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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1909)
DISCOVERY OF THE POLE Notice to Publishers. The following account by Command er Robert E. Peary of his successful voyage to the north pole was issued on September 10 by the New York Times Company at the request of Commander Peary and for his protec tion, as a book only, copyrighted and exposed for sale before any part of it was reproduced by any newspaper In the United States or Europe, in order to obtain the full protection of the copyright laws. The reproduction of this account, in any form, without permission, is forbidden. The penal ties for violation of this form of copy right include imprisonment for any person aiding or abetting such viola tion. This article is copyrighted in Great Britain by the London Times. Copyright, 1909, by the New York Times Company. This narrative is also copyrighted as a newspaper arti cle by the New York Times Company. REPORT OF THE DISCOVERY CF THE NORTH POLE by Robert E. Peary, Commander U. S. N., Copy right, 1909, by the New York Times Company. Peary Denies Cook Claim. Battle Harbor, Labrador (via Marconi wireless. Cape Ray, N. F.), Sept. 10.—Do not trouble about Cook’s story, or at tempt to explain any discrepancies in his statements. The affair will settle itself. He has not been at the pole on April 21, 1908, or at any other time. He has simply handed the public a gold brick. These stalemeivts are made advisedly, wnd I have proof of them. When he makes a full statement of his journey over his signature to some geographical society, or other reputable body, if that statement contains the claim that lie has reached the pole, I shall be in a posi tion to furnish material that may prove distinctly interesting reading for the pub lic. ROBERT E. PEARY. Battle Harbor, Labrador (via Marco ni wireless. Cape Ray, N. F.). Sept. 9.— The steamer Roosevelt, bearing the nortli polar expedition of the Peary Arctic club, parted company with the Erik and steamed out of Etah ford late In the afternoon of August 18, 1908, setting the usual course for Cape Sa bine. The weather was dirty, with fresh southerly winds. We had on board 22 Eskimo men, 17 women, and 10 children, 226 dogs, and some forty odd walrus. We encountered the Ice a short dis tance from the mouth of the harbor, but it was not closely packed, and was negotiated by the Roosevelt without serious difficulty. Find Much Water. As we neared Cape Sabine the weath er cleared somewhat and we passed by Three Voort island and Cape Sabine, easily making out with the naked eye the house at Hayes harbor occupied by me in the winter of 1901-02. From Cape Sabine north there was so much w'ater that we thought of set ting the lug sail before the southerly wind, but a little later appearance of ice to the northward stopped this. There was clean open water to Cape Albert, and from there scattered ice to a point about abreast of Victoria Head, thick weather and dense Ice bringing us some ten or fifteen miles away. From here we drifted south somewhat and then got aslant to the northward out of the current. We worked a little further north and stopped again for some hours. Then we again worked westward and northward till we reached a series of lakes, coming to a stop a few miles south of the Wind ward’s winter quarters at Cape Dur ville. From here, after some delay, we slowly worked a way northeastward through fog and broken ice of medium thickness through one night and the forenoon of the next day, only emerg ing into open water and clear weather off Cape Fraser. Strike Ice and Fog. From this point we had a clear run through the middle of Robeson channel uninterrupted by either Ice or fog, to Lady Franklin bay. Here we encoun tered both ice and fog, and while working along in search of a practi cable opening were forced across to the Greenland coast at Thank God Harbor. The fog lifted there and enabled us to make out our whereabouts and we steamed north through a series of leads past Cape Lupton, and thence south ward toward Cape Union. A few miles oft that cape we were stopped by im practicable ice. and we drifted back south to Cape Union, where we stopped again. Ship Forced Aground. We lay for some time In a lake of water, and then, to prevent being drift ed south again, took refuge under the nortb shore of Lincoln bay, in nearly the Identical place where we had our unpleasant experiences three years be fore. Here we remained for severeal days during a period cf constant and at times violent northeasterly winds. Twice we were forced aground by ♦he heavy ice; we had our port quar ter rail broken and a hole stove in the bulwarks, and twice we pushed out in an attempt to get north, but were forced back each time to our precari ous shelter. Heavy Running Ice. Finally on September 2 we squeezed around Cape Union and made fast in a shallow niche in the ice, but after some hours we made another short run to Black cape and hung on to a grounded bit of ice. At last, a little after mid night of September 5, we passed through extremely heavy running ice into a stream of open water, rounded Cape Bawson and passed Cape Sheridan. Within a quarter of an hour of the lame time we arrived three years before —seven a. m., September 6—we reached the open water extending beyond Cape Sheridan. We Eteamed up to the end of It and it appeared practicable at first to reach