Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-19
IGGIE. COMDR. BYRD'S MASCOT.
SURVIVES BY COURAGE AND WITS
Terrier Is Most Intelligent Dog In Camp,
but His Master Has Had to Rescue
Him on Many Occasions.

for 1t. But II no one tries to grab 1t
Iggie will push it nearer and nearer, in
viting some one to snatch at 1t so he
cSn growl and run away. If that
doesn't work. he will bite it and make 10
squeak until some one grabs ct him, just
to change the sound He can't be fooled
by taking the squeaker out of the ball
and blowing 1t; IL is the ball he wants.
and he Will pay no attention 10 the
Squeaker unless 1t is la the ball. One
day he took the ball over to the mess
house and buried II III the snow before
going on When he came out he dug the
ball out and. trotted back with it. He
will play the same way with pet bone
which he carries around when tired OF
the ball, and which he hides under q
rug or i'll a box which he places under
the rug In the commanders ROOM and
sometimes Comdr Byrd has found a
bone or two in his bunk, tucked down
inside his sleeping bag.
Iggie sleeps in the commanders room
in box lined with warm wool and
covered with q robe and windproof.
1t is cold for him at night with the
temperature in the house below zero
and sometimes he gets uncovered. Then
the commander, who looks at him every
time he awakens at night, covers him
up again. He Is up early in the morn
ing and comes around where the men
are dressing. rubbing up against them.
wagging his tail and going from one
u another as II ~ bid them a formal
good morning. lie seems ~ have II
sense OF social oDligat and occa-
sionally trotS over 10 the other house
TO 90 IN and walk around greeting
every one. He first goes to those who
do things for him and merely beStowS
a perfunctory wag on those who do
not play with him. Sometimes We are
amused by getting Iggie to sing, which
he will do whenever pitch pipe OF
harmonica is blown near him. He will
howl mournfully as II he did not like
1t at all. but wags his tail happily
when he finishes, as II 10 say. Go
ahead, fellows. let's all sing; cnjoy
it, too"
Most ARectiOnate Animal.
Despite his banks and fights he is
most atfectionate animal. He will snug
gle down i'll ones arms while being
petted and grunt with enjoyment. And
when Comdr. Byrd was away at the
mountains for several days Iggie WAS
inconsolable and wandered around. re-
iusing to play with his toys. until the
commander got back. He always knows
when flight is about TO be made and
lOOhAlS az Dylu rs W
persuade him not u 60. Iggie Is q
unique dog and has helped to make
life little merrier for all Of us this
Winter.
The last two weeks have been the
coolest We have had: in fact, II the
average for the month stays anywhere
near the average OF the first half. 1t
will be the coolest experience in the
Antarctica. The average low tempera-
ture SO far In July has been So below
zero. and Amundsens average for his
coolest month. August. was A.. Eleven
out OF thirteen days touched 60 below
and on one day recently 1t was II below
zero. And that is cold.
When 1t Is calm even at 70 below
zero there is 10 discomfort inside or
out for short time II warmly clad, for
with our fur clothing only the exposed
parts OF the face suffer. and when the
nose is warmed by a hand 1t soon be-
comes warm again. The only trouble is
that while warming the nose the hand
freezes. One feels suddenly a bite on
a finger-tip. as II it had been seized by
pair OF tiny pincerS. But when the
wind blows at all at low temperatures
then 1t is almost impossible to face It
Tor more than a few minutes at a time
Today, for instance. 1t is SO below. a
temperature to which we have become
accustomed while walking, but there is
q lO-mile wind, and that whips around
the face and causes intense pain. The
nose continually suffers and the cheeks
are nipped as If by fire. Cold without
vino can be wiLhstood, but cold with
wind Is impossible.
Cold Does Strange Things.
The extreme cold does strange
tnlngs. 1t is odd to stand outside and
hear ones breath as 1t freezes. When
1t was 10 below, the barrier snow con-
tracted sharply and all about us could
be heard cracks and snaps where the
snow crystals let go under contraction.
1t was weird, as il the houses were built
on an unstable element that was NOV
ing beneath our feet. So small are those
cracks that We have never seen any
OF them except for the large crack Just
north OF the camp. The bay ice boomS
like distant guns at times when large
cracks apparently run across IL. The
guy wires ON antenna posts become AS
taut AS harp strings and hum when the
wind hits them.
1t has curious effect OH our lights
also. The candles used under the
balloons must be warm
ed before they will burn outside for
more than a few minutes and, Incl
what is believed to be a record
observation in cold temperatures was
made when a balloon was sent up on
the day 1t was 70 below zero. Kero-
sene lanterns, when taken outside.
freeze up, mixture of kerosene and
gasoline becoming as hard as ice. Rub
Der insulation in wires gets so brittle
that 1t breaks at the slightest touch
and porous rubber crumbles.
Yes, 1t Is cold but our coolest weather
is ahead of u.s. but in two months the
sun will begin to warm up this frozen
land. The sun first appears on August
% and every one is looking forward to
seeing that comfortable old globe loom
up above the horizon. The light in the 4
north grows little stronger every day. |