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