Wm.Lyon Phelps afortiell Iniuerattg ajtbrarg Mifuca, Keu) ^atb THE GIFT OF Cornell University Library PS 3531.H48D2 A dash at the pole, 3 1924 021 658 426 The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021658426 Bagf) at tfie ^ole By William Lyon Phelps, R.F.D. Champion Pole Vaulter Ehrenmitglied des Ananias-Klubes Knight of the Order of the Midnight Sons Membre de I'lnstitut de Gall Illustrations by John Goss Boston The Ball Publishing Company 1909 Copyright, 1909, by The Ball Publishing Company The Stetson Press, Boston This book is affectionately dedicated to the members of the New Haven Choral Union, who, if they did not believe my story, had the grace to conceal their emotions ajfEtu^rcssi^ottcesi "Away, away, good William de la Pole !" — HENRY VI., Parti " Nor will it yield to Norway or the Pole." — HAMLET "Over the Pole thy thickest mantle throw." — MILTON "Spread the truth from Pole to Pole." — ADDISON "Paradise and the Peary." — MOORE preface ^OME of the more vital extracts from this nar- rative were first laid before the New Haven Choral Union in my annual President's Report to that august body. I felt it to be only fair that, while I was besieged by heckling re- porters, the Choral Union should be the first organization to get the galley-proofs of my great dis- covery. For the sole reason why I had been elected President was the reasonable desire of this Mu- sical Society to have a presiding officer whose loud annual reports should remind them of the Lyre. W. L. P. Yale College, Halloween, 1909. Early preparation — a walk in the Arctics A course of reading on high latitudes "I packed everything in one fell sloop" ^ Bas;i) at tfje ^ole CHAPTER I Carlp ^reparation£( Icebergs, Sunset, October, 1909 TURING all my life I had felt in my bones that I should some day dis- cover the pole. This assurance was especially strong in slushy winter weather, when I had taken many a walk in the arctics, which seemed to belong to me; and the Boxing the compass gl Bagl) at t!)e ^olc arctics, instead of terrifying me, gave me confidence in myself, and enabled me to keep my feet, even on the most slippery ice. Physi- cally I was always fit ; even in my undergraduate days at Yale, when I came out for a contest, everyone gave me a "Why" in athletics. Then, I was absolutely familiar with the use of the neces- sary instruments ; my great bod- ily strength caused me to box the compass, and returning to my rooms after midnight, I had fre- quently observed the artificial a JSas;}) at tfje ^ole horizon. With a thermometer under my tongue and an adenoid barometer in my nose, I could always ascertain progress. The altitude of the sun had some- times bothered me, but I deter- mined to make my final dash in the dark; hence this matter oc- casioned no serious annoyance. Books about high latitudes, such as "Stepping Heavenward," I had read and re-read. a ©as}) at ti)e ^ole CHAPTER II l^ater anti (§aMint INSISTED on making the journey from North America to Greenland by water. Accordingly I packed everything in one fell sloop, and got away from Hoboken in a spanking breeze. We came very near being caught on Sandy Hook; the only incident in the a Basl) at t\}t ^ole voyage worth recording. The crew were very stupid ; the mate would do nothing until I gave him a check; even the engine was a donkey. Arriving in Southwest- ern Greenland, I took a large six- cylindered listerine for Utah. I was constantly delayed by my sentimental negro chauffeur, who insisted on making formal calls on the Eskimo ladies, dressed in a sack suit, which also served as a sleeping-bag, and a silk hat, which he called his sparking plug. For my part, I could not "I took a large six-cylindered listerine for Utah' !^- v':ym^. My chauffeur with his sparking-plug in hand ^ ©asf) at tije ^olc see the necessity of these calls. I got along perfectly by merely giving the natives Prince Rupert Drops, which were invariably re- ceived with a pleasant retort. Finally on this automobile trip we struck an exceedingly bad and rough road, and what with the rattling in front, and the rum- ble behind, the chauffeur became so rattled that he lost his head. We threw his trunk overboard, thus greatly reducing our waits. m^^., ^ / \. t // / ^' " - ->^^-'" > |%ii3p?