. With
wine spirits the fire was lighted. while
oil delighted the stomach. In dreams
heaven was hot. the other place was
cold.
All nature was false. We seemed
to be nearing the chilled flame of a
new hades. In our hard life there was
nothing genuinely warm. The congen-
ial appearances were all deception. but
death offered only cold comfort. There
WIS no advantage in suicide.
We should have enjoyed this curious
experience. but with endless bodily dis
comforts. combined in acmI" muscles
and an ~overbParing langu SIhpre could
be no real joys from the glorieS of ma
ture. The pleasure was reserved for a
later retrospect.
We nov changed our working hours
from day to night. beginning usually
at TO and ending at Z. The big march
IS and prolonged hours of travel with
which fortune favored us earlier were
no lnnrnn y,A-rfIlo T-@atl1, 1N,I
lions were more important in deter
mining the days run than the hands
of the chronometers.
When the storms threatened the
start was delayed, and in strong blows
the march was shortened. but in one
way or another we usually found a
few hours in each turn of the dial dur
ing which Il march could be forced be-
tween winds. 1t mattered little wheth-
er we Travelled night or day-all hours
and all days were alike TO uS-for we
had no accustomed time of rest. 10
Sundays. no holiday. no landmarks or
mileposts to pass. To advance and ex-
pend the energy accumulated during
n sleep at the cost of our pound of
pemmican was the one sole aim in
life.
TIE observations OF April II gave
latitude 81 degrees 20 minutes. longi-
tude % minutes 10 seconds. The pack
disturbance of Bradley Land was less
and less noted in the %nOrthward move
ment. The fields became heavier. lar
ger and less c~revassed.
We had now passed the highest
reaches of all u predecessors and
haG gained the inspiration of the far
theSt north for ourselves. The time
was at hand. however. to consider seri-
ously the necessity of IN early return.
Nearly half of the food allowance
had been used. In the long marches
than anticipated, and now our dog
teams were much reduced in numbers.
4 hard necessity had forced the cruel
law of the survival of the fitteSt. for
the less useful dogs were fed to the
steady working survivors. Owing to
the food limits and the advancing sea-
we could not prudently continue
the outward march Il fortnight longer.
We had dragged ourselves 800 miles
over the polar sea in twenty-four days.
Including delays and detours. this gave
an average of nearly thirteen miles
daily on an air line in our course.
There remained an unknown line of
1G0 miles before our ambitions could
be satisfied. The same average adj
vance which we had made on the pack
take us to the pole in thirteen
lays. There were food and fuel enough
to risk this adventure.
In the diary of the succeeding days
loings there appear numerous tabu-
.ations of work and observations. In
The new cracks the thickness of the
was measured. The water was ex-
lmined for life. Atmospheric. surface
and ice temperatures were TAX
IN. the barometer was noted. the
loud formations. weather conditions
md ice drifts were tabulated.
l watched daily for possible signs
If dangerous failure in strength. for
disability now meant Il fatal
~erminatiOn.
4 disabled man could neither con-
inue nor return. but every eXamina-
ion gave another reason to push hui
nan endurance TO the limit of the
train of every fiber and cell. The
lard work which followed, under an
OCCASIONAL burst of burning sunbeams,
,rOught intense thirst.
Forcing the habit of the camel, we
managed to take enough water before
to keep sufficient liquid in the
ems for the days march, but it was
ifticult to await the melting Of the ice
t camping time.
In two sittings-evening and morn
.g-each took an average of three
uarts of water daily. This included
tea and also the luxury of an oc-
soup. There was water about
in heaps, but it was in
and before the thirst could
e quenched several ounces of pre-
iOus fuel, which had been carried :
lOuSards of miles, must be used. And {
ill this water, so expensive and so {
eceSSarY to us. ultimately became the Y