Lexington Leader. (Lexington, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 52, Ed. 1 Friday, September 17, 1909 Page: 3 of 8
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DISCOVERY OF THE POLE IS DESCRIBED BY PEARY
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 OF
THE NORTH POLE by Robert E.
Peary, Commander U. S. N., Copy-
right, 1909, by the New York Times
Company.
Peary Denies Cook Claim.
Rattle Htrbor, Labrador (via \tarronl
wireless. Cape Hay, N. F.>, Sept. 10. -Do
not trouble about Cook's story, or at-
tempt to explain any discrepancies in bis
■tatements. The affair will settle Itself.
He has not been al the pole on April
ft, 1908, or at any other time. He has
•imply handed the public a gold brick.
These statements nre made advisedly,
and I have proof of them. When be
makes a full statement of his journey
:>ver his signature to some geographical
society, or other reputable body, if that
Uatement contains the claim that lie has
reached the pole, I shall be in a posi-
tion to furnish material that may prove
llstlnctly interesting reading lor the pub-
| ;t;. ROBERT E. PEA It If.
Battle Harbor. Labrador (via Marco-
T.t -wireless. Cape Kay. N. F. >. Sept. 9.—-
The steamer Roosevelt, bearing the
north polar expedition of the l*eary
Arctie club, parted company with the
TCrlk inri steamed out of Etah ford late
n the afternoon of August IS. 1908.
•ettlng the usual course for Cape Sa-
bine The weather was dirty, with
freah southerly wind®. We had on
board Eskimo men, 17 women, and
JO •ehlle.rcn. 226 dogs, and some forty
<idd .ilrus.
We encountered the Ice a short dis-
tance from the mouth of the harbor,
nut It waa not < loaely packed, and waa
■icgotiated by the Roosevelt without
jerlous difficulty.
Find Much Water.
A.* "v neared Cape Sabine the weath-
r <*leared somewhat and wo passed by
Three Voort island and Cape Sabine,
easily making out with the naked eye
he bouse at Hayes harbor occupied by
aie in the winter of 1901-02.
From Cape Sabine north there was
/« miych water that we thought of set-
ting the lug sail before the southerly
wind but a little later appearance of
.ce to the northward stopped this.
Thwas clean open water to Cape
Albert, and from there scattered ice
10 a point about abreast of Victoria
H*ad thick weather and dense ice
bringing us some ten or fifteen miles
away.
From here we drifted south somewhat
«nd g«>t aslant to the northward
out of the current. We worked a little
further north and stopped again for
aorj . hours. Then w« again worked
■we.. '■ wa rd and northward till we
reaeh-d a series of lakes, coming to a
stop h few miles south of the Wind-
ward's winter quarters at Cape l>ur-
vill'*.
From here, after some delay, we
flowlv worked a way northeastward
through fog and broken ice of medium
thickness through one night and the
for- noon 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
throegh 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
wot k.rig along In search of a pfnetl-
i abi * opening were forced across * to
the Greenland coast at Thank God
Harbor.
The fog lifted there and enabled us
10 make out our whereabouts and we
strained north through a series of leads
past Cape Lupton. and thence south-
ward toward Cape Union. A few miles
off that cape we were stopped by im-
practicable iee. and wc drifted back
south to Cape Union, where we stopped
again.
Ship Forced Aground.
"Wp lay for some time in a lake of
water and then, to prevent being drift-
ed south again, took refuge under the
north shore ot Lincoln bay. in nearly
the identical place where we had our
unpleasant experiences three years be-
fore Here we remained for severt-al
days during a period of constant and
at times violent northeasterly winds.
Twice we were forced aground by
the heavy ice;- we had our port quar-
ler rail broken and a hole stove in the
bulwarks, and twice we pushed out in
nn 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
nhalhov 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
s'reum of open water, founded Cape
Raw son fcnd passed Cape Sheridan.
■ Within a quarter of an hour of the
same, time we arrived three years before
-seven' a. m., September 5--we reached
the open water extending beyond Cape
Sheridan.