Porter bay. near Cape Joseph Ilenly, which I had for my winter quarters, but the outlook being unsatisfactory; I went back and put the Roosevelt into the only opening in the floe, being .barred close to tlie mouth of the Sheridaai riv er a little north of our position three years prior. Put Up for Winter. The reason was further advanced than In 1905; there was more snow on the ground and the new ice: inside the floe bergs was much thicker. The work of discharging the ship was commenced at once and rushed to com pletion. The supplies and equipment we sledged across ice and sea and deposited on shore. A house and w'orkshop were built of board, covered with sails, and fitted with stoves, and the ship was snug for winter in shoal water, where it touched bottom at low tide. The settlement on the stormy shores of the Arctic ocean wras christened Hub bard ville. Hunting parties were sent out on Sep tember 10 and a bear was brought in on the 12th and some deer a 'gay or two later. Prepare tor Sledge Trip. On September Pvthe lull work of trans ferring supplies to C-ape Columbia was inaugurated. Marvin with Dr. Good sail and Borup and the Hsklmos. took 16 sludge loads of Supplies to Cape Belknap and on the 27th the same parly started Hvl ;h loads to Porter bay. American Explorer’s Own Story of His Thrilling and Successful Dash to the Absolute Apex of the Earth. The work of hunting and transporting supplies was prosecuted continuously by the members of the party and the Eski mos until November 5, when the sup plies for the spring sledge trip had been removed from winter quarters and de posited at various places from Cape Co la n to Cape Columbia. The latter part of September the move ment of the ice subjected the ship to a pressure which listed it to port some t ight or4 ten degrees, and it did not re cover till the following spring. On October 1 I went on a hunt with two Eskimos across the field and Pass bay and the peninsula, made the circuit of Clemants Markham inlet, and returned to the ship in seven days with 35 musk oxen, a bear and a deer. Later in October I repeated the trip, obtaining five musk oxen, and hunting parties secured some 40 deer. Supplies Moved to Base. In the February moon Bartlett went to Capo Heela. Goodsall moved some more supplies from Heela to Cape Colan, and Borup went to Markham inlet on a hunt I ing trip. On February 15 Bartlett left ! the Roosevelt with his division for Cape Columbia and Parr bay. Goodsall, Borup, MacMillan and Han ''nen followed on successive days with their provisions. Marvin returned from Cape Bryant on February 17 and left for Cape Columbia on February 21. I brought up the rear on February 22. The total of all divisions leaving the Roosevelt was seven members of the party, 59 Eskimos. 140 dogs and 23 sledges. Make Ready for Dash. By February 27 such of the Cape Colan depot as was needed had been brought up to Cape Columbia, the dogs were rested and double rationed and harnessed, and the sledges and other gear over hauled. Four months of northerly winds during the fall and winter instead of souther ly ones, as during the previous season, led me to expect less open water than before, but a great deal of rough ice, and I was prepared to hew a road through the jagged ice for the first hundred miles or so, then cross the big lead. Bartlett Leads the Way. On the last day of February Bartlett, with liis pioneer division, accomplished this, and his division got away due north over the ice on March 1. The rest of the party got away on Bartlett's trail, and I,followed an hour later. The party now comprised seven mem bers of the expedition, 17 Eskimos, 133 dogs and 19 sledges. One Eskimo and seven dogs had gone to pieces. A strong easterly wind, drifting snow, and temperature in the minus marked our departure from the camp at Cape Columbia, which I had christened Crane City. Rough ice in the first march damaged several sledges and smashed two beyond repair, the teams going back to Columbia for other sledges in reserve there. Pass British Record. We camped ten miles from Crane City. The easterly wind and low temperature continued. In the second march we passed the British record made by Mark ham in May. 1S76—S2.20—and were stopped by open water, which had been formed by wind after Bartlett passed. In this march we negotiated the lead and reached Bartlett’s third camp. Borup had gone back from here, but missed his way. owing to the faulting of the trail by the movement of the ice. Marvin came hack also for more fuel and alcohol. The wind continued, form ing open water all about us. At the end of the fourth march we came upon Bartlett, who had been stopped by a wide lake of open water. We remained here from March 4 to March 11. Gets Glimpse of Sun. At noon of March a the sun, red and shaped like a football by excessed re fleetion, Just raised itself above ttie hori zon for a few minutes and then disap peared again. It was the first time I had seen it since October 1. I now began to feel a good deal of anxiety because there were no signs of Marvin and Borup. who should have been there for two days. Besides, they li^d the alcohol and oil, which were In dispensable for us. We concluded that they had either lost the trail or were imprisoned on an is land by open water, probably t lie latter Fortunately, on March 11 the lead was practicable and, leaving a note for Mar vin and Borup to push on after tis