Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-09-11
Staunton vindicator.
FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT. II. 1891
LOCAL.
THE ONLY WOMAN
IN THE WORLD THAT HAS EVER
GONE ON AN ARCTIC EXPEDL-
TION.

For some months past, the Illustrated
papers have been filled with pictures of 1t.
Robt. E. Peary, U. S. n, and his wife,
who are now in the Arctic regions awaiting
the opening of spring to start out with
whale boats to find the northernmost lati-
tude Of Greenland. The fact that Mrs.
Peary is the first woman who has ever I'M
dertaken the priyations and perils of an
Arctic expedition, has given her a world
vide fame, and gives interest to anything
her. She is we'll known in
staunton and her mother is, with another
laughter, now spending the summer at
Buffalo Gap in Augusta county. On Mon
day last representative Of the VINDICA-
TOR called at the residence of Mrs. Peary's
aunt in this city, Mrs. T. 0. Heydenrich,
the widow OF former prominent citizen
OF Staunton, at No. 706 Frederick street,
and from her and her daughter, Miss Bertha,
obtained some information about her which
will be read with interest. Mrs Peary has
visited Staunton as the guest of
Mrs. Heydenrich and as Miss Josephine
Diebitsch, spent the summer of 1886 here,
being married to 1t. Peary the following
year. She is a striking looking, as well as
beautiful woman. Her height, five feet
nine inches, is unusual for woman-but
is carried with perfect grace. She is
blonde with brown hair and eyes and br1lli-
ant complexion. A photograph represents
her in evening dress, the dress having col
lar of Swansdown. Her hair has a fluffy
bang and at her neck is star of pearls She
is the daughter of Mrs. Heydenrich S sister,
Mrs. Magdelena Dibeitsch, the widow of
Herman Won Diebitsch, a Prussian noble
man, who was an officer in the Prussian
army and after coming to this country held
high positions in the scientific department
of the Smithsonian Institute and Observa-
tory at Washington. Mrs. Peary has two
sisters, and two brothers, one, Henry, on Il
Texas cattle ranch, and the other, Emil, in
the government engineering service in
South Carolina. Mrs. Diebitsch' S home is
Washington city, and it was there her
daughter Josephine became acquainted with
1t. Peary and in the congregational church
there that she was married to him. 1t.
Peary is by nature an explorer. Some years
ago he made a trip to Godhaven on Desert
Island and penetrated a long distance into
Greenland. Since that he has been haunt
ed with the belief that $50 North is the ex-
IRENE limit Of that land and he determined
to verify that belief. He is a man six feet
two inches high ofstriking appearance, and
Miss Bertha Heydenrich says that seeing
them in Washington about going to Presi-
Dental reception, he in his uniform and his
wife in evening dress, she thought it was
the most impressive looking couple she had
ever seen. His wife is entirely devoted to
him, and when by his own private means,
which are large, and the aid of the Phila-
delphia Academy Of Natural Sciences, it
had been made possible to undertake the
Her mother was at first opposed to it, but
1t. Peary assured her there would be no
danger. She underwent a medical eXami-
nation to test whether her physical strength
would be sufficient, and it was satisfactory.
She then had all her strange costumes for
similar to those worn by the male members
of the expedition. He was very enthusiasts
tic over her going and assured her mother
that Josephine would be as safe as she
would be in a Pullman sleeper
They sailed on June 9Th from Philadel-
ph1a in the ice ship Kite, aud besides their
own exploring party of five men, carried
about a dozen members, scientists, sent out
by the Academy Of Natural Sciences to in
vestigate the geology, botany and biology
of Western Greenland. This party of sci
enlist returned last Friday, leaving 1t.
Peary and bis wife and party in Greenland.
The returned party seem very apprehensive
about the fate of 1t. Peary and his party.
DR.. Kelley, one of them said:
'sEvery member of our party believe con-
siders the fate of Peary and the seven COM
panions he now has as most hazardous To
make the situation plain, he is now alb out 600
miles north of Upernavik, the Danish town
which trading vessels reach about once year.
His idea when we left him was to push sever
al hundred miles northward toward the Pole
and get back to Upernavik again by August
1, next. In the first place. north of Uperna-
vik stretches Melville Bay, which has always
baffled navigators. We in our little barken-
tine, the Kite were for three weeks packed in
the ice Of the bay, and had given up all hope
of getting through, when it finally opened up.
But we brought back the Kite with us, and
Peary will have to depend on his whaleboat
to get him south. The boat weighs about 800
pounds; he will have ton OF so OF freight to
carry, and with only six men and his wife to
manage it, it is safe to say the party will new
Ell get back through Melville Bay. The Lieu
tenants party is made up of good, hearty fell
lows, but they are men almost without excep-
tion who have never experienced Arctic life.
They must all depend on Peary, and should
anything happen to him 1 don't know what
VIII become of them.
"For several months, now, night Of pitchy
blackness rules straight ahead. 1t is so dark
his hut would be lost. During this season
the party will practically be shut up indoors.
Then the idea is to push north. AS to the ex-
petitions provisioning and fueling, l think it
is equipped for eighteen months OF two years.
The fuel is principally quantity of kerosene
which will be used in Oil stoves. There is no
fuel in the land. l never saw during all our
stay anything larger than small twig in the
way OF wood. 1t had been washed ashore.
Peary depends on shooting game up there for
meat supply, but we saw very little.
HBut suppose food and fuel hold out, the
journey back to standardization at Uperna-
vik is practically hopeless. That whaleboat
will be caught inextricably in the ice foes of
Melville Bay, and an insufficient and unskill-
full crew will be powerless to do anything.
The expedition is an awfully haphazard one.
"You may set it down as sure thing thata
relief expedition alone can bring Peary and
his party back. and the success of such an ex-