We steamed up to the end of It and It
appeared practicable at first to reach
portet bay. near Cape Joseph Henly,
which I had for my winter quarters, but
the outlook being unsatisfactory, I went
back and put the Roosevelt into the
only opening ill the Hoe, being barred
close to the mouth of the Sheridan riv-
#r a little north of our position three
years prior.
Put Up for Winter.
The season was further advanced than
In lf«V>, there was more snow on the
ground and the new ice inside the floe
bergs was much thicker
'Uhe work • of discharging the ship was
commenced at once ami rushed to com-
pletion The supplies and equipment we
•ledged across Ice and sea and deposited
• shore. A house and workshop were
American Explorer's Own Story of His Thrilling and Successful
Dash to the Absolute Apex of the Earth.
built of board, covered with sails, -end
fitted with stoves, and the ship was
snug for winter in shoal water. Where it
touchnd bottom at low tide.
The sottk inent on the stormy shores of
the Arctic ocean was christened liub-
bardvlile.
Hunting parties were sent out on Sep-
tember 10 and a bear was brought In on
the 12th and some deer a day or two
later.
Prepare for Sledge Trip.
On September 15 the rail work of trans-
ferring supplies to Cape Columbia was
inaugurated. Marvin with I>r. Good-
sall and Korup and the Eskimos, took 10
sledge loads of supplies to Capo Belknap
and on the 27th the same party started
wl h loads to Porter bay.
Tho 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-
Ian 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
eight or 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
Clernants Markham inlet, and returned
to the ship in seven days with 15 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
Cape Heela, Coodsall movod some more
supplies from Ilecla to Cape Colan, and
Borup went to Markham inl. t on a hunt-
ing trip. On* February 15 Bartlett left
the Roosevelt with his division for Capo
Columbia and Parr bay.
(ioodsall, Borup, MacMillan and Han-
sen followed on successive days with
their provisions. Marvin returned from
Cape Bryant on February 17 and 1- ft f' r
Cape Columbia on February 21. I brought
up the rear on February 22.
The total of all divisions leaving the
Roosevelt was seven members < f tho
party, 09 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 tho sledges and other guar over-
hauled.
Four months of northerly winds during
tho fall and winter instead of souther-
ly ones, as during the previous season,
led mo 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 his 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 1 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 1 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 wo
passed, the British record made by Mark-
ham in May, 1876—82.20—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 the iee. .
'Marvin came back also for' more fuel
and alcohol. The wind continued, form-
ing open water all about us. At the end
j 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 5 the sun, red and
shaped like a football by excessed re-
flection, just raised Itself above the hori-
zon for a few minutes and then disap-
peared again. It was the first time I hud
seen it sine?. 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
had 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 the latter.
Fortunately, on March 11 the lead was
practicable and, leaving a note for Mar-
vin and Borup to push on after us by
forced marches, we proceeded northward.
Tho sounding of the lead gave 110
fathom?.
During this march we crossed the
eighty-fourth parallel and traversed a
succession of just frozen leads, from a
few hundred yards to a milo in width.
This march was really simple.
On tho 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
oti the march In the rear. The temper-
ature whh 59 below zero.
The following morning, March 15, I sent
Hansen with his division north to pio-
neer a trail tor five marches, and Dr.
Upodsell, according to the program, start-
ed back to Cape Columbia.
MacMillan Turns Back.
Goal of Centuries Reached By Marvelously Swift
Travel, Smooth Ice and Mild Weather
Helping—Sensations of Intrepid
Commander at Climax of
His Life Work.
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 .ill anxiety a* to our oil supply..
In the morning I discovered that Mac-
Mi Hall's fool 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
(.'ape Columbia at once. The arrival of
Marvin and Borup enabled me to sp ire |
sufficient men and dogs to go back with
him.
On leaving 'he camp the expedition
comprised Hi men, 12 sledges and 100 dDgs.
The next mar h was satisfactory as re-
gards distance and the character of the
going. In tho latter part there were
pronounced movements in the tec, both
visible and audible.
Some leads were crossed, in one of
which Borup and his team took bath,
and we were finally stopped 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 party In
camp, mending their sledges. We de-
voted the remainder of the day to over-
hauling and mending sledges and break-
ing up our damaged ones for material.