by forced inarches, we proceeded northward. The sounding of the lead gave llo fathoms. During this march we crossed the eighty-fourth parallel and traversed a succession of Just frozen leads, from a few hundred yards to a mile in width. This march was really simple. On the fourteenth we got free of the leads and came on decent going. While we were making camp a courier from Marvin came and informed me he was on the march In the rear. The temper ature was 58 below zero. The following morning. March 15, I sent Hansen with Ills division north to pio neer a trail for five marches, and Dr. Goodsell, according to the program, start ed back to Cape Columbia. MacMillan Turns Back. At night Marvin and Borup came spin ning in with their men and dogs steam ing in the bitter air like a squadron of battleships. Their arrival relieved me of all anxiety as to our oil supply. In the morning 1 discovered that Mac-* Mlllan’s foot was badly frost bitten. The mishap had occurred two or three days ' before, but MacMillan had said nothing about it In the hope that it would come out all right. A glance at the Injury showed me that the only thing was to send him back to Cape Columbia at once. The arrival of Marvin and Borup enabled me to spare sufficient men and dogs to go back with him. Loss Is Serious One. This early loss of MacMillan was seri ously disappointing to me. lie had a sledge all the way from Cape Columbia, and with his enthusiasm and the powers and physique of the trained athlete 1 had confidence in him for at least the 86th parallel, but there was no alterna tive. The best sledges and dogs were select ed and tlie sledge loads brought up to the standard. The sounding gave a depth of S25 fathoms. We were over the continual shelf, and, as I had surmised, the successive leads crossed in the fifth and sixth marches composed' the big lead and marked the continual shelf. On leaving the camp the expedition comprised 16 men, 12 sledges and 100 dogs. Tlie next march was satisfactory as re gards distance and the character of the going. In the latter part there were pronounced movements in tlie ice, both visible and audible. Some leads were crossed, in one of which Borup and his team took a bath, ar.d we were finally slopped by an im practicable lead opening in front of us. We camped in a temperature of 50 de grees below. At the end of two short marches we came upon Hansen and his parry in camp, mending iheir sledges. We de voted the remainder of tlie day to over hauling and mending sledges and broilc ing up our damaged ones for material. fVlake Forced IVi arches. The next morning 3 put Marvin in the lead to pioneer the trail, with in^tiuc tions to make two forced marches to bring up our average which had been Goa? of Centuries Reached Ry Marvelously Swift Travel, Smooth Ice and Mild Weather Helping—Sensations of Intrepid Commander at Climax cf His Life Work. cut down by the last two short ones. ] Marvin carried out his instructions im- i plicitly. A considerable amount of young ice assisted in this. At the end of the tenth march, latitude i 85.1111. ii - •!> turned back in command of ! the s <». .! npporting party, having trav- j eled a «I . tam o equivalent to Nansen's distance from this far to liis farthest nort:.. I vas ■ Try to lose this young Yale runm r. with h!s enthusiasm and pluck. He 1 . i ltd l.: ; heavy sledge over the floe, i:: a \..iv that commanded every- ! one’s ad; iration and would have made , his fati.»: s <y a glisten. Changes His Flan. From this point the expedition com prised !:H-n. 10 sledges, and 70 tlogs. It was necessary for Marvin to take a sledge from ! it*, and I put Bartlett and his division in advance to pioneer the trail. TIt t] daylight enabled me to make a mm •■■ration lure that brought my advance and main parties closer together and reduced the likelihood of their be ing separatt<h-by open leads. After Bartlett left camp with Hender son and their division. Marvin and 1 re mained v it 11 our division -0 hours long er and Then followed. When we reached Bartlett’s lump he broke out and went on and we turned in. By this arrange ment the advance party was traveling while the main party was asleep, and vice versa, and I was in touch with rny advance party every 24 hours. If Moves Expeditiously. 110 reason to complain of the goingSror the next two marches, though for a experienced party, less adapt able sledges, or less perfect equipment it would have been an impossibility. At our position at the end of the sec ond march, Marvin obtained a satisfac tory sight for latitude in clear weather, which placed us at 85.48. The result agreed satisfactorily with the dead reck oning of Marvin, Bartlett and myself. Up to this time, the slight altitude of the sun had made it not worth while to waste time in observations. On the next two marches the going im proved, and we covered good distances. In one of these marches a lead delayed us £pfew hours. We finally ferried across the ice cakes. 