The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-09-23

made twenty miles Near the end
of the march we rushed across d lead
100 yards wide. which buckled under
our sledges and finally broke as the
last Sledge left it,
We stopped in sight Of the eighty
ninth parallel in a temperature of ~
degrees below. Again scant sleep
and we were on our way once more
and across the ei~hty-ninth parallel.
This march duplicated the previous
one aS 70 weather and going. The last
few hours il was on Young ice and
! Occasionally the dogs We're @alloping
We made twenty-five miles or more
the air. the sky ana the bitter wind
burning the face till it cracked. 1t was
like the great interior ice cap Of Green
! land. Even the natives complained Of
the bitter air. 1t was as keen as fro
Zen steel
little longer sleep than the pre-
ciouS ones had to he taken here. rs we
We're all in need of it. then on again.
Up to this time. with each successive
march. our fear of an impossible lead
had Increased. At every inequality of
the ice | found myself hurrying breath
leSSly forward. fearing thar it marked
a lead. and when ! arrived ut 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 fen from me
completely. The weather WAS thick.
but il gave me no uneaSincSS
Before | turned in took an oh
servation which indicated our position
as $50. a dense. ifeeSS pail hung
overhead. The horizon was black and
the ice beneath was Il CHASTITY. chalky
white. with no relief. \ rise in tenn
peraulrc to l. below reduced the frir-
tion Of the SledgcS ana gave the dogs
the appearance of having caught the
spirits of the party. The more Spright-
ly ones. as they went along with tight
ly cmlrd tails. frequently tossed their
heads. with short. sharp banks and
ynlpS. In twelve hours We made forty
miles. There was no sign of lead in
the march.
9TH. Pole at Last!"
ma" no" Hade my HNe marches
and was in time for Il haSty noon oh
SefNatloh through Il temporary break
III the clouds. which Indicated orr po-
Sltloh as N2.1I. 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 at last. cannot
bring myself to realize it
HE frSt thirty hours at the pole
were spent III taking observations. in
gong some ten miles beyond our camp
ana som" eight miles to the right Of
II. III taking photographs, planting my
nays. dep"Sltln% my records. studying
the horizon with my telescope for pos
Slbie iand aud searching for Il praC-
tcable place to make sounding.
len hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before a light breeze from our
IeIt, ana from that time until our de-
@rtnre III the afternoon of April I the
weather WaN cl"udlcSS ana ilaWcSS.
Ihr minimum temperature during the
thirty hours was 81 below. the MAXI
mum -.
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 a brief talk with my men.
From now on it was to hc a biz travel,
little sleep and Il hustle every minute.
| We would fry. ! told them. t. double
march ON the return that is. to start
and cover one of our northward
| marches. make tea and eat our lunch
In the i@looS, then cover another march,
eat and sleep few hours. and repeat
this daily.
AS matter of fact, we nearly did
this covering regularly on our home
ward journey five outward marches in
three return marches. Just as long
as we could h"ld the trail we could
double our speed and we need waste
no time in building new igiooS.
In the afternoon OF the nth we
started on our return, having double
fed the dogs, repaired the sIedgeS for
the last time ana discarded all our