CHAPTER XXII
The cold was increasing, and the snug, warm cabin of the Orion was amost acceptable substitute for the frost-covered deck of the vessel.At 7 dial breakfast was laid, and the three officers partook of ahearty meal; then lighting their cigars--the necessity for firesaboard the vessel being removed by the substitution of meteorlene forhydrogen--they lay back and enjoyed the hour.
"Why did you bring so much meteorite and acid?" suddenly asked Lester.
"Because," answered Cobb, "I wished to have enough to meet allemergencies which may arise. I have enough to fully inflate the balloonfour times."
"Do you intend to make direct for the pole from Cape Farewell?" brokein Hugh.
"No. I wish to satisfy myself about the northern extremity of Smith'sSound first. I shall pass west when on the eightieth parallel oflatitude."
"Can you explain why it is that the pole has never been reached by landparties?" inquired Lester.
"My opinion," replied Cobb, "is that they have never proceeded uponthe proper course. I think that Smith's Sound leads the waters of animmense polar ocean into Baffin's Bay; that the sea is a moving seaof ice, and that any northward progress upon it would be more thancounterbalanced by its southward movement. I have long believed thatthe only route lay along the backbone of Greenland."
"Well," with satisfaction, "we can soon ascertain the truth or fallacyof your hypothesis," exclaimed Hugh.
"Yes; for we will pass up on the fortieth meridian of longitude to theeightieth parallel; this course will take us over the central length ofGreenland," and Cobb blew a cloud of smoke about him, and closed hiseyes in meditation.
At precisely 4:15 dial the following day the Orion stood poised abovethe southern extremity of Greenland. The earth below them lay like awhite sheet, extending as far to the north as the eye could reach;the waters to the south were covered with floating ice, while great,towering icebergs were visible in many directions. The cold had becomevery great, and it was necessary to change their clothing for fur.But, despite the freezing atmosphere, they were warm and cozy in theship. Hugh had worked hard during the two days given him to completetheir arrangements; the canvas exterior of the car had been given athorough coating of heavy varnish, and the interior lined with blanketsthroughout, while heavy, thick carpets covered all the floors. Theelectric heaters, except in the pilot's house and three staterooms,had been replaced by oil-stoves of superior heating properties. Tenbarrels of oil had been placed on board, and one hundred cells ofstorage battery added to the plant. With these wise provisions and theforethought to provide an abundance of the warmest flannel, and furclothing for all, the severity of the weather had little effect uponthe welfare and comfort of those aboard the Orion.
A strong wind was blowing off the coast, and the vessel made but littleheadway; the barometer marked 26.64 inches, and the elevation was 3,200feet.
"Lester," said Cobb, after a pause, and looking through the frostedwindow, "I wish you would increase the gas; we must rise above thiscurrent of air, or we will be blown off the coast."
Hathaway passed out, and filled the receivers, and soon the Orion wasrapidly ascending. Watching the barometer carefully, Cobb soon put hislips to the speaking-tube, and called to Lester: "That will do." Thebarometer registered 18.2 inches, and the elevation had been increasedto 13,000 feet, striking a strong current which immediately took thevessel swiftly due north.
Cape Farewell was in latitude sixty degrees, and on the forty-fourthmeridian from Greenwich. It was over 1,200 miles to the eightiethdegree, from which Cobb intended to move west to Smith's Sound.
The days had become shorter and shorter as they progressed northward.
"It's a bad time of the year," said Hugh, "to make the voyage. The coldwill be intense, and there will be no sun north of the seventy-fourthdegree after to-day."
"Yes; I know it," returned Cobb. "But we will have the aurora, and thatwill give a sufficiency of light for all our purposes."
In the steady, strong northerly current, the Orion made rapid progress.The great glaciers of Southern Greenland were passed, and then thechain of mountains which traverses the land from north to south werereached. Keeping exactly along the backbone of the range, the Orionsped northward.
On either side great canyons opened toward the west and east; immenserivers of ice and slow-moving glaciers extended toward the sea. Theland was white with snow, save here and there where the black rocksof the mountains broke through. A barren, dreary waste was upon everyside, and a scene of utter desolation presented itself to these fewmortals far up in the clouds.
Still the vessel moved northward; degree after degree was passed, andit was 12 dial when they reached the seventy-fifth degree of latitude.The sun lay like a ball of fire upon the plain of snow to the south,its disc just visible as it seemed to rest on the horizon. The threeofficers stood at the rail, and raised their fur caps in salutation.