4-A Makes Record Run. Vftkext day Bartlett let himself out, evidently, for a. record, and reeled off 20 miles. Here Marvin obtained anothei satisfactory sight on latitude, which gave the position as 86..T8 (or beyond the farth est north of Nansen and Abruzzl), and showed that we had covered 50 minutes of latitude In three marches. In these three marches we had passed the Norwegian record of 86.14. by Nan sen. and the Italian record of 86.34. by Cagni. From this point Marvin turned back in command of the third supporting party. My last words to him w'ere: “Be care ful of the leads, my boy.” The party from this point comprised nine men. seven sledges, and Go dogs. The conditions at this ramp and the ap parently unbroken expanse of fairly level ice in every direction reminded me of Cagni’s desc ripticn of his farthest north. Danger Is Encountered. But I wus not deceived by the appar ently favorable outlook, for available conditions never continue for any dis tance or any length of time In the arc Vjc regions. The- next march was over good go ing. but for the first time since leaving lend we experienced that condition, fre quent over these tee fields, of a hazy at mosphere. in which the light is equal everywhere. All relief is destroyed, and it is impossible to see for any distance. We were obliged In this march to make a detour around an open lead. In the next march we encountered the heaviest and deepest 6now of the Journey, through u thick, smothering mantle lying in the depressions of heavy rubble ice. Temporarily Discouraged. I came upon Bartlett and his party, ^aSgf*d out and temporarily discouraged by the heartracking work of making road. I knew what was the matter with them. They were simply spoiled by the good going on the previous marches. I rallied them a bit, lightened their sledges and sent them on encouraged again. During the next march we traveled through a thick haze drifting over the ice before a biting air from the north cast. At the end of the march w’e came upon the captain tamped beside a wide open lead with a dense black water sky northwest, north and northeast. The next march was also a long one. It was Bartlett’s iast hit. He let him self out over a series of large old floes, steadily increasing in diameter and covered with hard snow. Wind Helps Out. Dnrinp the last few miles I walked beside him or In advance. He was sol emn and anxious to so further, but the program was for him to go back from here in command of the fourth sup porting party, and there were no sup plies for an increase in the main party. in this march we encountered a high wind Cor the first time since the three days aft. r we left Cape Columbia. It was dead in our faces, bitter and in sistent. but I had no reason to com plain. it was better than an easterly or southerly wind, either of which would have set us adrift in open wa ter. while this was closing up every lead behind. This furnished another advantage of my supporting parties. True, by so doing it was pressing to the south the ire over which we traveled, and so rob bing us of a hundred miles of advan tage. Eighty-Four Is Pased. We concluded we were on or near the eighty-eighth parallel, unless the north wind had lost us several miles. The wind blew all night and all next day. At this camp, in the morning. Bart lett started to walk five or six miles to the north to make sure of reaching the eighty-eighth parallel. While he was gone I selected the 40 best dogs in the outfit and had them doubled. I picked out five of the best sledges and assigned them expressly to the captain's party. I broke up the sev enth for material with which to repair the others and set Eskimos at this work. Bartlett returned in time to take a satisfactory observation for latitude in clear weather, and obtained for our po sition 87.48. and that showed that tile continued north wind had robbed us of a number of miles of hard-earned | distance. Bartlett took the observation there, | as had Marvin live camps back, partly to save my eyes, but largely to give an independent record and determina tion of our advance. * The observations completed and two copies made, one for him and the other for me. Bartlett started on the back trail in command of my fourth sup porting party, with two Eskimos, one sledge and IS dogs. Bartllett Did Good Work. When he left I felt for a moment pangs of regret as he disappeared in tiie distance, but it was only momen tary. My work was still ahead, not in the rear. Bartlett had done good work and had been a great help to me. Circumstances had thrust the brunt of the pioneering upon him instead of dividing it among several, as I had planned. He had reason to take pride in the fact that he had bettered the Italian record by a degree and a quarter and had covered a distance equal to the entire distance of the Italian expedi tion from Franz Josef s land to Cagni s farthest north. I had given Bartlett this position and post of honor in command of my fourth and last supporting party, and for two reasons: first, because of his magnificent handling of the Roosevelt; second, because he had cheerfully stood between me and many trifling annoy ances on the expeditions. Then there was a third reason. It seemed to me appropriate in view of the magnificent British record of arc tic work, covering three centuries, that it should be a British subject who could boast that, next to an American, he had been nearest the pole. Ready for Final Effort. With the disappearance of Bartlett 1 turned to the problem before me. This was that for which I had worked for 32 years, for which I had lived the simple life; for which 1 had conserved all my energy on the upward trip; for which 1 had trained myself as for a race, crush ing down every worry about success. In spite of my years, I felt in trim fit for the demands of the coming days and eager to be on the