/9 oSf^ ■^1 i 5 »- (0- 4 'Giving the natives Prince Rupert Drops** a Bas^J) at tfje ^ole CHAPTER III JOW we made steady progress. Soon we saw our first Aurora. This gladdened usall,forweknewthat Aurora was not far from Buffalo, and that we should have plenty of game. Sure enough, game abounded. We saw not only Buffalo,but Moosehead,Elkhart, -^ "We struck an exceedingly bad and rough road" gl gagf) at t{)c ^ole Phoenix,Pigeon,Anaconda,SheI- drake, and many other beasts and birds. I had most fortunately just before leaving home read the Book of Proverbs, and I found it a comparatively easy task to get these animals with the Maxims. When we came within sight of Utah, my guide left me, but in- sisted on receiving, in addition to the stipulated sum, a large gra- tuity. As he acted like a perfect bear, I finally gave him a big sil- vertip. t^ 'ft Giving the guide a big silver tip a Bagf) at tf)e ^ole CHAPTER IV ^\)t €gtuarj> :HEN we came within sight of Utah, as men- tioned above, our auto- mobile was temporarily stopped by a little bay, or estuary, on the other side of which we could plainly see the lights of the town. Even on this side there was a small settlement, to which the a ^as;}) at tfje ^ole Eskimos gave a name that sounded like Saliva: it was on the extreme point of a spit of land, Aswewere w^onderinghow v^^e should cross this bay, virhich had a mean width of only a mile, we saw a large, full-rigged barque just leaving the dock. This made me sick, and I threw up signals of distress. The captain of the barque was playing a con game in the steering tower, and neither saw the rocket nor heard the racket that I produced; but the cook, who was climbing up the ^ ©asiJ) at tije ^ole companion-way with a covered pot of pemmican, perceived us at once. In his excitement he dropped the pot bottom-side up in the binnacle, where it stuck fast. He shouted to the captain, who sprang to the deck, put the ship about, and ran her prow deep into the bank where we stood. The check on this bank was so big that everybody on deck fell overboard. We picked them up with the search-light, and found that no one had suf- fered, except the boatswain, who ^ Bag}) at tf)c ^olc had a finger cut off. We called all hands together, and easily healed him with digitalis. ^ ©agf) at tf)e ^ole CHAPTER V Jf ire anb Jfoob JHERE was a large de- positof sand in thebank where we were stuck. The captain was singularly apa- thetic, saying he had no interest in the bank anyway, and that we must wait for the tide to float us. I was intensely indignant, and determined to have him cash- ^ ©agi) at tfje ^olc iered. While we were waiting, we became hungry, and called for the cook. He found the galley- full of pie — a typical case. We felt it necessary to have some- thing hot, and the galley being impossible, we were at a loss, until we found that the starboard bulkhead was stove: we accord- ingly lit a fire there. The cook bending down to blow on the kindling wood, the hair on the back of his neck became ignited; he wasparticularly hot under the collar, and used language that H ©asf) at tije ^ole seemed to me adequate to the situation. He might have lost his life; but, with rare presence of mind, the fourth officer rolled up his trousers and turned the hose on him, a regular sockdolager. This enraged the cook; and he seemed thoroughly put out. Now the question was, what to eat? I caught a large fish with a boat- hook; and with the scales on his back, we found he weighed four pounds. Thecaptainsaidhewas worth eighty shillings. The fish seemed quite ill, and lay gasping a Basif) at tf)e ^ole on the deck ; we sent for the stur- geon, I mean the surgeon, for we felt that the fish must be cured. He at once began to work, kindly but firmly; but some of the minor scales flew into his eye, causing him excruciating agony. No one knew what to do ; but at this mo- ment a beam from the sinking moon fell across the