The Planting Of The Flagstaff

: Doctor Jones' Picnic

The whole of the party now shouted--Sing always excepted. That

individual was strictly attending to his business in the kitchen during

the excitement. They ran--or waddled, for they moved with difficulty,

loaded as they were--to the spot where the two men and Mrs. Jones were

standing. They gathered in a circle about the steel rod that marked the

exact spot for which the boldest navigators and explorers have longed,

and striven, and died by thousands during many decades of the past.



The Doctor broke out in his sonorous voice, the rest immediately joining

him in the familiar doxology, "Old Hundred,"



"Praise God from whom all blessings flow."



When they had finished, at a signal from the Doctor, they all kneeled

upon the icy pavement, and he offered up a fervent prayer of praise and

thanksgiving for the preservation of their lives, and for the wonderful

success that had attended their enterprise. Then in unison they repeated

the Lord's prayer.



And what could be more appropriate? The echoes first awakened in this

ultra-frigid region by the human voice were praises to God in song and

prayer. The ends of the earth had bowed the knee to the Father Almighty,

and it seemed to the little band to be the beginning of the good time

foretold, when the glory of God shall cover the earth as the waters do

the face of the deep.



"Now let us see what Sing has for breakfast, lunch, or whatever meal it

may be. I have been so interested in our work the last few hours that I

have paid no attention to time," said Dr. Jones.



A few moments later they were seated about their dining table, and no

happier company could be found in Christendom that day.



"Did anyone note the time that we arrived here?" asked Will.



"At 7 o'clock, 45 min., 20 sec., August 6, 19--, we located the North

Pole, and planted our steel rod as marker thereof," replied Professor

Gray.



"What is the next thing on the program, Doctor?" asked Denison.



"We will immediately set about planting our aluminum flagstaff. We are

liable to a terrible storm at any moment, and might be driven away

before we had accomplished that important ceremony. It would possibly be

months before we should encounter so favorable a gale again. Let us not

rest until we have finished all we came to do, then away for home."



"It is all very well to say 'Plant the flagstaff'; but how on earth can

we possibly set up a 300 foot metal pole at this extremity of the earth,

without derrick, blocks and tackles, or any machinery whatever?"

returned Denison.



"I'll show you a Yankee trick in a short time," cried Dr. Jones.



They hurried through the meal and prepared again to go out into the

terribly cold atmosphere. The fireboxes were again lighted and

distributed about their clothing as before. All then went out and

assembled again about the rod.



"I must get through this crust of ice and see what depth of snow there

is below," said the Doctor.



With the sharp-pointed steel rod he picked and worked several minutes,

but made very little progress in the flinty ice.



"Get a hammer, Denison," said he.



The tool being procured, they hammered upon the upper end of the rod,

and drilled as miners do in rock. After some time of this work the

Doctor said:



"This will never do. We have evidently a great thickness of ice to go

through, possibly more than we can ever penetrate. We can do no work in

these fur suits, and we should instantly freeze if we took them off. We

must settle the globe upon this spot, then we shall be within the cabin

and can throw off our coats and go to work. We have a big job on hand.

Let's pull the ship over at once."



The wind had subsided to a nearly dead calm, and it was remarkable how

all nature seemed to be auspicious to the occasion. She had been forced

to yield up her secrets, fast locked and frozen by the chill hand of

Jack Frost so many centuries, and now seemed disposed to surrender them

with a good grace. The globe was raised a few feet from the earth. Two

of the anchors were carried to the opposite side of the Pole, and Will

turned on the spring windlasses. Thus they easily drew the ship to the

desired spot, and it was slowly settled down so that the "manhole," as

they called the hole in the floor through which the cage operated, came

directly over the steel rod, the rod standing precisely in the center of

the manhole.



"Now, my hearties, furs off!" cried the energetic little Doctor. He

doffed his own suit hurriedly, pulled on a pair of woolen gloves in lieu

of the sealskin ones, pulled the steel rod out and laid it aside,

grasped an axe and began chopping into the ice with all his might. The

ice chips flew about the engine-room in a shower. He was soon obliged to

stop for breath. Will shoveled the loosened ice out, then seized the axe

and worked for a short time with the same spirit that animated the

Doctor. And so by turns they kept the axe and shovel flying, making very

rapid progress. They soon were too deep to use long-handled tools, and

resorted to mallet and chisel, and a short-handled hand axe. Slowly and

more slowly progressed the work as the shaft grew deeper. Finally the

head of the man in the shaft disappeared below the surface, being now

nearly seven feet deep.