trail. As for my party, my equipment, and my supplies, I was in shape beyond my most sanguine dreams of earliest years. My party might be regarded as an ideal, which had now come to realization —as loyal and responsive to my will as the fingers of my right hand. Men All I ried and True. Four of them possess the technique of dogs, sledges, iee. and cold as their heri tage. Two of them. Hansen and Ootam. were my companions to the farthest point three years before. Two others, Eginwuk and Sigloo, were in Clark’s division, which had such a narrow escape at that time, and now were willing to go any where with my immediate party, and willing to risk themselves again in any supporting party. The fifth was a young man who had never served before in any expedition, but who was, if possible, even more willing and eager than the others for the princely gifts—a boat, a rifle, a shot gun, ammunition, knives, etc., which 1 had promised to each of them who reached the pole with me; for he knew that these riches would enable him to wrest from a stubborn father the girl whose image filled his hot young heart. All Followed Him Blindly. All had blind confidence so long as I was with them, and gave no thought for ttie morrow, sure that whatever hap pened I should somehow get them back to land. But I dealt with the party ‘equally. I recognised that all its im petus centered in me. and that whatever pace I set it would make good. If any one played out, I would stop for a short time. I had no fault to find with the condi tions. My dogs were the best, the pick of 122 with which we left Columbia. Al most all were powerful males, hard as nails. In good flesh, but without a super fluous ounce, and, what was better yet, they were all in good spirits. My sledges, now that the repairs were completed, were in good condition. My supplies were ample for 40 days, and. with the reserve represented by tile dogs themselves, could be made to last 50. At a little after midnight of April 1. after a few hours of sound sleep. I hit the trail, leaving the others to break up camp and follow. As X climbed the pressure ridge back of our igloos I set another hole in my ' belt, the third since I started. Every man and dog of us was lean and flat bellied as a board and as hard. Fine Morning for Start. It was a fine morning:. The wind of the last two days had subsided, and the ffoing was the best and most equable of any I had had yet. The floes were large and old. and clear, and were sur rounded by pressure ridges, some of which w'ere almost stupendous. The biggest of them, however, were easily negotiated, either through some crevice or up some huge brink. I set a good pace for about ten hours. Twenty-five miles took me well be yond the eighty-eighth parallel. While I was building my igloos a long lead forward by the east and southwest of us at a distance of a few miles. Few Handicaps Are Faced. A few hours’ sleep and we were on the trail again. As the going was now practicallly horizontal, we were un hampered and could travel as long as we pleased and sleep as little as we wished. The weather was fine and the going like that of the previous day, except at the beginning, when pickaxes were required. This and a brief stop at an other lead cut down our distance. Bftt we had made 20 miles in ten hours and were half way to the eighty-ninth parallel. The ice was grinding audibly in every direction, but no motion was visible. Evidently it was settling back into equilibrium ami probably sagging due northward with its release from the wind pressure. Going improves on Way. Again there was a few hours’ sleep and we hit the trail before midnight. The weather and going were even bet ter. The surface, except as interrupted by infrequent ridges, was as level as the glacial fringe from Hecla to Colum bia. and harder. ' We marched something over ten hours, the dogs being often on the trot, and made 2 0 miles. Near the end of the march we rushed across a lead 100 yards wide, which buckled under our sledges ar.d finally* broke as the last sledge left it. We stopped in sight of the eighty ninth parallel in a temperature of 40 degrees below. Again a scant sleep and we were on our way once more and across the eighty-ninth parallel. This march duplicated the previous one as to weather and going. The last few hours it was on young ice and oc casionally the dogs were galloping. We made twenty-five miles or more, the air. the sky. and the bitter wind j burning the face till it cracked. It was j like the great interior ice gap of ; Greenland. Even the natives com- 1 plained of the bitter air. It was as keen as frozen steel.' A little longer sleep than the previ ous one had to be taken here, as we were all in need of it. Then on again. 