ship. With a united effort we tipped the beam, and the scales fell from his eyes. Suddenly the cook be- thought him of the pemmican, which was in the closed pot, ^ Basi) at tf)e ^ole tightly imbedded in the binnacle. How should we get it out? We called the engineer, who took the deck, and at once opened the pot with a pair of jacks. A part of my outfit ^ ©asfi at tf)e ^ole CHAPTER VI !HE tide rose; and the barque floated majestic- ally. Soon we weighed the anchor; it was about twelve ounces. We felt thoroughly un- strung, so the captain gave each of us a rope's end; and we had made perhaps four knots when the forward watch — an old re- a ©as;f) at tlje ^ole peater from New York — called out "Breakers Ahead!" On the starboard side we could hear nothing; but we had a list to port, and there the awful sound of the surf could be distinctly heard. The helm was jammed, so noth- ing could be done. It seemed im- possible that we could be ship- wrecked in so small an estuary; but the captain said that severe storms were frequent here, and that the barque was even worse than the bight. So, indeed, it proved; and we prepared for ^ Hastj at tfje $oIe death bygettinginto the shrouds. In ten minutes, or perhaps eleven, we were all wildly struggling in the raging water, and the barque had gone to the bottom. I could clearly hear one of her bilge keels scrapeon the rocky bed far below. .Vs/otsAemaXtcr — CutltoVLt 4 ■ ?J 4 ^^'^ Below foreign-height a Bagf) at tfje ^ole CHAPTER VII ;ERE is where my long practice in boxing the compass stood me in good stead. I knew the meaning of the word spar. Seizing one with a sharp left-hand hook, by- repeated short-arm jabs with my right, by constant ducking and clever foot-work, I reached the a ©asl) at ttic ^ole shore. But I was alone. Every one of my companions had per- ished miserably. All that I could hear was the melancholy boom of the mainsail, as it flapped on the phosphorescent sea. And I was very wet. After some hours I was dry, but fortunately found a spring, which made me leap for joy. Looking about me, I saw that I was only halfa mile from Utah. The night was dark, but the stars were magnificent; those who are out late in the Boston Subway, or in ^ gagl) at ti^c ^ole aColorado silver mine can obtain only an imperfect conception of the Arctic heavens. The signs of the zodiac made the sky look like the great white way. Even with the naked eye I could realize the splendour of the night. I put on eye-glasses, and felt the specta- cle to be superb. With this arti- ficial aid I was able to discard my sea-boots, and I walked ahead about six feet in my stock- ings, when I stepped on a tack • This was too much, after all my sufferings; for I felt the iron enter v*= ,. X ^ Jl ''' v^R^ A\- \4 /^ ->| ''' A^ Blacksmiths with their sledges — for hammer- ing purposes sa ©asif) at tlje ^ole into my sole. I drew it out, and dejectedly limped into Utah. v\\ A ,,,, U Making a musk- ox a Bag}) at tije ^ole CHAPTER VIII jTinal J^reparationsi ARRIVED at Utah be- fore dawn, and found it a poverty-stricken country; for the moon had just risen with its last quarter. See- ing that no winter-quarters were to be had here, I boldly deter- mined to start at once for the pole. My final and complete out- ^ Bagf) at tfje ^ole fit was as follows: one stout saw- horse, one stiff pony of brandy (whose hairs I later found in my throat), three blacksmiths with their sledges, one ring containing a large seal, a good supply of furze, one common or garden ox, thickly sprinkled with musk to deceive the natives in the long Arctic night, and a big pike. I had all the food thoroughly pick- ereled, so that at times it was im- possible to tell whether it was flesh or foul. Just as I was despairing of fur- A fiery steed — also indicative of a determination to saw wood V-^f y/fh /J CZ- Another fiery steed — branded ^|i^fiiiiiiiii,iii£;),ilil.'