Make Forced Marches.
The next morning I put Marvin in the
lead to pioneer the trail, with Instruc-
tions t« make two forced marches to
bring up our average which had been
cut down by the last two short ones.
Marvin carried eut his Instructions im-
plicitly. A considerable amount of young
ice assisted in this.
At the end of the tenth march, latitude
ST).23. Borup turned back in command of
the second supporting party, having trav-
eled a distance equivalent to Nansen's
distance from this far to his farthest
north.
1 was sorry to lose this young Vale
runner, with his enthusiasm and pluck.
He had led his heavy sledge over the
Hoes in a way that commanded every-
one's admiration and would have made
his father's eyes glisten.
Changes His Plan.
From this point the "expedition com-
prised 20 men, 10 sledges, and 70 doga. It
was necessary for Marvin to take a
shdge from here, and I put Bartlett
and his division in advance to pioneer
the trail.
Tho continual daylight enabled me to
make a moderation here that brought my
advance and main parties closer together
and reduced the likelihood of their be-
ing separated by open leads
After Bartlett left camp with Hender-
son and their division, Marvin and 1 re-
mained with our division 20 hours long-
er and then followed. When we reached
Bartlett's camp he broke out and went
on and we turned in. By this arrange-
ment the advancu party was traveling
while the main party was asleep, an
vice versa, and I was In touch with my
advance party every 24 hours.
Moves Expeditiously.
I had no reason to complain of the
going for tho next two marches, though
for a less 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 inarch, Marvin obtained a satisfac-
tory sight for latitude in clear weather,
which placed us at 8S.48. The result
agreed satisfactorily with the dead reck-
oning of Marvin, Bartlett and myself.
Vp to this time, the flight altitude of
the sun had made it not worth while to
waste time in observations.
On the next two man lies the going Im-
proved, and we covered good distances.
In one of these marches a lead delayed
us a few hours. We finally ferried across
the ice cakes.
Makes Record Run.
The next day Bartlett let himself out,
evidently, for a record, and reeled ofT 20
miles. Here Marvin obtained anothei
satisfactory sight on latitude, which gave
the position as 86.38 (or beyond the farth-
est north of Na.nsqn and Abruzzi), and
showed that we had covered f>u minutes
of latitude in three marches.
In these three marches we had passed
tho Norwegian record of St.. 11, 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 were; "Be care-
ful of the leads, my boy."
The party from this point comprised
nine men, seven sledges, and 60 dogs.
The conditions at this camp and the ap-
parently unbroken expanse of fairly level
Ice In every direction reminded me of
Cagni's d scrlption of his farthest north.
Danger Is Encountered.
But I was not deceived by the appar-
ently favorable outlook, fbr available
conditions never continue for any dis-
tance or any length of time in the arc-
tic regions.
The next- march was over go6d • go-
ing. but for the first time since leaving
land we experienced that condition, fre-
quent over these Ice fields, of a 'h&sy at-
mosphere. In which the light is equal
everywhere. All r« lief Is destroyed, and
it Is impossible to* see for* any distance.'
We were obliged in this march" to make1
a detour around an open lead. In the
next march we encountered ttye h say lest
and deepest snow of th> jqurpey. iTirdhglh.-
a thick, smothering mantle lying in the
depressions of heav>* rubble ice.
Temporarily Discouraged.
I ciune'upon Quj'tlett and his. partly
fagged out and temporarily discouraged
by tho heartracking work of making
road.
I knew what was the matter w^tFi
them. They were simply Spoiled'by. the
good going on the previous marches. I
rallied them a bit, lightened their sledges
and sent them vn encouraged again
During the next march we traveled
through a thick haze drifting «*'er tho
Ice before a biting air from tho north-
east. At the end Qf tho maVqh we came
upon the captain camped 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 last hit. He let him-
self out over a st ries of large old Hoes,
steadily increasing In diameter and
covered with hard snow.
the 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. Cireumstanc. s
had thrust the brunt of the pioneering
upon him instead of dividing it among
soveral. as l 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 Uoosev. lt;
second, because he had cheerfully stood
between me and many trilling annoy-
ances on the expeditions.