"Good-bye, old Sol; good-bye to your bright light!" cried Cobb, as hewaved his cap. "It will be many an hour--days, even, and perhaps years,ere your face is seen by us again!"
"Let us say days only, Junius," the others exclaimed, together. "Wehope soon to see its glorious face again."
"Perhaps!" With this single word, Cobb turned and entered the cabin,where he spread out before him a chart of the arctic regions, andexamined it intently. Five degrees more and he would turn to the west!
Dinner was soon announced, and eaten with a relish, as the bracingair had given each a good appetite. The sunlight had given place totwilight, and that, in turn, had been followed by night. The starsshone out with brilliancy, and studded the heavens in every direction.The Orion, being in an upper current, moved with surprising evenness.The pole-star was high in the sky, and the great bear directly overtheir heads.
It was 18 dial by their chronometers, and they should be near theeightieth parallel.
"Hugh," said Cobb, rising from his chair, "will you take the latitudefrom Polaris? Never mind the refraction; I want it only to within a fewminutes." Hugh took the sextant, and left the cabin, while Cobb turnedto Hathaway, and remarked: "Lester, this is a very comfortable room,this one of ours in the arctic regions, is it not?"
"Indeed, it is," the other replied.
"And we are going north, to the extremity of the earth?"
"I understand such to be your intention."
"It would be sad for you and Hugh if we never returned!"
"I do not think of it in that light," smilingly returned his companion,as he lighted a fresh cigar. "There is no reason why we should notreturn, and return in a halo of glory."
"I hope so."
At this moment Hugh came, and announced that he made the latitude 79degrees 55 minutes. Seven minutes later the course of the Orion waslaid due west.
On the 17th of January, at 1 dial, the vessel lay to over NapoleonIsland. From this point they proceeded due north, Cobb carefullywatching the earth below them. For three degrees the course of Smith'sSound was plainly visible, then it terminated in a great sea offloating ice to the north. "As I thought," he murmured: "There is noroad to the pole from the continent of North America."
At 6 dial the Orion's course was still due north.
Returning to the cabin, breakfast was served, and all enjoyed the goodthings which had been prepared, and, also, the warmth of the interior.As the hour of 10 dial drew near, Cobb took the sextant, and passedout of the cabin, and stationed himself at the rail near the pilot'shouse. There, with instrument in hand, he carefully watched Polarisrise toward the zenith as the ship moved north. Suddenly he dropped theinstrument to his side, and cried, in a quick, sharp voice: "Ninetydegrees to the right; quick!"
The Orion turned in a graceful curve, and bore due east.
At 16 dial Cobb again came on deck and consulted his sextant. Aftera moment he laid aside the instrument, and took his watch in hisfur-covered hand, and noted the revolution-counter on the side of thepilot's house. "We are moving due east on the parallel of 83 degrees24 minutes,"
he replied to Hugh and Lester, as the two men came fromthe cabin and inquired why he was consulting his watch, "and if I amnot mistaken, will be on the meridian of 40 degrees 46 minutes in fiveminutes," and he put the telescope to his eye and intently examined theearth below them. "Ha! As I thought!" he suddenly cried, excitedly:"Stop her! Stop her! Stop the engines!"
The pilot threw over the electric switch, and the great propellergradually ceased to revolve. Jumping quickly to the escape-valve, Cobbcarefully allowed the gas to escape, and the Orion began gently tosettle. Hugh and Lester looked at the man in amazement. Was he crazy?Why was he thus descending into a barren, icy plain miles yet from thepole?
"Make ready, Hugh, to alight," cried Cobb. "I will explain allafterward."
The Orion touched the snowy plain. Still discharging gas that thevessel might not ascend, when relieved of the weight of himself andcompanions, he pointed to a cone of rocks standing high and bare abovethe snow, some four hundred yards away.
"That is why I have landed," he quietly said: "Come; follow me, and Iwill explain."
Stepping down the ladders, the three men made their way over the snowtoward the spot pointed out, and found a pile of rocks about thirtyfeet high standing on the shore of the icy sea. As Lester and Hughexamined the monument, Cobb, saying nothing, commenced to pull asidethe stones. A moment later and he had unearthed an old rusty meat-can,and was excitedly tearing it open. Its contents was a letter. Withoutwaiting to hear the questions which he knew the two men were about toask, he said: "This is the cairn left by Brainard and Lockwood in 1882.This is the spot, 83 degrees 24 minutes north latitude, and 40 degrees46 minutes west longitude, which they reached on that day, memorable inhistory, when the highest latitude on the globe was reached by a humanbeing."
"And you knew that a letter would be found in that cairn?" inquiredLester, with intense surprise.
