Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1909-09-03

days later two other Eskinos form
Ing the last supporting party returned
and the trials had now been reduced
by the survival of the fittest. The
two best men and 26 dogs were
picked for the final effort.
There before us in an unknown line
of $50 miles lay our goal. The first
days provided long marches and we
made encouraging progress. A big
lead which separated the land from
the ice of the central pack was
crossed with little delay The low
temperature was persistent and the
winds made life a torture. But
cooped up in our snow house, eating
dried beef tallow and drinking hot
tea, there were some. animal comfort
occasionally to be gained.
Urgent Need Of Haste.
"For several days after the sight
of known land was lost the overcast
sky prevented an accurate determine.
ton of our positions. On March so
the horizon was partly cleared and
new land was discovered. Our OBJ.
servations gave our position as lati.
tude SAT-, longitude 1886. There was
urgent need of rapid advance. Our
main mission did not permit a detour
for the purpose of exploring the coast.
Here were seen the last signs of solid
earth; beyond, there was nothing sta.
bic to be seen.
1--WE advanced steadily over the
monotony of moving ice and now
found ourselves beyond the range OF
all life-neither footprints Of bears
nor the blowholes of seals were de.
tected. Even the microscopic Great
ures of the deep were no longer under
US. The luaddening influence of the
shifting desert of frost became almost
uncomfortable in the daily routine The
surface of the pack offered less and
less trouble and the weather improved
but there still remained the life-sap'
lowest recess. The extreme cold com.
PEELED physical action. Thus day after
day our weary legs spread over big
distances. Incidents and positions
were recorded, but adventure was
promptly forgotten in the next days
efforts. The night of April Z was
made notable by the swinging of the
sun at midnight over the northern ice
Sunburns and frost bites were now
recorded on the same day, but the
double days glitter infused quite an
incentive into ones life of shivers.
"Our observation on April 6 placed
the camp in latitude $685., longitude
94.2.
Much Of Their Wcrk Lest.
"In spite of what seemed long
marches, we advanced but little over
100 miles. Much of our work was
lost in circuitous twists, around trou
blesome pressure lines and high ir.
regular fields. A very old ice drift
too, was driving eastward with sufti
cient force to give some anxiety. AL
though still equal to about fifty miles
daily, the extended marches and the
long hours for travelling with which
fortune favored us earlier were nc
longer possible. We were now about
200 miles from the pole and sledge
loads were reduced. One dog after an.
other went into the stomachs of the
hungry survivors, until the teams
were considerably diminished in mum
Der, but there seemed to remain a
sufficient balance fer man and brute
to push along into the heart of the
mystery to which we had set our.
selves
ION April Fl we had reached 80 de.
grees SO minutes. 46 seconds. The
pole was in sight We covered the
remaining II seconds and made few
final observations. I told Etukishooh
and Ahwelsh (the accompanying Els.
kimos) that we had reached the Great
Nall Everywhere we turned was
south. With a single step we could
pass from one side Of the earth to the
other; from midday to midnight. Al
last the flag foated to the breezes al
the Pole. 1t was April 21, 1908.
1.-The temperature was minus SO
centigrate, barometer 1888, latitude
90; as for the longitude, it was moth
ing, as it was but word.
although crazy with Joy, our
spirits began to undergo feeling OF
WEAKNESS. Next day, after taking all
our observations, sentiment of in
tense solitude penetrated us while We
looked at the horizon. Was it posi-
BILE that this desolate region, without
a patch of earth, had aroused the am
bition Of 50 many men for so many
centuries. There was no ground, only
an immensely of dazzling white snow
no living being, no point to break the
frightful monotony.
ION April % we started on our re-
turn"