The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-06-03
Reaching the
North Pole
Will Any One Ever Reach the
North Pole and Live to
Tell the Tale?

Tell the Tale?
Will anyone ever reach the north
pole? Different exploring expeditions
have sought in vain to be the first to
herald to the world that the north pole
had be en reached at last. The whole
world today is waiting to hear those
words. L believe that the pole can be
reached but not in the way some have
tried. In the first place it is difficult
to carry food and clothing when one
leaves the ship and takes to the ice |
| TIE wi aers go as far north as Herald
or Cross Island and on reaching this
island they come upon wall of solid
ice, that is to say, in front of them
nothing can be Sc n but solid ice. Par
ties Lave been landed at this island
and from there have continued the
journey by shedding it with dogs across
the ice. After going a long distance
they again came to partly open water
in which the ice was always on the
of these foe, and drifte about Oh them
; for months at a time going north al
most in straight line for weeks. Then
on account of the currents have drifted
: back again almost to their starting
point. Still many believe this is the on
, ly way the north pole can be reached. l
: have seen the graves of many who have
: lost their lives searching for the north
[ pole aud it seems to me that the fate
) of thos who have lost their lives in
:. former attempts should be a warning
: to those who follow, to choose some
otter means of reaching this much
q sought-after north pole. One says the
!. only way to reach the north pole is
? with the aid Of balloon. Others say
y you could not take provisions enough
y for talloon trip. BESIDES one could
e never stand the cold. And so on, ca II
8 explorer thinks his way is the only way
t, until he tries it, Then it's up to The
q next in line. Now l believe that have
l. been as neAr the north pole as most o1
us would care to go, and have formed
ideas of my own.
wish all who read this to remembe
only this: That if the north pole II
ever discovered I honestly believe tina
the whales will show the way. Thi
seems a strange statement to make
still the greatest minds have given thi
d. subject much thought. 1 shall illus
trate: AS the whalers enter the Berinl
b. Sea in the early spring they find tn
a. whales ahead of them headed north
They travel in slow and stIaigh
Of course always going north. Durin
the months of March, April and Ma
lie they can be found all around the Bel
sll ing and Arctic ocean when all OF
sudden they leaveiaeir feeding ground
nd and spouting only hen forced to d
Dill 80. travel with all speed nOrthW art
Now ships have followed these whale
re as far north as they can go in tn
is summer months when the ice permi,
them to 90 far to the .Orth. Whe
til they get as far as they can go and thel
es- is open water around for miles an
miles full of floating ice the ideal spt
IN for whales play ground they find th'
lat the whales have disappeared. No
IN this is the question, "where does tt
whale go2"
fif- 1t is an absolute fact that a wha
must come to the surface every for
~ or fifty minutes to breathe. Still tht
90 under the ice and are not again SEX
,ut for over three months when they aga
lad appe Ar where they we're last seen. Nc
ort this is what am trying to get at, al
what is believed by great many:
the the whales know of an under grOul
md passage and do they follow it to I
will pole? Do they know that ct certa
Ills distance open wa.er can be found; q
do they keep in this passage until
ned ice is passed; until they come to op
mes water at the north pole2 Rememh
fit the currents do not impede their pre-
ress toward the north.