The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-11
BY DIR. FREDERICK COOK.

new hades. In our hard life there was
nothing genuinely warm. The congen-
ial appearances were all deception. but
death offered only cold comfort. There
was no advantage il suicide.
We should have enjoyed this curious
experience. but with endless bodily dis
comforts. combined in aching muscles
and an overbearing languor. there could
be no real joys from the slories of ma
ture. The pleasure was reserved for Il
later retrospect.
We now changed our working hours
from day to night. beginning usually
at 10 and ending at :. The big march
es and prolonged hours Of travel with
which fortune favored US earlier were
no longer possible. Weather condi-
lions were more important in deter
mining the days run than the hands
of the chronometers.
When the storms threatened the
start was delayed. and in strong blows
the march was shortened. but in one
way or another we usually found a
few hours in each turn of the dial dur
ing which a march could be forced be-
tween winds 1t mattered little wheth-
er We travelled night or day-all hours
and all days were alike to us-for we
had no accustomed time Of rest. no
Sundays. no holiday. no landmarks or
mileposts to pass. To advance and ex-
pend the energy accumulated during
one sleep at the cost Of our pound OF
pemmican was the one sole aim in
life.
Tie observations OF April II gave
latitude 81 degrees 20 minutes. longi-
tude 95 minutes 10 seconds. The pack
disturbance Of Bradley Land was less
and less noted in the northward move
ment. The fields became heavier. lar
ger and less crevassed.
We had now passed the highest
reaches Of all our predecessors and
had gained the inspiration of the far
thest north for ourselves. The time
was at hand. however. to consider seri-
ously the necessity Of an early return.
Nearly half Of the food allowance
had been used. In the long marches
supplies had been more literally used
than anticipated. and now our dog
teams were much reduced in numbers.
A hard necessity had forced the cruel
law Of the survival Of the titteSt for
the less useful dogs were fed to the
steady working survivors. Owing to
the food limits and the advancing sea
son We could not prudently continue
the outward march a fortnight longer.
We had dragged ourselves 300 miles
over the polar sea in twenty-four days.
Including delays and detours. this gave
an average of nearly thirteen miles
daily on an air line in our course.
There remained an unknown line Of
100 miles before our ambitions could
be satisfied. The same average ad-
vance which we had made on the pack
would take us to the pole in thirteen
days. There were food and fuel enough
to risk this adventure.
In the diary Of the succeeding days
dcings there appear numerous tabu-
lations Of work and observations. In
the new cracks the thickness Of the
ice was measured. The water was ex-
amined for life. Atmospheric. surface
water lad ice temperatures were TAX
Ell, the barometer was noted. the
, cloud formu TONS. weather conditions
and ice drifts were tabulated.
l watched daily for possible signs
Of dangerous failure in strength. for
serious disability now meant fatal
termination.
A disabled man could neither con-
tinue uor return. but every exarnira-
ton gave another reason to push hu-
man endurance to the limit of the
strain Of every fiber and cell. The
H. F.ll
occasional burst Of burning sunbeanls.
brought intense thirst.
Forcing the habit of the camel. we
managed to take enough water before
starting to keep sufficient liquid in the
! veins tor the days march. but it was
difficult to await the melting Of the ice
at campi.- time.
In two SittinSS-evening ard morn
ing-each took an average Of three
quarts OF water daily. This included
the tea and also the luxury of an oc-
casional soup. There was water about
everywhere in heaps. but it was In
crystals. and before the thirst could
be Quenched several ounces Of pre-
cious fuel. which had been carried
thousands of miles. must be used. And
still this water. SO expensive and so
necessary to us. ultimately became the
greatest bane to comfort. 1t escaped
through the pores of the skin. satu-
rated the boots. forced band of ice
under the knee and belt Of frost
about the waist. while the face was
nearly Always 1ncascd In a mask OF
icfcles from the breath-a necessary
part of our hard lot in life. and we
learned to take the torture philosoph-
ically.
From the eighty-seventh to the
eiGhty-eighth parallel we passed for
two days over old ice without pressure
lines or hummocks There was no dis
cernible line of demarcation for the
fields. and it was quite impossible to
determine if we were on land or sea
ice. The barometer indicated no ele-
walton. but the ice had the hard. wav-
ing surface of glacial ice. With only
superficial crevasses. The water OBJ
tanned from this was not salty. but all
Of the upper surface Of the ice Of the
polar sea makes similar water. The
nautical observations did not seem to
indicate a drift. but nevertheless the
combined m h,1 laf iopS do not w1rra n