"I was told so by Brainard," Cobb answered, with quiet unconcern.
"And you personally knew the man who left that letter here in thisdesolate waste?" incredulously broke in Hugh.
"Intimately."
handwritten note]
Transcription:
~lat. 83 deg. 24' north long 40 deg. 46' west~
~Copy of record left in Cairn at Farthest.~
I left Fort Conger, Discovery Harbor, April 3d, 1882 with party of twelve men and equipment consisting of one dog-sledge and team and four Hudson Bay sledges. Four of the party broke down in crossing the straits and were sent back. Two of the sledges also became useless and another, a large sledge, was substituted for them. Thus equipped the party left the base of supplies (which we had in mean time established at the Boat Camp, Newman Bay) April 16th and reached Cape Bryant April 27th. Near the Black Horn Cliffs the large sledge referred to broke a runner, and at Cape Bryant the two remaining Hudson Bay sledges were unable to go farther, being worn out. Here the rest of the party turned back while I continued on with the dog team. Sergeant David L. Brainard, General Service, U. S. Army, and Frederik Christiansen (Eskimo).
Cape Britannia was reached May 4th and this cape May 13th, 1882. Here I turn back starting tomorrow, the 15th instant. All well at this date.
J. B. Lockwood 2d Lieutenant 23d Infantry U.S. Army.
Cobb then detailed all the circumstances attending the fit-out ofthe Greely expedition, and his personal acquaintance with Brainard andLockwood. He narrated that they had reached this memorable spot on the13th of May, 1882, and could go no farther, as a great sea washed theshore in front of them--the time being summer. Opening the letter whichhe had taken from the meat-can, he read to his astonished friends:
"Now!" he exclaimed, as he raised the letter aloft; "now, in honor tothe men who suffered, and to Lockwood, who perished, the record oftheir search for the pole shall not rest here, but shall continue itsjourney, even to the pole itself, and be laid upon the pivotal axis ofthis mighty globe."
An hour later the Orion was bearing due north, and the three officerswere sitting in the warm cabin discussing the cairn, the letter, andthe Greeley expedition of 1880.
Higher and higher rose Polaris to the zenith; onward, mile after mile,flew the ship. The cold outside had become intense, and the spiritthermometer registered 86 degrees F. The aurora filled the heavensabout them as if a huge, circular tent of brilliantly colored stripesof fire had been pitched above them. No moisture in the air, no sound,save the whir of the propeller, as it rapidly revolved and sent thevessel forward. Below was ice--ice--and nothing more.
So intense was the cold that, as Cobb unthinkingly touched his baremoist hand to the sextant which had been brought in by the boy, theskin and flesh were burnt as by a red-hot iron.
"It was 18 dial when we left the cairn, in latitude 83 degrees 24minutes," said Cobb, after a pause in the conversation, "and thedistance to the pole was just 458 miles. Our speed has been uniform,and at the rate of forty-three and-a-half miles per hour, we shouldcover the distance in ten hours thirty-one minutes and forty-eightseconds, and at thirty-one minutes forty-eight seconds past 4 dialought to be directly over the pole."
Indeed, Cobb was perfectly correct in his reckoning, for at the hourmentioned the Orion was brought to a standstill, and then gentlydropped to the earth below. Excitedly jumping down the ladders, thethree men sprang out upon the snow, and, in one voice, exultinglyexclaimed: "The pole! the pole! the north pole!"
True, it was the vicinity of the north pole of the earth, but it wasnot until after five days of hard work and intricate calculations thatthe exact spot through which the axis of the earth passed, had beenlocated.
The record showed the exact time of locating this spot to be 12 dial,January 23, 2001.
Then was erected, from such materials as could be spared from theOrion, a monument to mark the spot. A hollow aluminum rod was drivendeep through the snow into the earth underneath, and within it wereplaced letters and papers, and a portion of the documents found in thecairn in latitude 83 degrees 24 minutes.
Their task completed, they contemplated their achievement; a drearywaste, with snow in every direction, contained within its center theevidence of their wonderful discovery; and that evidence was a singlemonument of boxes, barrels, metals, and whatever else could be sparedfrom the Orion to mark the north point of the earth's axis! Surely thiswas little reward for the years of arduous toil and physical sufferingof mankind, for the vast sums expended and for the hundreds of humanlives which had been sacrificed in the vain ambition of discovering thepolar axis of the earth!
The Orion lay about a hundred yards from the monument which had beenerected, with her great gas bag nearly empty. A large tent, however,had been set up exactly over the pole to shelter them from the coldwinds as they made their observations.
