Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1909-09-23
DISCOVERY OF NORTH POLE
RELATED BY ROBERT E. PEARY


few hundred yards to mile in width.
Thia march was really simple.
On the fourteenth we got free OF the
leads and came on decent going. While
we were making camp courier from
Marvin came and informed me he was
on the march In the rear The temper
ature was 80 below zero
The following morning. March Is, sent
Hansen with his division north to pio-
neer trail for five marches. and DR..
Goodsell, according to the program. start
ed back TO Cape Columbia.
M'MlLLAN TURNS BACK.
At night Marvin and Borup came spin
ming In with their men and dogs steam
ing in the bitter air like squadron OF
battleships. Their arrival relieved mo
of all anxiety as to our oil supply.
In the morning discovered that Mac
Millan's foot was badly frost bitten. The
mishap had occurred two or three days
before but Macmillan had said nothing
about It in the hope that It would come
out all right.
A glance at the injury showed me that
the only thing was to send him back to
Cape Columbia at once. The arrival OF
Marvin and Borup enabled me TO spare
sufficient men and dogs to go back with
him.
On leaving the camp the expedition
comprised 16 men. II sledges and 100 dogs.
The next march was satisfactory as re-
CARDS distance and the character OF the
going. In the latter part there were
pronounced movements in the Ice. both
visible and audible.
Some leads were crossed, In one OF
which Borup and his team took n bath,
and we were finally stopped by I'm
practicable lead opening in front of us.
We camped in temperature OF 80 de-
grees below.
At the end Of two short marches we
came upon Hansen and his party In
camp. mending their sledges. We de-
voted the remainder OF the day to over
hauling and mending sledges and break
Ing up our damaged ones for material.
MAKE FORCED MARCHES.
The next morning l put Marvin in the
lead TO pioneer the trail, with instruc-
tons to make two forced marches TO
bring up our average which had been
cut down by the last two short ones.
Marvin carried out his instructions inn
plicitly. A considerable amount OF young
Ice assisted In this.
At the end OF the tenth march, latitude
S5.2s. Berup turned back In command OF
the second supporting party, having trav-
eled distance equivalent to Nansen's
distance from this far to his farthest
north
was sorry to lose this young Yale
runner, with his enthusiasm and pluck.
He had led his heavy sledge over the
noes IN a way tnaI commanded every
ones admiration and would have made
his fathers eyes glisten.
~. Cf1HNJEB ftI8 PLAN.
From this point the expedition com
prised 20 men. 10 sledges. and 10 dogs. II
was necessary for Marvin to take
Eledge from here, and put Bartlett
and his division in advance to pioneer
the trail.
The continual daylight enabled me TO
make a moderation here that brought my
advance and main parties closer together
and reduced the likelihood OF their be-
ing separated by open leads.
After Bartlett left camp with Hender-
son and their division, Marvin and / re-
NAMED with our division 20 hours long
err and then followed. When we reached
Bartletts camp he broke out and went
on and we turned in. BY this arrange
ment the advance party was travelling
while the main party was asleep. and
vice versa, and l was In touch with my
advance party every "a hours.
MOVES ExPEDlTloUsLY.
had no reason to complain of the
going for the next two marches, though
for a less experienced party, less adapt
able sledges, less perfect equipment II
would have been an impossiblity.
AT our position at the end of the sec
ond march, Marvin obtained satisfacs
tory sight for latitude in clear weather,
agreed satisfactorily with the dead reck-
oning OF Marvin. Bartlett and myself.
Up to this time. the slight altitude OF
the sun had made 1t not worth while TO
waste time In observations.
On the next two marches the going i'm
proved, and we covered good distances,
In one of these marches a lead delayed
us a few hours. We finally ferried across
the Ice cakes.
MAkEa RECORD BIN
The next day Bartlett let himself out,
evidently, for record and reeled on 20
miles. Here Marvin obtained another
satisfactory sightton latitude, which gave
the position as s63S Cor beyond the farth-
est north of Nansen and AbruzzD, and
showed that we had covered 80 minutes
OF latitude in three marches.
In these three marches we had passed
the Norwegian record OF S6.14, by Nam
sen, and the Italian record of S6.34 by
Cagni.
From this point Marvin turned back in
command OF the third supporting party.
My last words 10 him We're: BE care
full OF the leads, my boy"
The party from this point comprised
nine men. seven sledges. and 60 dogs.
The conditions at this camp and the APP
parently unbroten expanse of fairly level
ice in every direction reminded me of
Cagnis description of his farthest north.
DANGER is ENCOUNTERED.
But was not deceived by the appar-
emily favorable outlook, for available
conditions never continue for any dis
lance or any length OF time in the arc
Nc regions.
The next march was over good Co.
ing, but for the first time since leaving
land we experienced that condition, sre-
quent over these Ice fields of a hazy at
mosphere. in which the light is equal
everywhere, All relief is destroyed, and
II is impossible to zee for any distance
We were obliged in this march to make
a detour around an open lead In the
next march we encountered the heaviest
and deepest snow OF the Journey, through
a thick. smothering mantle lying In the
depregsons OF heavy rubble ice
Temporarily Discouraged.
came unon ParfIaff and HE nartv