Mexico Missouri message., 1909-09-16

| the march we rushed across a lead 100
| yards wide. which buckled under our
sledEes and finally broke as the last
/ sledge left IL.
| we stopped in sight OF the eighty
| ninth parallel In a temperature of 40
| degrees below. Again a scant sleep
| and we were on our way once more
and across the eighty-ninth parallel
This march duplicated the previous
| one as to weather and going. The last
| few hours IL was on young ice and oc-
casionally the dogs were galloping.
| We made twenty-five miles or more,
| the air. the sky and the bitter wind
| burning the face till II cracked. 1t was
| like the great interior ice gap of
Greenland. Even the natives COM
| planned OF the bitter air. It was as
| keen as frozen steel.
A little longer sleep than the previ-
| Gus one had to be taken here as we
| were all in need of IL. 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 1 found myself hurrying breath
| lessly forward, fearing that II marked a
! lead, and when l arrived at the summit
would catch my breath with relief-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 me
| completely. The weather was thick, but
| II gave me no uneasiness.
Before / turned in 1 took an observa-
ton which indicated our position as SO
! degrees % minutes.
A dense, lifeless pail hung overhead.
| The horizon was black and the ice be-
meath was a CHASTITY. chalky white, with
| no relief-a striking contrast to the glim.
mering, sunlit fields of 1t over which we
had been travelling for the previous four
| days.
Weather Becomes Mllder.
The going was even better, and there
was scarcely any snow on the hard,
| granular. last summers surface of the
| old foes, dotted with the sapphire ice
of the previouI summers lakes.
| A rise In temperature TO Is degrees be-
| low reduced the friction of the sledges
and gave the dogs the appearance of
having caught the spirits OF the party,
| The more sprightly ones, as they went
along With tightly curled tails. frequent
| ly tossed their heads, with short, sharp
banks and yelps.
In u hours we had made 10 miles.
There was no sign of a lead in the
| march.
Arrival at the Pole.
had now made my hve marches, and
| was in time for a hasty noon observation
| through temporary break in the clouds,
which indicated our position as $751;
quote an entry from my journal some
/ hours utter.
The pole at last. The prize of three
! centuries my dream and goal for 20
| years, mine at last. l cannot bring my
| self to realize II.
1t all seems so simple and common
place. AS Bartlett said when turning
back, when speaking of his being in
| these exclusive regions, which no mortal
| has ever penetrated before: 1T is just
| like every day"
OF course 1 had my sensations that
made sleep impossible for hours, despite
| my utter fatigue-the sensations of a life
| time; but have no room for them here.
The first 30 hours at 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 hOri-
ION with my telescope for possible land
and searching for u practicable place to
make a sounding.
Plan for Return Trip.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before a light breeze from our
left and from that time until our depar-
ture in the afternoon of April 7 the
weather was cloudless and fiawless.
The minimum temperature during the
80 hours was 80 below, the maximum Il.
We had reached the goal, but the re-
turn 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 on 1t was to be big travel, little
sleep and a hustle every minute.
We would try, 1 told them, to double
march on the return-that is, to start
and cover one of our northward
marches, make tea and eat our luncheon
in the igloos, then cover another march.
eat and sleep few hours, and repeat
this daily.
Speed Nearly Doubled.
AS a matter of fact, we nearly did
this, covering regularly on our return
journey five outward marches in three
return marches.
Just as long as we could hold the
trail we could double our speed. and
we need waste no time in building
new igloos every day. so that the time
we gained on the return lessened the
chances of gale destroying the track.
Just above the eighty-seventh paral-
lei was region some fifty miles wide
which caused me considerable uneasi-
ness. Twelve hours of strong easterly.
westerly, or northerly wind would
make this region an open sea.
In the afternoon of the 7th we start
ed on our return, having double fed
the dogs, repaired the sledges for the
last time. and discarded all our spare
clothing to tighten the loads.
Tries to Sound Sea.
Five miles from the pole a narrow
crack filled with recent ice. through
which we were able to work a hole
with a pickax. enabled me to make a
sounding. All my wire 1900 fathoms
was sent down. but there was no bot
tom.
In pulling up the wire parted a few
fathoms from the surface and lead and
wire went to the bottom. OF went reel
and handle. tightening the sledges still
further. We had no more use for them
now.
Three marches brought us back &c
the igloos where the captain turned
back. The last march was in the wild
sweep of a northerly gale with drift
ing snow and the ice rocking under as
, we dashed over II.
Not Delayed by Leads.
, South of where Marvin had turned
, back we came to where his party haC
built several igloOs while delayed By
open leads. Still further south WI
| found where the captain had been helt