1’p to this time, with each successive march, our fear of an impassable lead had increased. At every Inequality of the ice I found myself hurrying breath lessly forward, fearing that it marked a lead, and when I arrived at the summit would caich mv breath with relief—only to find myself hurrying on in the same way at the next one. But on tins march, by some strange shift of feeling, this fear fell from me completely. The weather was thick, but i it g ive me no uneasiness. Before 1 turned in I took an observa- j tion which indicated our position as by degrees 25 minutes. A dense, lifeless pall hung overhead. ! The horizon was black and the ice be neath was a ghastly, chalky white, with i no relit f-a striking contrast to the glim- j niering. sunlit fields of it over which we I had h e:i traveling for the pivCious four j Rise in Temperature Aids. The going was even belter, and there was scarcely any snow on the hard, granular, last summer’s surface of the old lines, dotted with the sapphire ice of the previous summer’s lakes. A rise in temperature to 15 degrees be low reduced the friction of the sledges j and gave the dogs the appearance of having caught the spirits of the party Tlie rub re sprightly ones, as they went along with tightly curled tails, frequent ly tossed their heads, with short, sharp batks and yelps. In J2 hours we had made 40 miles.' There was no sign of a lead in the Pole Reached at Last. I had now made my marches, and was in time for a liasty noon observation through a temporary break in tJie clouds, which indicated our position ac 89.57. I quote an entry from my journal some hours later: The pole at last. The prize of three centuries, my dream and goal for 20 years, mine at last. I cannot bring my self to realize it. It all seems so simple and common place. As Bartlett said when turning back, when speaking of his being in these exclusive regions, which no mortal lias ever penetrated before: “It is just like every day.’* Of course I had my sensations that made sleep impossible for hours, despite my utter fatigue—the sensations of a life time; but I have no room for them here. The first 20 hours at the pole were spent in taking observations; in going some ten miles beyond our camp and some eight miles to the right of it; in taking photographs, planting my flags, depositing my records, studying the hori zon with my telescope for possible land, and searching for a practicable place to make a sounding. Ten hours after our arrival the clouds cleared before a light breeze from our left and from that time until our depar ture in the afternoon of April 7 the weather was cloudless and flawless. The minimum temperature during the 30 hours was 33 below, the maximum 12. We had reached the goal, but the re turn was still before us. It was essential that we reach the land before the next spring tide, and wp must strain every nerve to do this. 1 had a brief talk with my men. From now on it was to be a big travel, litile sleep and a hustle every minute. We would try. I told them, to double march on the return—that is, to start and cover one of our northward marches, make tea and eat our luncheon in the igloos, then cover another march, eat and sleep a few hours, and repeat this daily. Double Speed on Return. As a matter of fact, we nearly did this, covering regularly on our return journey five outward marches in three return marches. Just as long as we could hold the trail we could double our speed, and we need waste no time in building new igloos every day. so that the time we gained on the return lessened the chances of a gale destroying the track. Just above the eighty-seventh paral lel was a region some fifty miles wide which caused me considerable uneasi ness. Twelve hours of strong easterly, westerly, or northerly wind would make this region an open sea. In the afternoon of the 7th w’e start ed on our return, having double fed the dogs, repaired the sledges for the last time, and discarded all our spare clothing to lighten the loads. Sea 1,500 Fathoms Deep. Five miles from the pole a narrow crack Riled witli recent ice. through which we were able to work a hole with a pickax, enabled me to make a sounding. All my wire. 1.500 fathoms, was sent down, but there was no bot tom. In pulling up the wire parted a few fathoms from the surface and lead and wire went to the bottom. Off went reel and handle, lightening the sledges still further. We had no more use for them now. Three marches brought us back to the Igloos where the captain turned back. The last march was in the wild sweep of a northerly gale, with drift ing snow and the ice rocking under as we dashed over it. Littis Trouble in Leads. South of where Marvin had turned hack we came to where his party had built several igloos while delayed by open leads. Still further south we found where the captain had been held up by an open lead and obliged to camp. Fortunately the movement of these leads was simply open and shut, and it took considerable water motion to fault the trail seriously. While the captain. Marvin, and as I found later. Bor up, had been delayed by open leads, we seemed to bear a charm and with no single lead were we delayed more than a couple of hours. Sometimes the ice was fast and firm enough to carry us across; sometimes a short detour, sometimes a brief halt for the lead to close, sometimes an im provised ferry on an ice cake, kept the trail without difficulty down to the tenth outward march. First Handicap on Return. Igloos there disappeared completely and the entire region was unrecogniz able. Where on the outward journey had been narrow cracks, there were now broad leads, one of them over five miles in width, caught over with young ice. Here again fortune favored us. and no pronounced movement of the ico having taken place since the captain passed, we had his trail to follow. We picked up the old trail again north of tiie seventh igloos, followed it beyond the fifth, and at the big lead lost it finally. Eskimos Wild wiih Joy. From here we followed the captain's trail, and on April *3 our sledges passed up the