Then there was a third reason. It
seemed to mo 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 tho pole.
and we were on our way once more
and across the eighty-ninth parallel.
This march duplicated Mlo- pr v ious
one as to weather and going. Th last
few hours it was on young ice and ot
casionall.v the dogs were galloping.
Wo made twenty-five miles or more,
the air. the sky. and the bitter wind
burning th« faco till it cracked, it was
like <! • great Interior ice gap of
Greenland Even the natives com-
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, mm we
were all In need of It Then on again.
Up to tho time, with each suce.-salvo
march, our fear of an impassable lead
had lnere.i-4.-ti 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 catch my breath with relief nl\
to find myself hurrying on in the same
way at the next one.
But on ti.is march, by some strange
shift ol feeling, this fear fell from me
completely. Tho weather was thick, but
it gave m.* no uneasiness.
Befon i turned in i took an observa-
tion which indicated our position us Wi
degrees minutes.
A rise In temperature to 1." degrees be-
low reduced tho friction of the sledge*
and gave the dogs the appearance of
having caught the spirits of the party.
Th more sprightly ones, as they went
along with tightly curled tails, frequent-
ly tossed their heads, with short, sharp
barks and yelps.
In 12 hours we had made 40 miles.
There was no sign of a lead In the
march.
the fifth, and at the big lead lost It
finally.
Eskimos Wild with Joy.
From here we followed the captain *
trail, and on April 23 our sledges
passed up the vertical edge of the
glacier fringe, a little west of Capo
Columbia.
When the last sledge came up I
thought my Bskimos had gone crazy.
They yelled and called and danced
themselves helpless As Ootah sat down
on his sledge lie remarked. In Eskimo:
The devil is asleep or having trouble
with his wifr, or we nev r should have
come back so easily
A few hours later we arrived at
Cr.ine «'it>. umh-r tho bltifTs of Cape
Columbia, and. after putting four
pou.ifts of pemmlean into <-ach of the
j faithful doga to keep them quiet ws
had. at last, our chance to sleep.
Pole Reached at Last.
a nd
I had now made my five
was in time for a hasty noon observation
through a temporary break in the clouds,
which indicated our position as K9.57. 1
quote uti entry from my journal some
hours latet :
The pole at last. The prize of three
cent uiies. my dream and goal for "0
With the disappearance of Bartlett I ■ years, mine at last. I cannot bring uiv
turned to the problem before me. This 1 *,.lf to reallz* it.
was that for which I had worked for it ail - ere so simple and common-
years. for which I had lived the simple j piUc« . As Bartlett said when turning
k, when speaking of his being
Ready for Final Effort.
these exclusive regi
has ever penetrated befor
life, for which l had conserved all my
energy ori the upward trip; for which
I had trained myself as for a race, crush-
ing down every worry about success.
In spite of my years, 1 felt in trim -
fit for the demands of the coming days I made sleep imp
and eager to be on the trail. j rny utter l'atigui
As for my party, my equipment, and tine but I l av.- no
my supplies, 1 was in shape beyond my j The first 30 hour
whii
coins
had
the
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 Tried and True.
h no mortal
"It 1. just
my sensations that
I.- for hours, despite
sensations of a life-
room for them' here.
• 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 Hags,
depositing my records, studying the hori-
zon with mv telescope for possible land,
and searching for a practicable place to
Four of them possess the technique of ! make a sounding.
Ten hours after our arrival the clouds
cleared before a light bre< ze from our
dogs, sledges, ice. and cold as their heri-
tage. Two of them. Hansen and Ootam.
were rny companions to the farthest point
three years before. Two others, Eginwuk
•vp 1 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.
Ail had blind confidence so long as !
I was with them, and gave no thought j
for the morrow, sure that whatever hap-
pened I should somehow got them back
to land. But 1 dealt with the party
equally. I recognized that all It 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 the 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 1 climbed the pressure ridge back
of our igloos I set another hole In my
belt, the (hlr,d since 1 started. ..Every
man and dog of us was lean and fiat
bellied as a board and as hard.