"We shall have to devise some plan for hoisting before long," said Dr.

Jones.



"Can't we use the windlass?" suggested Denison.



"So we can!" cried the Doctor. "The steel springs forever! Will never

did a better thing than when he invented the spring power windlass. We

may have to go twenty-five or thirty feet. But we will hoist by hand for

awhile yet."



They had reached the depth of between eight and nine feet, when Will,

who was in the hole, shouted, "Hurrah! I've broken through!" and he

tossed up a handful of snow.



"Good boy!" cried the Doctor. "Now try with the rod and see if there be

another layer of ice within reach."



The rod, which was six feet long, was easily passed its full length into

the underlying snow.



"All right!" said Dr. Jones. "The flagstaff will settle sufficiently

deep to hold it there forever. Fire up, Will. I want to rise forty or

fifty feet above this hole."



This was accomplished in a very few minutes.



"Now let us get the foot of the mast precisely over that hole. I mean to

let it drop from this height, and its weight will sink it 25 or 30 feet

into the snow. That, with 9 feet of ice, will hold it for centuries. We

will fill the space in the ice shaft about the foot of the mast with the

ice chips that we have taken out, ram them down good and solid, then

pour water in. This will instantly freeze, and all the gales that ever

howled can never blow down the finest flagstaff that ever stood upon the

face of the earth."



The plumb-line was lowered and cables tautened here and slackened there

until the butt of the great mast stood precisely over the shaft. The

spiral stair had been so constructed that it nowhere touched the mast.

At its entrance into, and exit from the globe, heavy collars connected

the mast with the ship. These were removed, and a heavy trap door, upon

which the foot of the flagstaff rested, was its only support. A massive

bolt alone held the trap in place. Will and the Professor were by the

ice shaft, watching the plumb-line. At a signal, the Doctor struck the

bolt a heavy blow with a sledge, the trap fell, and the beautiful mast

shot like a flash of lightning down through the frosty atmosphere,

entered the ice hole precisely in the center, and sank to the depth of

35 feet into the snow, which, added to the 9 feet of ice, made a footing

of 44 feet for the towering flagstaff. The globe was again settled to

the foot of the mast, the ice chips filled in and rammed solidly, the

water poured about it, and their work was completed. The ingenuity

displayed by the Doctor upon this occasion showed him to be a born

leader of men, and the little band of associates so acknowledged to him

upon the spot. Dr. Jones shut off their effusive demonstrations as

quickly as possible. He did not appear to be possessed of any degree of

love of praise; on the contrary, it always embarrassed and made him

uncomfortable.



"And now let us eat again," said Dr. Jones. "We must get away from here

before we sleep."



So they sat down to a hearty dinner, all tired and very hungry. But the

coffee and smoking food immediately reinvigorated them, and they arose

from the table anxious to complete their work and be off for home.



"Shall we rest a few hours, or go on with our celebration, and

immediately sail for home--or wherever the wind may carry us?" asked Dr.

Jones.



"O, let us go on by all means! plenty of time for rest and sleep," was

the unanimous decision.



"All right," he replied. "That suits me perfectly. This good weather

will not last long. The Arctics are subject to fearful and sudden

storms, and we must be ready to go at any instant. Whatever we are to

do, let us do quickly."



"I think we should have a patriotic piece or two at the foot of the

mast, and then our North Pole March. I have had in my mind that it would

be fine to raise the globe up ten feet or so, and beneath it we will

have our concert."



"But how can we sing with our mouths all wrapped up in furs? We shall

instantly freeze if we expose our faces to the cold. See, the

thermometer now marks nearly 70 degrees below zero."



It was Mattie who put this poser.



"I will tell you the only thing we can do," said Will. "We have an

abundance of coal oil. We will set all the pots, pans, and kettles

aboard ship in a circle around the mast at a sufficient distance from it

for our purpose. We will fill these dishes with coal oil, set fire to

them, and within this charmed circle you may sing to your hearts'

content."