vertical edge of the glacier fringe, a little west of Cape Columbia. When the last sledge came up I thought my Eskimos had gone crazy. They yelled and called and danced themselves helpless. As Ootah sat down on his sledge he remarked. In Eskimo: “The devil is asleep or having trouble with his wife, or we never should have come back so easily.” A few hours later we arrived at Crane City, under the bluffs of Cape Columbia, and. after putting four pounds of pemmican into each of the faithful dogs to keep them quiet ve had, at last, our chance to sleep. Sisep Finally ir. Safety. Never shall I forget that sleep at Cape Columbia. It was sleep, sleep, then turn over and sleep again. We slept glorious ly. with never a thought of the morrow or having to walk and, too, with no thought that there was to be never a night more of blinding headache. Cold water to a parched throat is noth ing compared with sleep to a numbed, fatigued brain and body. Two days we spent here in sleeping and drying our clothes. Then for the ship. Our dogs, like ourselves, had not been hungry when we arrived, but simply life less with fatigue. They were different animals now, and the better ones among them swept on with tightly curled tails and uplifted heads and their hind legs treading the snow with pistonlike regu larity. Shocked by Marvin’s Death. We reached Hecla in one march and the Roosevelt in another. When we got to the Roosevelt I was staggered by the news of the fatal mishap to Marvin. He had either been less cautious or less fortunate than the rest of us. and his death emphasized the risk to which we all had been subjected, for 1 lie re was not one of us but had been in the sledge at some time during the journey. The big lead, cheated of its prey three years before, had at last gained its hu man victim. The rest can be told quickly. McMillan and Borup had started for the Green land coast to deposit ( aches for me. Be fore I arrived a dying Eskimo courier from me overtook them with instructions that the caches were no longer needed and they were to concentrate their en* r gies on the ideal observations, etc., at Cape Morris K. Jesup and north from there. Return on Roosevelt Begins. These instructions were carried out and after their return in the latter part of May McMillan made some further tidal observations at other points. The sup plies remaining at the various caches were brought in and on July 18 tlie Roosevelt left its winter quarters and was driven out into the channel back of Cape Xion. * It fought its w.ay south in the center of the channel and passed Dupe Sabine on August 8. or days earlier than in 19oS. and 32 days earlier than the British expedition in 1S76. We picked up Whitney and liis party and stores at Etah. We killed se\ ?nty odd walrus for my Eskimos, whom I landed at their homes. We met the Jeanie off Saunders island and took over its coal and cleared from Cape York on August 26, one month earlier than in 1006. Message Sent to World. On September 5 we arrived at Indian Harbor, whence the message. “Stars and stripes nailed to north pole,” was sent vibrating southward through the crisp labrador air. The culmination of long experience, a thorough knowledge of the conditions of the problem gained in the last expedition —these, together with a new type of sledge which reduced the work of both dogs and driver, and a new type of camp cooler which added to the comfort and increased the hours of sleep of the members of the party, combined to make the present expedition an agreeable im provement upon the last in respect to the rapidity and effectiveness of its work and the lessened discomfort and strain upon the members of the party. Praise for His Aids. As to the personnel. I have again been particularly fortunate. Capt. Bartlett is just Bartlett—tireless, sleepless, enthusi astic. whether on the bridge or in the crow’s nest or at the head of a sledge division in the fit-id. Dr. Goodsell. the surgeon of the expe dition. not only looked after its health and his own specialty of micros -opes but took his full share of the field work of the expedition as well, and was always ready fer any work. Profs. Marvin and McMillan have se cured a mass of s- it ntific data, having made all the tidal and most of th- fit-id work, and their services were invaluable in every way. Borup Valuable in Many Ways. Borup not only made the record as to the distance traveled during the jour ney, but to his asistar.ee and his expert knowledge of photography is due what I believe to be the unequaled series of photographs taken by the expedition. Henson in the field and P* rvy as steward were the seme as ever, inval uable in their respective lines. Chief Engineer Ward well, also of the last expedition, aided by his as sistant. Scott, kept the machinery up to a high state of efficiency and has given the Roosevelt the force and pow er which enabled it to negotiate appar ently impracticable ice. Mr. Gush lie. the mate, who was In charge of the Roosevelt during the ab sence of Capt. Bartlett and myself, and Boatswain Murphy, who was put in charge of the station at Etah for the relief of Cook, were both trustworthy and reliable men. and I count myself fortunate in having had them in my service. Members of Crew Lauded. The members of the crew and the firemen were a distinct improvement over those of our last expedition. Kvery one of them was willing- and anxious to be of