Fine Morning for Start.
It was a fine morning. The wind of
ttie last two days had subsided, and the
going was the best.and most equable
of any !• had had yet. The fioes were
large and old. and clear, and were sur-
rounded by pressure ridgt s, some of
which were almost stupendous'
The biggest of the'm. however, were
easily negotiated, either through some
crevice or up some huge brink. I swt.
a good pace for about ten hours-.
Twenty-live miles took me well be-
yond the eighty-eighth parallel..
While I' Xvus. pjuijding : my \-\£lq<Vs ,/i,
long lead forward by the east and
southwest of us at a distance of a few
miles.
Few Handicaps Are. Raced.-
A'few hours' sleep and we Were on
the trail again. As the going was now
practicality horizontal we- were u«/i
ho*npereid and could travel as long
w e pleased and' Sleep' £ts 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 iiut down our distance. •. But
we had made 20 miles in ten hours and
were half way to the eighty-ninth
parallel.
Going improves on Way.
Wind Helps Out.
During the last few miles I walked
beside him or In advance. He was sol-
emn and anxious to go 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.
Bartllett Did Good Work.
When he left I felt for a moment
pangs of regret as he disappeared in
ft-
li ours sleep
He midnight.
Again there waa
and we hit the ti
The weather ami ,r ng were even let
t r. Tlu surface, except as interrupted
by infrequent ridges, was as lev I as
the glacial fringe from Ilecla to Colum-
bia, and harder
We marched something over ten
hotjrs. the dog.; being often on tne trot
and made 20 miles. Near th. end of
the march we rushed across a lead 100
yards wide, which buckled under our
siedges and 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
left and from that time until our depar-
ture in the afternoon of April 7 the
weather was cloudless and llawlesp.
The minimum temperature during the
30 hours was W below, the maximum 12.
Wo had reached the goal, In11 tie re-
turn was still before us. It was essential
that we reach the land before tho next
spring tide, and we must strain every
nerve to do this.
I had a bri. f talk with my men. From
now on It was to be a big travel, little
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 lunch on
In the igloos, then cover another march,
eat and sleep a few hours, and repeat
this dally.
Double Speed on Return.
As a matter of fact, we nearly dl«l
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 peed, and
wo 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
* hlch caused me considerable uneasi-
ness. Twelve hours of strong easterly,
westerly, or northerly wind would
make this region an open sea.
Ill the afternoon of the 7th we 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 tho polo a narrow
crack filled with recent ice. through
which we were able to work a hole
with a pickax, enabled me to make a
sounding. All my#wire. l.." oo fathom
waa 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 mdre 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 da sited over it.
Little Trouble in Leads.
• South of where Marvin had turned
back 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 byiAan open lead and obliged to
camp.
Fortunately the movement of th.so
leads was simply open and dint, and it
took considerable w ater motion to fault
the trail seriously.
While the captain. Marvin, and ns I
found .ater Borup. had !• en delayed
by iipeii leads, we seemed to b« ar a
charm and with n
delayed more thai
Sometime.- the ice Was
enough t<> carry us a< r<
a short detour, sometim
for the lev,i u dow.*, son
pro • I*ed f rr\ on an b
trail without difficulty
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, caugRtover with young
Here again fortune favored us, and
no pronounced movement of the ic%
having taken place sinew tho captain
passed, we had his trail to follow. We
picked up the old trail again north of
the ssventh igloos, followed it beyond
ngle lead were u®
Couple of hours,
ras fa.st ind firm
>tn> times
'*lef halt
s an iin-
kept the
Sleep Finally in Safety.
Never shall 1 forget that sleep at Cape
Columbia. It was sleep, sleep, then turn
over and sleep again. W> slept glorlou*
Iv, with never a thought of the morrow
or having to walk and, too, with no
thougl t that there was to be never
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 < lot he* Then for tho ship
< >ur dogs, like ourselves, bad not been
hungry when we arrived, but simply life-
less with fatigue. They were different
animals now, aial the better ones among
them swept on with tightly < uried tail-
and uplifted heads and their hind legs
treading the snow with plstonllko regu
larity
Shocked by Marvin's Death.
