Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-09-21

repairs were completed, were In good
condition. My supplies were ample
for forty days and, with the reserve
represented by the dogs themselves,
could be made to last fifty. / decided
that l should strain every nerve to
make FIVE marches Of fifteen miles
each, crowding these marches In such
a way as to bring US to the end OF
the fifth long enough before noon to
permit the immediate taking Of an
observation for latitude.
Weather and leads permitting, / be-
lieved could do this. II my proposed
distances were cut down by any
chance | had two means In reserve
for making up the deficit:
First, to make the last march
forced one, stopping to make tea and
rest the dogs, but not to sleep.
Second, at the end Of the fifth march
to make a forced march with light
sledge. a double team Of dogs and one
or two Of the party, leaving the rest In
camp.
Underlying all these calculations were
a recognition Of the ever present neigh
borhood of open leads and impossible
water and the knowledge that TWEEN
ty-four hour gale would knock all lay
plans into cooked hat and even put
us In imminent peril.
At little after midnight OF April
| 1, after few hours Of sound sleep
| I hit the trail, leaving the others to
break up camp and follow. 1t was
| fine morning. The wind Of the last
two days had subsidized, and the going
was the best and most equable OF any
l had had yet.
set good pace for about ten
hours. Twenty-Five miles took me well
beyond the eighty-eighth parallel.
| While was building my igloOs long
lead formed by the east and southeast
of us ut distance of few miles. A
| few hours sleep and we were on the
trail again. The weather was fine and
the going like that OF the previous day,
except at the beginning. when pick
axes were required. This and brief
stop Mt another lead cut down our
distance. But we had made twenty
miles in ten hours and were halfway
to the eighty-ninth parallel.
Again there was few hours stop.
and we hit the trait before midnight.
We marched something over ten hours,
the dogs being often on the trot. and
made twenty miles. Near the end
Of the march we rushed across lead
100 yards wide. which buckled under
our sledges and finally broke rs the
last sledge left it.
We stopped in sight Of the eighty
ninth parallel in n temperature of 10
degrees below. Again Il scant sleep
and we were on our way once more
and across the eightyninth parallel
This march duplicated the previous
one as to weather and going. The last
few hours 1t was OH young Ice. and
occasionally the dogs were gnlopins.
We made twenty-five miles or more.
| the air. the sky and the bitter wind
burning the face til! it cracked. 1t WIS
like the great interior ice cap Of Green
! land Even the natives complained OF
the bitter air. 1t WAS rs keen as fro
zen steel.
A little longer sleep than the pre-
vi0us ones had to be taken here, ~ we
were all in need of 1t. then on again.
Up To this time. with each Su .ccSsivc
march. our fear of IN Impossible lead
had increased. At every inequality OF
the ice found myself hurrying breath
leSSly forward, fearing that II marked
lead. and when arrived at the sum
nit would catch my breath with re-
lief. only to find 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 ne
completely. The weather was thick.
but it gave me no uneasiness.
Before | turned in ! took an OBJ
servation which indicated our position
as 1928. 4 dense. lifeless pail hung
| overhead. The horizon was black. and
the ice beneath WAS CHASTITY. chiiky
| white. with 10 relief. \ rise in tenn
perature to IL below .,educed the fric-
ton of the slcdges and gave the dogs
the appearance of having caught the
spirits Of the party. The more spright-
ly ones, as they went along with tight
~ curled tails, frequently tossed their
heads. with short. sharp banks ana
yelps. In twelve hours we made forty
the march.
| 1.-THE Pole at Last!"
| | had now made my five marches
and was in time for hasty noon Oh
servation through temporary break
| in the clouds. which indicated our po-
sition as S9.51. quote an entry from
my journal some hours later:
"The pole at last-the prize of three
centuries, my dream and goal for
twenty years. mine ut last! cannot
bring myself to realize It."
The first thirty hours ut the pole
were spent In taking observations. In
going some ten miles beyond our camp
and some eight miles to the right OF
it, in taking photographs. planting my
flags. depositing my records. studying
the horizon with my telescope for pos
sible land and searching for Il prac-
ticable place to make Il sounding.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before Il light breeze from our
left. and from that time until our de-
parture in the afternoon Of April the
weather was cloudless and tlnwless.
The minimum temperature during the
thirty hours was 80 below, the MAXI
| mum II.
The Return Journey.
| We had reached the goal. but the
return 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 OH II was to be Il big travel,
little sleep and II hustle every minute.
We would try, ! told them. to double
march on the return-that Is. to start
/ and cover one of our northward
marches. make tea and eat our lunch
In the iglOos, then cover another march,
eat and sleep few hours. and repeat
/ I.,ii