Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-09-02

over the Aul6FlCdu SuOTSS u cAplOIS
the way and seek game haunts. Their
mission was only partly successful,
Feb. 10. 1908, the May EXPEDITION EN-.
parked on it's voyage to the pole.
1t consisted of eleven men and 1913
dogs, drawing eleven loaded sledges.
The expedition left Green land shore
and pushed westward over the troub.
led ice of the sound. The gloom Of
the long night was relieved only by
a few hours of daylight The chill
of winter was felt at it's worst. AS
we crossed the heights of Ellesmere
sound to the Pacific slope the tenn.
perature sank to minus SO centigrade
but W soon found gam trails along
which the way was easiest.
1--WE forced our way through Nan
sen sound to Lands End. In this
march We secured 101 muskrats,
seven bears and 1886 other animals.
We pushed out into the Polar sea
from the southern point of the land
on March 10. Six Eskimos deserted
us here. With four men and forty.
sixrdogs moving the supplies for eigh'
ty days, crossing Of the Cercum Po'
lar pact was begun. Three days lat
er two other Eskimos, forming the
last Of the supporting party, eturned
and trials had now to be commenced
Two of the best men and twenty-six
dogs were picked for the final ef-
fort.
There before us in an unknown
line of 400 miles lay our goal. The
first days proved long marches and
We made encouraging progress A
| big lead which separated the land
from the ice was crossed with little
| delay. The low temperature was
persistent and the winds made us
! SILVER.
For several days after sight OF
! land was lost and the sky was over
cast preventing actual knowledge OF
our positions. On March 30, the
new land was discovered. Our OBJ
| servations gave our positions as lati-
tude S4.47; longitude 1886. There
| was urgent need of rapid advance
| Our main mission did not detour FOL
the purpose of exploring the coast.
! eve advanced steadily over sea
of moving ice and now found our
| selves beyond the range OF all life
| neither footprints of bears nor blow
holes were detected.
"The maddening influence of the
shifting desert of ice was almost un
durable. The surface of the pack
offered less and less trouble and we
made good progress, but there still
remained the life-sapping wind which
drove despair to its lowest recess
| The extreme cold compelled physical
action. Thus day afttr day our weary
legs spread. over big distances. Incl
dents and positions were recorded
but was promptly forgotten in the
next days efforts. The night OF
April Z was made noticeable by the
shining of the sun at midnight In the
| northern east. Sunburns and frost
bites were now recorded on the same
day but the double days glitter Is
quite an incentive.
"Our observations of the 9Th plac-
ed the camp in latitude 1886; longi'
tude 94.2. r.. ..-'
I'm spite of what seemed long
marches, we had advanced but a lit.
tie over a hundred miles. Much OF
our work was lost in circuitous twists
around troublesome pressure lines and
high ice fields.
| 1--WE were now about 200 miles
from the pole and the sledge loads
were reduced. One dog after another
went into the stomachs of the hun.
cry survivors, until the teams were
considerably diminished, but there
remained a sufficient balance for man
and brute to push along into the
heat of mystery to which we bad
set ourselves.
ION April II we had reached SO de-
grees, 50 minutes, 10 seconds. The
pole was in sight I told the accom-
panying Eskimos that We had reach.
ed the great nail" Everywhere we
| turned south. With single step We
could pass from one side of the earth
to the other, from midnight to mid,
night. At last the flag foated to the
breeze on April 81, 1909. The. tenn
perature was 80 centigrade; barome-
ter 1888; Latitude 80, as for longi-
tude, it was nothing, as it was but
| word. Although crazy. with Joy our
Epirits began to undergo feeling of
l IL.