/fe' Collecting blubber for provision ^ ©as;f) at tfje ^ole ther provisions, a boy came along and began to blubber. With the exception of the smiths with their sledges — they madeSmith Sound — I was accompanied (their stomachs were frequently out of tune) by two Eskimos and one Narwhal. I asked the Narwhal his name, and he replied, "My name is Narwhal ; on the Gram- pian Hills my father feeds his flocks." I took him along, think- ing he might not return. The names of the two Eskimos were Wotsdematter and Cutitout. %= — - ^, My companions "The Eskimos crossed easily' ^ ©asi) at tfje ^ole CHAPTER IX JE started about mid- night, having in vain tried to get a rise out of the sun. The temperature was much below foreign-height. Everything went well until we reached latitude '87. We en- countered some leads and ob- served en passant that the flow of Trying to get a rise out of the sun ^ BagI) at tl)e ^ole water seemed considerably faster than the floe of ice. We crossed these leads lightly and gracefully, as the pony of brandy was water-tight. To be sure, the three blacksmiths, heavily weighted with their sledges, were drowned. I regretted this, as I had intended feeding the Nar- whal with one of the sledges. The Eskimos crossed easily, as they wore claw-hammer coats and long finger-nails, thus giving them a strong hold, and at the same time providing the neces- a ©as;}) at tfje ^ole sary implements to fasten the flag to the pole. a ©asf) at tfje ^ole CHAPTER X T latitude '87 1 made my final dash, consisting of a few parenthetical re- marks on the weather. Previous explorers had used bird-dogs, and then, when pressed by famine, had fed the short-haired dogs to the long-haired ones. I had once tried this myself but had no relish \^^.. ii.ll\ —r^'''<^. H- — THt The final dash, consisting of a few parenthetical remarks a Basi) at tijc ^ole forit. Itconsumestoomuchtime. Every morning you have to get the setters together, and then give them a few pointers. I greatly preferred my hearty little span, the saw-horse and the pony. When I looked at them hitched and ready to start my heart thrilled with pride, as I realized that the pole was in sight. The splendid lines of old Isaac Watts came intomy mind, and I shouted aloud: " W^cre I so tall to reach the pole, Or grasp the ocean with my span, I must be measured by my soul. The mind's the standard of the man ! " Feeding the long-haired dogs to the short-haired ones ^ ©as!) at tfie $ole CHAPTER XI HITCHED the span to a new buck-bored wagon, cutting off the tongue so that I might be the first to announce my discovery. Ten miles had swiftly flown by, when the pony, thinking that the saw-horse was a sea-horse, tried to eat him. The saw-horse natu- Cutting of the tongue so that I should be first to announce my discovery ^ Basf) at tlje ^olc rally resented this, and the team, already frightened by the nar- rowness of the meridian lines, and by the spectacle of a large Waterman penguin, became un- manageable. The two Eskimos were thrown out and were im- mediately devoured by polar bears, who, seeing their long beards, took them for arctic hairs, esteemed a great delicacy by these animals. I was pitched high in the air, and landed on the small of my back, thus discover- ing not only the pole, but the C9 '^'y- V!i /^ ^\ The span is frightened by the narrowness of the meridian lines Discovery of the pole and the whiffle-tree a ©asif) at tf)e ^ole whiffletree. At this moment my right ascension was about ten seconds. My declination, so far as any future attempts are con- cerned, was final and absolute. Please note that in all of the following views of the pole, an observation taken from any angle gives the same result — Absolutely 0. View taken at the pole looking North Note. — The operator forgot to open the slide. View taken at the pole by Wotsdematter looking East Note. — Owing to the inexperience of Wotsdematter the results are not as satisfactory as might be. View taken at the pole looking South Note. — The absence of the igloo ordinarily seen in polar views is explained by the fact that the photographer was standing on it when the picture was taken. View taken at the pole looking West Note. — Those possessing clairvoyant powers may see things here that they have never seen before. * , -I JC-fl /> J' y suis