On the morning of the 24th of January the three men proceeded to thetent for the last time. Hugh carried a large box in his arms, andLester had a storage battery well wrapped in warm flannels.
"It will be gladsome news to your father, Hugh, if you can send amessage to him from here," said Cobb, as they entered the tent.
"Indeed, it will!" joyously returned the other. "I will soon have myinstruments in position, and then for word from home!" He beamed withthe thought, for might he not hear from Marie? Of course he would!They certainly would tell him where she was, and if she and Mollie werewell!
Hugh had brought a set of sympathetic instruments with him, the mate towhich was in the office of the President's private secretary. He hadcautioned that gentleman to watch at a certain hour of each day for hissignals. That hour had been designated as 11 to 12 dial.
Setting his instruments on the top of the little monument, Hugh workedassiduously to get an answering click from the office in Washington,but without success. In every conceivable position that he laid theneedle the result was the same--no influence from its Washington mate.Disgusted, he arose from his work, and debated the situation in hismind.
"Ah!" he suddenly exclaimed, pointing to the needle. "I see it now!The needl
e is directly over the pole, and moves in the plane ofthe equator, while every other needle of the whole system of thesympathetic telegraph points to the north star." As he spoke, he seizedthe instrument, and carefully turned it on its side until the needlemoved in a vertical plane; then fixing it solidly, he brought theneedle into a perfectly vertical position, and raised his hands fromthe instrument.
"Ah!" burst sharp and quick from all. "Click--click--click," andthe needle seemed to fondly pat the little brass stud on its right."Hurrah! we've got him!" cried Hugh, and wild with excitement, hesprang to the key and called, "W-W-W." Again the joyful click, and the"I-I-I-W" of the Washington operator was heard by all. For an hour theinstruments clicked, and message upon message had been sent to thePresident and others in the great, busy world far to the south of them;and from these messages word had been flashed to all the known nationsof the globe of the great success--the discovery of the north pole bythree American officers.
At last came the words, through the instrument:
"Your father says Mollie and Marie are in San Francisco yet, and havesent word for you to join them there as soon as possible. They have asurprise in store for Mr. Cobb. He says you are not to delay at thepole, but proceed direct to San Francisco, to your aunt's. Your fatherfurther says that, as Captain Hathaway has made such a record forhimself with you and Mr. Cobb, he may call upon him, on his return, inregard to a little matter which has been, heretofore, an unpleasantsubject between them."
Hugh smiled as he translated the message, and looked with a gladexpression into the eyes of Lester. That gentleman, as he comprehendedthe meaning of the message, danced a hornpipe in the snow, and cried,with ecstasy: "She'll be mine at last!"
"Let us be up and away!" exclaimed Hugh, as he gave the final answersto the Washington operator. "On to San Francisco, Lester! on to ourgirls, is our cry!"
"Then, take your bearings, Hugh, for Behring Strait," directed Cobb."It will be necessary for us to go that way to replenish our supply oflipthalite at Port Clarence, or else trust to the currents part of theway."
A puzzled expression came over the face of the other, and he seemedlost in a quandary. "Easy enough to say, 'Take your bearings,'" hereturned, "but how? I will be hanged if I know one meridian fromanother here. In fact, we are on all of them."
"Don't you know in which direction south is?" asked Lester, with alaugh.
"Of course, I do. But do you know in which direction the meridian often degrees runs, for that is the meridian which passes through BehringStrait?"
In fact, it was quite a puzzling question to answer. All the meridianscentered at the pole, and the time there was the apparent time of everymeridian on the globe. Standing on the pole, it seemed absolutelyimpossible for one to know if he were facing London or Washington, orany particular point on the earth's surface. Hugh scratched his head inperplexity.
"Take the needle," calmly said Cobb.
"Yes; but it don't point north any more; it points somewhere south," heanswered.
"And where may that south point be?" inquiringly.
"Why, the north magnetic pole of the earth, of course," with a glimmerof perception.
"And that pole is where?"
"In Boothia Felix."
"Exactly; in 70 degrees 6 minutes north latitude, and 96 degrees 50minutes 45 seconds west longitude, on the west coast of Boothia, facingRoss Straits. Your needle points there; so all you have to do is tolay off 73 degrees 9 minutes 15 seconds to the right, and you have thecourse to Port Clarence, North Alaska."
The Orion was again made ready, the gas bag filled, a last adieu givento the north pole of the earth, and the three friends mounted theladders, touched the electric button of the engines, and sped swiftlydown the one hundred and seventieth meridian of longitude.