The Red Cloud chief. [volume] (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923, 1909-09-16

the march we rushed across n lead 100
| yards wide, which bucklod under our
| slcdges and finally broke as the last
sledge left IL.
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 II was on young ice and oc-
| casionally the dogs were Ealloping
! We made twenty-five miles or more
| the air, the sky, and the bitter wind
| burning the face till it cracked II was
| like the great interior ice gap of
Greenland. Even the natives com
| planned OF the bitter air. Ii 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 IL. Then on again
Up to this time, with each successive
march, our fear OF an impossible lead
had increased. At every inequality of
the ice | found myself hurrying breath
lessly forward, fearing that 1t marked
lead, and when i arrived at the summit
would catch my breath with relief-only
to lind myself 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
III gave me no uneaSlneSS.
Before | turned in | took an obserya-
ton which indicated our position as SO
degrees % minutes.
a dense, lfeless pail hung overhead
Tho horizon was black and the ice be-
meath was "a CHASTITY, chalky white, with
no rehef-a striking contrast to the glim.
merng, sunlit fields of IL over which we
had been travelling for the previous four
days.
Weather Becomes Milder.
The going was even better and there
was scarcely any snow on the hard,
granular, last summers surface of the
old Hoes dotted with the sapphire ice
of the previou' summers lakes.
rise in temperature to 10 degrees be-
low reduced the friction of the slCdges
and gave the dogs the appearance of
having caught the spirits of the party
The more sprightly ones, as they went
along with tightly curled tails. frequent
~ tossed their heads. with short sharp
barks and yelps.
In Il hours we had made 40 miles.
There was no sign Of a lead in the
march.
Arrival at the Pole.
! had now made my five marches. and
was in time for a hasty noon observation
through a temporary break in the clouds
which indicated our position as S957. |
quote an entry from my journal some
hours later:
The pole AZ last. The prize of three
centuries, my dream and goal for 20
years. mine at last. | cannot bring N.Y.
self To- realize II.
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 mortal
has ever penetrated before: 1T is Just
like every day"
OF course | had my sensations that
made sleep impossible for hours, despite
my utter fatIguo-the sensations Of life
time; but ] have no room for them here.
The first 50 hours at the pole were
spent in taking observations; in going
some ten miles beyond our camp and
som" eight miles TO the right of II: in
taking photographs. planting my flags.
depositing my records. studying the hori-
ION with my telescope for possible land,
ana searching for practicable place to
make a sounding.
Plan for Return Trip.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before "A Hight breeze from our
left and from that time until our dcpar-
turc in the afternoon of April the
weather was cloudless and nawlcss.
Tho minimum temperature during the
30 hours was 80 below, the maximum l2.
We had reached the goal, but the re-
turn was still before us 1t was essential
that we reach the land before the next
spring tide, and we must strain every
nerve to do this.
had brief talk with my men. From
now on II was TO be big travel, little
sleep and hustle every minute.
We would try, | told them. to double
march on the rcturn-that is, to start
ana cover one of our northward
marches. make tea and eat our luncheon
In the igloos, then cover another march.
eat and sleep few hours and repeat
this daily.
Speed Nearly Doubled.
AS matter of fact. we nearly did
this covering regularly on our return
journey five outward marches in three
return marches.
Just as long as we could hold the
trail we could double our speed and
we need waste no time in building
new igloos every day, so that the time
we gained on the return losscned the
chances OF gale destroying the track
Just above the eighty-sevcnth paral-
lei was region some fifty miles wide
which caused me considerable uncasi-
ness Twelve hours of strong eastcrly
westerly, or nOrtherly wind would
make this region an open sea.
In the afternoon OF the eth we start
cd on our return, having double fed
the dogs repaired the slcdgcs for the
last time. and discarded all our spare
clothing to Tighten the loads.
Tries to Sound Sea.
rANc HllItS from lHe pOle narrow
crack filled with recent ice. through
which we were able to work a hole
with pickax enabled me to make n
sounding. All my wire 1900 fathoms
was sent down, but there was no bot
tom.
In pulling up the wire parted few
fathoms from the surface and lead and
wire went to the bottom. or went reel
ana handle, tightening the sledgcs still
further We had no more use for them
now
Three marches brought us back 10
the iglOoS whore the captain turned
back. The last march was In the wild
sweep of northerly gale with drift
ing snow and the ice rocking under as
we dashed over IL.
Not Delayed by Leads.
South OF where Marvin had turned
back we came to where his party had
| built several igloos while delayed by
| open leads. Still further south we
| found whore the captain had been held
| up by an open lead and obliged to
| camp,
Fortunately the movement OF these
| leads was simply open ana shut, and IL
| took considerable water motion to fault
i ~. lou, L.