The Portland daily press., 1891-04-15
pEARYS JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE
To Slide on sIedges and skate on
skIers Through Greenland.
Winter Up There Very Much Like
Winter In the Great West.
The Maine Explorer Explains His
Plans to New Workers.

NEW YORK, April 11.-LIeut. r, L. Peary,
c. E.. Of the United States Navy. who is GO
ing to explore the north coast of Greenland,
delivered lecture In ChIckerlng hall last
night before the American Geographical So
clety. He detailed the plans he had laid out
for the trip. The body Of the hall was filed.
Lieut.. Peary was introduced by President
DAILY of the society, who said he believed
that the expedition, which is soon to start,
had more chance Of getting at the north pole
than any ever yet attempted.
Lieut. Peary began his lecture by giving
brief history Of Greenland from It's discovery
in the year 900. Geographically and topo-
graphically, he said, Greenland had been a
land Of mystery and constant increasing in
terest every since its discovery. 1t had been
traced further toward the north pole than
any other land. He believed that its entire
| inter ior was submerged with ice and snow
which was constantly getting deeper. He
| told Of his trip In 1886, when. with one COM
panion. starting from Disco Bay, he travel
led nearly due east 100 miles into the Ice des-
ert and attained an altitude Of 1000 feet
above the sea level. This expedition. he
said. convinced him that an expedition might
safely explore the whole interior of the land
and the coast from the interior.
He would start, he said. with a party Of
hve or six at most, and would land In Green
land, at Whale Sound, early In July next.
The remainder OF the season would be spent
In putting up winter quarters and laying in
stores Of meat, making scientific collecti OLs,
making recOnnOissances Of the inland ice
and, IL the season Is favorable, In putting
up an advance station for supplies near the
southern angle Of Humboldt glacier. The
winter would be spent In making and fitting
sledges, In making sklers (the Norwegian
sn0wshoe) and In practiclnR with the skiers.
Ia early spring party OF four or five would
start overland on the Ice and snow for Hum
bolt glacier. One man would be left behind
to take care Of the supplies. III the weather
is good and travelling fair the party wouli
push on from Humbolt glacier, north ninety
miles, to Petermann Fjord, where another
supply depot would be built and two OF the
party be left to return by sledge and skiers
to Whale Sound. The other two or three
would push on to the head Of Sherard Os-
born Fjord and establish a third de-
head Of De Long FjOrd, establish
fourth depot, and from there 20 or to the
| extreme north coast, which the lieutenant
thought would be found to be In latitude $50.
| Ii the expedition was successful the two men
/ would start back for Whale Sound, and
| would take the first opportunity to get back
to New York. He thought the expedition
could accomplish It's purpose within two
Il years biuc. ne IuOuBnt the average uhhy
advance of the expedition in Greenland
| would be from 10 to 20 miles. The total dis
i tance to be travelled he estimated at 1919
i miles from Whale Sound and return, and
i that could be accomplished In GO days. The
| special advantages inland ice travel had over
| travel by water up the coast was that there
| would be practically level surface to travel
over and nothing could happen to cut OF the
retreat. There were no tides and no ice
bergs to crush the explorers. The one dis
| advantage lay In the storms, but against
| their fury snow pit is always at hand and
affords z safssu uidulausSs dluuSs "Once the Idea Is
grasped o. exp1orfug crsSa1a.Ss and over the
smooth INTERIOR" said the heutenzss-z. now
/ easy 1t is" = =
/ Under the head Of what was to be gained
| by the expedition, the lieutenant said that
the mystery Of the geography and topograpy
| OF the country would be solved. The north
pole might possibly be discovered, aud II IL
was not, the most practical route to II would
surely be found. He did not consider the
trip to be very dangerous one. The only
element feared was the exposure to cold, and
with an ample supply Of clothing. that was
| not thing to be feared. There were no
| wild beasts or venOmOuS reptiles to be en-.
1 countered, as there were In explorations In
tropical countries, and malaria and fever
| were unknown. The dangers he considered
| no greater and the discomforts no more than
would be encountered in northern Norway
or Siberia, or no more than Is experienced
| every winter in North Dakota and Montana.
| AT the end of the lecture stereopticon
views OF icebergs and natives Of Greenland
| were shown and explained by the lieutenant.
The expenses Of the forthcoming expedition
will be paid In part By the Philadelphia
/ Academy OF Sciences, and the American
Geographical Society, the National Geo
| graphical Society and other various scientific
bodies are also promoting the enterprise.