service in every possible way. Connors, who was promoted to be bos’n in the absence of Murphy, proved to be practically effective. Barnes, seaman, and Wiseman and Joyce, firemen, not only assisted Mar vin and McMillan in their tidal and meteorological observations on the Roosevelt, but Wiseman and Barnes went into the field with them on their trips to Cape Columbia, and Condon and Cody covered 1.000 miles hunting and sledging supplies. Supplies Left for Eskimos. As for my faithful Eskimos. I have left them with ample supplies of .lark, rich walrus meat and blubber for their winter, with currants, sugar, biscuits, guns, rifles, ammunition, knives, hatch ets, traps, etc. For the splendid four who stood be side me at the pole a boat and tent each to requite them for their energy and the hardship and toil they under went to help their friend Peary to the nortli pole. But all of this—the dearly bought years of experience, the magnificent strength of the Roosevelt, the splen did energy and enthusiasm of my party, the loyal faithfulness of my Eskimos —could have gone for naught but for the faithful necessaries of war fur nished so loyally by the members and friends of the Peary Arctic club. Thanks to Dsad Friend. And it is no detraction from the liv ing to say that to no single individual has the tine result been more signally due than to my friend, the late Morris K. Jesup. the first president of the club. Their assistance has enabled me to tell the last of the great earth stories, the Ftory the world has been waiting to hear for 300 years—the story of the discovery of the north pole ROBERT E. PEARY. JUT OF LIFE SAVING Wm. Henry, Champion Swimmer, Coming Over io Teach Us. He Is Founder of the Royal English Society Devoted to Rescuing the Drowning—Easy When You Know How, He Says. London.—Remarkable progress in the art of saving life front drowning I has been made borh in Europe and j America since the foundation IS years j ago of the English Royal Life Saving | society which first organ :::td this serv : ice to humanity. William Henry, the • founder of this famous society, le t England recently on a missionary visit to the United States and Canada. After visiting Montreal,'Quebec, Otta wa, Kingston and other Canadian cities, he will give lectures and illus trations of life saving in Buffalo, New York and other places in the United States. Mr. Henry is one of those enthusi asts whose zeal is infectious. Being in the happy position of financial inde pendence, he devotes most of his time to his hobby—life saving—and under his direction the society has grown from a small body in 1SH1. When it was founded, to embrace more than Ct-t) affiliated associations and clubs, num bering over 180,000 menthols. The governing authoriti - > -; bools, colleges and universities U gland ! all have come under his sway.. i!e lias i visited nearly ail the contin n. : court | tries and has established so. ies in Italy. Germany, Sweden, f and Finland. His methods oi lit- avir.a are being taught in the A a cdic.ii commonwealth. New Zealand. India, William Henry, Champion Life Laver, Who Is Coming to America. Malta, Egypt, the West Indies and South America; and now he is oil to the schools, colleges and cities of the N'orth American continent in search of converts and recruits. As a swimmer Mr. Henry is famous not only throughout the Ended King dom but also all over the continent of Europe. He was long-dtstan ,-e cham pion of England in 1899, K::;t water champion in 1899, and won the hr, saving competition at the Olympic games in Paris in 1900. Besides these he has taken part in numerous inter national competitions, winning priz* s in Austria, Belgium. Frame. Finland. Germany, Holland, Italy and Sweden until to-day he is the possessor i: more than 600 trophic; won in sui-., ming and life-saving contests. Every school in England which has a swimming club attached to i; tea. . life-saving as part of th- cnrrici.i , . Examinations are held bv the :v and certificates granted, and the g ,a; .progress made may be judged from ■the increase in the number or cenir cates awarded since these practical ex aminations were instituted • My object in going to America " said Mr. Henry just before ieuvh, Ixmdon, is to try and stimulate the heads of schools and colleges there to take up life saving and have i; taecn just as they teach ive children ’ to read. The importance of a know-led-, of thp best method to rescue ;>ar, n apparently drowned person ou-ht to be clear to everybody. ■ People get drowned in America just as they do in England; but hun dreds of lives would be saved if won' l be rescuers only knew how to ?0 ,u work. In every part of the world there are hundreds of abortive efforts at rescue every year. Frequently wv,r would have been a singie tragedy'u turned into a double one through the absence of a little knowledge on the part of the would-be helper Claire's Engagements. In a recent discussion of illiteracy \\illiam H. Maxwell, superintendent of New Yorks public schools, quoted an amusing letter. This letter, s. to one of Supt. Maxwell’s Brooklyn teachers, ran: ' u “Fren teacher, i do not dissire for Claire 'fehall ingage in Crammer, as T prefer her mgageing in yuseful stud dies, as i can learn her how to sn„k.. and write correctly myself, i v.lv„ went througi* two grammers ard th -- done no good. I preferr her y m French and drawin„ music on the pianna.” ’ " vok
