Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-09-16

the open water closed, the atmosphere
to the north was cleared and we
rushed across before the ice should
open again.
A succession Of latcrally open leads
were crossed, and after them some
heavy old ice. and then we came to
| layer of young Ice, some Of which
| buckled under our slcdgcs, and this
gave us a straight way of six miles to
the north Then came more heavy old
foes covered with hard snow.
| This was a good long march. The
next march was also long one. IL
was Bartett's last hit. He let him
self out over series OF large old foes
steadily Increasing in diameter and
covered with hard snow.
During the last few miles | walked
| beside HIN or In advance. He was
very solemn and anxious to 70 farther.
but the program was for him TO 20
back from here in command of the
fourth supporting party. and there
were no supplies for an increase in
| the main party.
| In this march We encountered high
wind FOR the frat time since the three
days after we left Cape Columbia. 1t
was dead on our faces. bitter and in
| siStent but | had no reason to com
plain 1t was better than an easterly
or southerly wind, either Of which
would have set us adrift in open wa
ter, while this was closing 10 every
lead behind. This furnished another
advantage Of my supporting parties.
True. by so doing it WAS pressing to
the south the ice over which we tray
cled and 50 rcbhing us Of hundred
miles of advantage
Rartett's Far North
We concluded we were on or near the
eightyeighth parallel unless the mort h
wind had lost MS several miles The
wind blew All night and all the fol
lowing day At this camp IN the
morning Bartlett started to walk five
or six miles TO the north to make sure
Of reaching the eehty-eighth parallel
Bartlett returned in time to take n
satisfactory observation for latitude
In clear weather and obtained for our
position S1.4S. and that showed that
the continued north wind had robbed
us of number Of miles Of hard earned
distance
Bartlett took the observations here,
as had Marvin five camps back, partly
to save my eyes. but largely to give
an Independent record and determine
ton of our advance. The observations
completed and two copies made. one
for him and the other for me. Bartlett
started on the back trail in command
Of my fourth supporting party with
2 Esliimos. ! sledgp and 1S dogs
With the disappearance of Bartlett
| turned to the problem before me-
As for my party. my equipment sad
my supplies | was in shape beyond
my most SanGuine dreams OF earliest
years Ny party might he regarded as
an ideal which had now come to reali-
zation
-Four Of them carried the technique
Of dogs. SlodCcS. ice and cold as their
heritage. Two Of them, Hansen and
Ootam, were my companions to the
fartheSt point three years before. Two
others, Egingwah and Sigloo were in
Clark's division which had such a mar
row escape at that time. The fifth was
Young man who was if possible even
more willing and eager than the others
for the rrincely gifts-a boat rifle.
shotgun, ammunition. knives etc
which | had promised for he knew
AZ !, tim,
WreSt from Il stubborn father the girl
whose image filed his young heart.
He Plans Five Marches.
| had NJ fault to find with the con
ditions. My dogs vera the very best.
the pick of l22 with which we left
Columbia. My slodges now that the
repairs were completed, We're In good
condition. My supplies were ample
for forty days and, With The reserve
represented by the dogs themselves.
could be made to last nifty. ! decided
that | should strain every nerve TO
make five marches OF fifteen miles
each, crowding these marches in such
way AS to bring us to the end Of
the firth long enough before noon 10
permit the immediate taking of an
observation for latitude
Weather and leads permitting. | be-
lieved could 40 this. If 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 a
forced one, stopping 10 make ten and
rest the dogs, but not to sleep.
Second, at the end Of the ifth march
to make a forced march with "A light
slodgc, n double team Of dogs and one
or two Of The party. leaving the rest in
camp.
Underlying oil these calculations were
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 my
plans into cooked hat and even put
us in imminent peril,
At little after midnight of April
I. after few hours of sound sleep,
| hit the trail, leaving the others to
break up camp and follow. II was
fine morning. The wind of the last
two days had subsidized, and the going
was the best and most equabe Of any
! had had yet.
l set good pace for about ten
hours. Twenty-Five miles took me we'll
beyond the eighty eighth parallel.
While was building my igloos long
lead formed by the east and southeast