Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-03-21

/ feet. ne third day We were Obliged
TO go down on a mighty glacier
"AxeI Hefbergs Glacier" which divided
/ the coast mountains and the noun
tains farther south.
The next day began the longest part
of our climb Many detours had TO be
made in order 10 avoid broad cracks
and open creyices-
Glaciers Source of Peril.
These were apparently mostly. filed
! up, as the glaciers in all probability
had long ago stopped moving, but we
/ had TO be careful, never knowing for
I certain how thick was the layer that
covered them.
Our camp that night lay in pic,
turesque surroundings at a height OF
/ 5000 feet The glacier here was mar
rowed in between the two 5000 feet
high mountains, the Fridtjof hansen
/ and the Don Pedro Christopbergen
/ From the bottom of the glacier rose
Mount Ole Englstad, big snow cone
1880 feet high. The glacier was
much broken in this comparatively
narrow pass. The mighty creYices
/ seemed to stop US from going farther,
but it was not so serious as it ap-
! peared.
Dogs in Record Feat.
Our dogs, which up to this time had
covered a distance of about 700 kilo-
meters, the last days very hard work,
ran this day thirty-five klometers, the
ascent being 5 800 feet-an almost in
credible recc-f.
It took US only four days from the
barrier to get up on the vast inland
plateau.
We camped that night at a height
of 10000 feet. Here we had to kill "a
of our brave companions and keep Il,
six for each of our three sIedges.
We stopped here four days on &C
count Of bad weather. Tired of this,
we set out on the 25th Of November
On the Goth, in a furious blizzard
and in a dense snowdrift, absolutely
nothing was to be seen, but we felt
that, contrary to expectations, we
were going fast downhill. The hypso-
meter gave US that day descent of
500 feet
Faces Frozen During Gale.
We continued our march the next
day in gale, and a dense snowdrift
got our faces badly. frozen. We could
see nothing.
We reached that day Sc degrees
dead reckoning. The hypsometer in
dicated fall of 500 feet. The next
day was similar
The weather cleared little at din
ner time and exposed to our view a
mighty mountain range to the east,
and not far off, only for a moment
and then it disappeared in the dense
snowdrift
On the 29th it Gained down and
the sun shone, though it was not the
only pleasant surprise he gave us. In
our course stretched a big glacier run
ming toward the south.
Discover Mountain Range.
At its eastern end was the mountain
range going in southeasterly dtrec-
ton. Of the western part of it no
view was to be had, it being hidden in
the dense fog.
At the foot of this glacier, the Dew
IFS glacier, a depot for six days was
established at 1921 degrees south Iati-
tude. The hypsometer indicated
5000 feet above sea level.
On November 80 we began to climb
the glacier. The lower part Of it was
much broken and dangerous. More
over, the snow bridges often burst.
From our camp that night we had a
splendid view over the mountain top
to the east.
See Many Great Peaks.
There was "HeImer Nansen's sum
nit" the most remarkable of them all.
1t was 10000 feet high and covered
with such broken glaciers that in all
probability no foothoId was to be
found. oscar Wistings," "Sverre-
hasses," and "Oiav HjanIands" noun
tafns also lay here beautifully tllumi-
mated in the rays Of the bright sun.
In the distance, only alternately to
be viewed in the fog, appeared from
time to time Mount Nelson" with its
SUBMITS and peaks, about $4,000 feet
high. We only saw the nearest sur
roundings.
1t took US three days to surmount
the Devils glacier, always in misty
weather.
On the first of December we left
this broken glacier, with holes and
crevices without number, with it's
height of 900 feet. Before US, look
ing, in the mist and snowdrift, like a
frozen sea, appeared light, sloping
ice plateau filled with small hum
mocks.
Man and Dogs Fall in Sea.
The walk over this frozen sea was
not pleasant. The ground under us
was quite hollow, and it sounded as
though we were walking on the bot
toms of empty barrels. AS 1t was, a
man fell through, with a couple Of
dogs. We could not use our skis on
this polished ice. Sledges had the
best Of it.
This place got the name of the
Devils Dancing Room" This part Of
our march was the most unpleasant.
On December we got our greatest
height. according to the hypsometer
and aneroid, 10,75O feet, at 81 de-
grees 20 minutes south.
On December 6 we came out of the
bad weather. Once again the sun
smiled down on US. Once again we
could get an observation. Dead reck
| oning and observation were exactly
Wonderful