The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1909-09-16

Ihls furnished another advantage of
my supporting parties. True. by 80
oolns 1t was pressing to the south the
Ice over which we travelled, and so
roDDlng us OF hundred miles of ad.
vantage.
EIaHTY-FoUR is PASSED.
We concluded we were on or near
the elghty-eighth parallel, unless the
north wind had lost us several miles.
The wind blew all night and all next
day.
AT this camp, in the morning. Bart.
lett started to walk five or six miles to
the north to make sure of reaching
the eighthy-eighth parallel. While he
was gone selected the 40 best dogs in
the outfit and had them doubled.
picked out five of the best sledges
and assigned them expressly to the
captains party. I broke up the
seventh for material with which to re-.
pair the others and set Eskimos at
this work.
Bartlett returned in time to take a
satisfactory observation for latitude
IN clear weather, and obtained for orr
position S7.4S. and that showed that
the continued north wind had robbed
US OF a number of miles of hard.
earned distance.
Bartlett took the observation here
as had Marvin five camps back, partly
to save my eyes, but largely to give
an independent record and determine.
tiOn of our advance.
The observations completed and two
copies made, one for him and the
other for me. Bartlett started OIL the
back trail in command of my fourth
supporting party. with two Eskimos,
one sledge, and IS dogs.
BARTLETT DID GOOD WORK.
When he left felt for a moment
pangs of regret as he disappeared in
the distance, but 1t was only momen.
tary. My work was still ahead, not in
the rear.
Bartlett had done good work and
had been a great help to me. Circum-
stances had thrust the brunt of the
pioneering upon him instead OF divid.
ing 1t among several. as l had planned.
He had reason to take pride in the
fact that he had bettered the Italian
record by degree and quarter and
had covered distance equal to the
entire distance of the Italian expedi-
tion from Franz Josefs land to Cagni's
farthest north.
| had given Bartlett this position
and post OF honor in command OF my
fourth and last supporting party, and
for two reasons: first, because of his
magnificent handling of the Roos J.
velt; second, because he Lad cheer
fully stood between me and many
trifiing annoyances on the expeditions.
Then there was third reason. 1t
seemed to me appropriate, in view OF
the magnificent British record of arc
tic work, covering three centuries,
that 1t should be British subject who
could boast that. next to an Ameri-
can he had been nearest to the pole.
With the disappearance of Bart
lett ! turned TO the problem before
me. This was that for which ] had
worked for S2 years; for which had
lived the simple life; for which l had
conserved all my energy on the up
ward trip; for which l had trained
myself as for race, crushing down
every worry about success.
In spite of my years, felt In trim
fit for the demands of the coming
days and eager to-be on the trail.
AS for my party, my equipment. and
my supplies. was in shape beyond
my most sanguine dreams of earliest
years.
My party might be regarded as an
ideal, which had now come to realiza,
tion-as loyal and responsive to my
will as the fingers OF my right hand.
PRAISES HIS MEN.
Four of them possess the tech.
nique of dogs. sledges, ice, and
cold as their heritage. Two Of
Them, Hansen and OOtam, were /
my companions to the farthest point
.hree years before. Two others, Egg !
ngwuk and Sigloo. were in Clark's di
,ision, which had such narrow es
,ape at that time, and now were will
ng to go anywhere with my immedi-
lte party, and willing to risk them
selves again in any supporting party.
The fifth w~s young man who had
lsver served before In any expedition.