We readied Heela In one march and
the Roosevelt In anothei. When w«
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 w*
all hail been subjected, for there was not
one of ii.-) hut had been In the sledge at
some time during the Journey.
The big lead, cheated of Its prey three
years before, had ut last gained its hu
man victim.
The rest can be told quickly. McMillan
and Borup had started for the tlreen
land coast to deposit caches for me. Be
fore I arrived a living Hskltno courier
from me overtook them with Instruction*
that the caches were no longer needed
and th. y were to concentrate their ener
gles 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 th*
Roosevelt left Its winter quartern an I
was driven out into the channel back of
Cape Nlon.
It fought Its way south In the center
of the channel and passed <'ape Sabine
on August K. or 39 days earlier than In
1908. and 32 days earlier than the British
expedition in 1870
We picked up Whitney and his party
and stores at Etah. Wo killed seventy-
odd walrus for my Eskimos, whom T
landed at their homes. We met the
jeanle off Saunders island and took over
Its coal and cleared from Cape York on
August 20, one month earlier than in
1900.
Praise for His Aids.
As to the personnel, I have atfain been
particularly fortunate, ('apt Bartlett is
Just Bartlett tireless, sleepless, enthusl
astic. whether on tljo bridge or in the
crow's nest or at tho head of a sledge
division In the field.
Pr. Goodsell, the surgeon of the expe
dltlon. not only looked after Its health
and his own specialty of microscopes but
took his full share of the field work of
the expedition as well, ami was always
ready for any work
Profs. Marvin and McMillan have se-
cured a mass «>f scientific data, having
made all the tidal and most of the field
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
nev, but to his asistance and his expert
knowledge of photography is due what
I believe to be the unequaled series of
photographs taken bv tho expedition.
Chief Engineer Wardwell. also of
the .last expedition, aided by his as
slstarit. Scott, kept the machinery up
to a high state of offlciwncy and has
given the Roosevelt the force and pow
er which enabled It to negotiate appar-'
ently impracticable ice.
Mr Gushue, the mate, who 'was !n:
charge of the Roosevelt during the ab
sence of ('apt. Bartlett and rnVself. and
Boatswain Murphy, who was p.ut . iu
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 cr« w and the
firemen were a distinct improvement
over those of our last expedition. Every
one of them was willing and anxious
to he of service. In every possible way.
Connors, who was promoted to be
bos'ti in the absence of Murphy, proved
to be practically effective.
Barnes, seaman, and Wiseman and
Joyce, firemen, not only as.siste-1 Win
vin arid McMillan in their tid>« and
meteorological observations oi <he
Roosevelt, but Wis. man and ft^ri.fS
went Into the field with them on She.*
trips to i'ape Columbia, and C «ndoj
and -Cody covered 1.000 mil^s hu^tlon*
and sledging supplies
Supplies Left for Eskimo*.
As for Hiy faithful Eskimos. I gave
left them with ample supplies of -4ark.
rich walrus meat and blubber for their
winter, with currants' .sugar, bisruits.
guns, rifies. ammunition, knives, hatch-
ets, Irivps. .etc.
For the splendid four who ft too* be-
side me at the pole a boat and Sent
each to requite them for their en rgy
and the hardship and toll they under-
went to help their friend Peary to th*
north pole.
But all of this th- dearly bought
years of Experience, "the tnagnifii«ne
, h ol t1' elt, tho splan
'lid energy ami enthusiasm of my pa-ty
the loyal faithfulness of my Eskimos
; could have gone for naught but for
j the faithful necessaries of war lur
nlslied so loyally by the members und
! friends of the Peary Arctic club.
Thanks to Dead Friend.
And it Is no detraction from the rv
ing to say that to no single Individ tal
has the fine 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 o.' the great earth storl «a.
the atory the world ha# been waiting
to hear for 300 years the story of
the discovery of the north pole.
ROBERT E. PEARY.
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Fox, J. O. Lexington Leader. (Lexington, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 52, Ed. 1 Friday, September 17, 1909, newspaper, September 17, 1909; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc110381/m1/3/?q=Hughes: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.