"Aye, aye, Will!" cried Dr. Jones. "You've struck it!"



The globe was adjusted, the vessels of oil set in place, the oil

instantly congealed, but Will had taken the precaution to place into

each vessel several wicks. He lighted these ends, and in a little while

the temperature in the circle rose very perceptibly. The organ was then

brought down and placed by the mast. They threw back their hoods and

sang America with deep solemnity and feeling. When they had finished,

Professor Gray said:



"I now propose that we have a speech from Doctor Jones. But first, three

cheers for the projector of this glorious enterprise and discoverer of

the North Pole. Hip, hip, hurrah!"



These cheers were given with all possible zest and enthusiasm.



"Friends and fellow citizens," began the Doctor, smiling good-naturedly

upon them, "I sincerely thank you for your expressions of good will. I

did not suppose that I was on the program for a speech. My heart is too

full for utterance when I contemplate the fact that we now actually

stand, safe, sound, and comfortable, at that spot so long sought by the

bravest men of all civilized lands. That the world will receive us with

open arms, and will heap honors and riches upon us, I do not for a

moment doubt. But all this will do us no good, on the contrary, much

harm, if we allow ourselves to become puffed up thereby, and cease to

give to God all the glory and honor. As for myself, I am only proud of

this achievement by so much as it shall prove a blessing to mankind. I

believe that true happiness is found alone in working for others.

Selfishness is the direct source of all the unhappiness upon earth, and

is the chief or only difference between a devil and an angel. But I see

that our fires are fast burning low, and I must hasten.



"So by right of discovery, I claim this island for our great republic,

the United States of America; and its name shall be, owing to its

position upon the top of the earth, Summit Island!"



This speech was received with great applause. Fred then struck up on the

organ the music of the North Pole March. The company began to circle

about the mast, keeping step to the inspiring notes and singing the four

parts. By the time this music was ended the fires were nearly burned

down and the temperature within the circle lowered rapidly. The vessels

were hastily gathered up and all entered the cabin.



As they were about to hoist the anchors, Professor Gray said:



"I am not perfectly satisfied as to the location of our pole being

exactly correct. And, to tell you the truth, it has been demonstrated

that the Pole is not a fixed, unchangeable spot, but really swings about

in a circle, varying from six to thirty feet in diameter, just as the

upper end of the stem of a spinning top does when it begins to run down

or lose its momentum. Now I am positive that our flagstaff stands

within this circle. But I would like, by another very satisfactory

experiment, to verify the one we have already made. It will require

another twenty-four hours."



"By all means, Professor," answered Dr. Jones, "do so. Let us do

everything possible to establish the fact that we are scientifically

correct in our location of the Pole. What would you have us do now?"



"I will explain what I intend doing, and then we will understand and we

can work intelligently together. I wish to photograph the stars directly

above our heads. If we were here during the winter season, when the sun

was below the horizon, we could see the stars distinctly with the

unassisted eye. But from March 21st to September 21st we cannot do that

because of continuous daylight. Now you are probably aware that looking

up from the bottom of a deep well or shaft in the daytime, the stars are

visible, even in the sunlight. And that is what I purpose doing."



"Well, and where is your shaft that you intend looking up through?"

inquired Dr. Jones.



The Professor significantly laid his hand upon the zinc tube which

enveloped the flagstaff. "O ho!" cried the Doctor, "why did not I think

of that?"



We should have explained before that the spiral stairs ran up between

two zinc tubes, the one six feet in diameter, and the other two feet in

diameter. The latter surrounded the mast, and after the globe should

rise from the flagstaff this tube would indeed be a shaft two hundred

feet in depth, or two hundred and ten feet, for it extended to the top

of the roof of the observatory.



Accordingly, the burners were lighted, the globe arose until the ball of

the mast was just below the level of the floor of the engine-room. Upon

looking through the tube after all light had been excluded from the

engine-room, a bright star could be seen shining down upon them with

resplendent brilliancy.



"Now, Will," cried Professor Gray, "I wish you could go up and lower a

plumb-line from the exact center of the top of the shaft. I want to see

if our tube stands perpendicularly. If it does, and the plumb-line

points straight through the center of it to yonder star, then we are at

the exact spot we seek."



The line was lowered, and after a little adjustment of the cables, the

lower end of the plumb-line passed through the exact center of the tube.

The Professor ran his eye up the line and smiled with satisfaction.



"Look at it, Doctor," he said.



"Well, that is wonderful!" cried Dr. Jones. "Look at it Fred, Denison.

The line runs precisely in alignment with the star."



"And now," said Professor Gray, after all had verified this last

statement, "let's not lose a moment's time. Get your camera out. We want

a twenty-four hours' exposure through our shaft, and photograph that

star. If we be exactly at the Pole, it will describe a perfect circle

upon the sensitive plate. If we are not so located, the line upon the

plate will form an ellipse."



The camera was set as suggested by the Professor, and then the party

retired for the night. We say "night," but the reader will constantly

bear in mind that this term is not used with reference to daylight or

darkness, simply to the clock, or time of day.



There was an absolute, dead calm during the following twenty-four hours

after Will had set the camera. Nature was so extraordinarily kind to Dr.

Jones during the time that we almost tremble for our reputation for

veracity as we record the last-mentioned fact. Any swaying of the globe

by the wind would have effectually prevented anything like a good

negative being made. But the globe remained in the exact position, the

atmosphere in the hot air chamber being kept up sufficiently so that a

steady strain was maintained upon the four cables. At the end of the

time mentioned the Professor examined the negative with a magnifying

glass, and pronounced the test perfectly satisfactory.



The globe was lowered down the mast for the last time. Denison and Will

ran out and loosened the anchors Slowly the ship then glided up the

beautiful mast. The flag, which had been wrapped about the small upper

end of the staff to prevent injury being done it while passing through

the tube, was shaken out at the moment it left the floor of the

engine-room. Its fastenings to the peak had been made doubly secure, and

it was tenderly manipulated through the final opening by loving hands.

The whole company involuntarily shouted at the inspiring sight. The

ship was lowered as it moved away, and the patriotic voyagers were

treated to a side view of the most beautiful, thrilling sight upon

earth--the American flag flying at the North Pole at the peak of the

loftiest flagstaff ever erected! Well might their hearts swell with

pride and their voices break forth in songs of triumph and praise. The

Star Spangled Banner! Emblem of Liberty! How exquisitely meet that it

should be thus planted forever at the summit of the earth, a terror to

tyrants, and a never-failing beacon of Light and Freedom to all people

of the world!



The Professor pointed out certain conformations of the mountain's

summit, and said: "This island is of volcanic formation, and this

mountain an extinct volcano. Yonder flagstaff stands upon the center of

a crater that has been filled with many centuries of ice and snow. At

some future time I hope to return prepared to penetrate this coat of

mail and determine, if possible, whether Summit Island has ever been the

habitat of any form of life, animal or vegetable."



Professor Gray had made such observations by the aid of instruments as

should be of interest to science. This he did while the others were

sinking the ice shaft, and during the time of the photographing of the

star.



They were straining their eyes from the observatory to catch the last

glimpse of "Old Glory," when a sudden storm gathered about the island,

and it was shut out from view. They involuntarily cast their eyes up to

its former place, and they realized that Silver Cloud had been

dismantled of her chief beauty and glory.



"This will never do," exclaimed Dr. Jones. "Silver Cloud is like a bird

of paradise with its tail feathers all plucked. We must replace that

pole and flag as soon as we return to Washington."



"It seems like a cruelty to leave them in such a fearful place," said

Mrs. Jones. "Think of the awful storms that will gather and howl around

them for ages."



"They will outlast them all, praise God!" replied the Doctor. "As a

'Government of the people, for the people, and by the people shall not

perish from the earth,' so shall our flag and staff defy all the Arctic

storms that ever blew."



Then they descended to the cabin.



"I think it is about time to see which way we are heading," said the

Professor. "We are pointing straight for Alaska, as nearly as I can

judge," he said a few moments later.



All retired but Dr. Jones. He said that he really preferred to sit and

rest awhile before going to bed. So he sat for several hours, looking

occasionally at the barometer, thermometer, etc. Toward morning he

called Denison to "take the helm," as he jocosely termed it.