New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-11
A NEW ARCTIC QUEST.

n
Lieutenant peary's expedition to Northern
Greenland is ingeniously planned, and promises
TO enlarge the worlds stock of knowledge re-
snecting the Polar basin. He makes Whale
Sound at the entrance of Smith Strait, his base
Of operatons for sledging journey inland over
the ice cap to the northernmoSt point OF Oreeh-
land reached by Lockwoods and Bralnard III
1882. Landing in Prudhoe Land early IN
.Tulv. he expects to build winter quarters, lay
in a supply of provisions and fresh meat, anu
establish an advance depot near the Humpoldo
Glacier. With his seven associates he Will pass
the winter in fitting up sledges and travelling
CONTINENT and in snowshoe and skier pracuce.
Az soon as the spring opens five men will start
Nth tho sledqes and after passing Humboldt
Glacier will push on to the head OF Petermann
EYord a little south Of Captain Hairs winter
Quarters at Polaris Bay, and on the opposite
side of the channel from Greely's station at
Discovery Bay. Here tho party Will divide
after stocking second depot of supplies. Three
Of the five will return to Whale Sound While
the others advance toward Lockwood Island, in
Latitude SO degrees "a minutes, halting at
sberard, Osborne and De LoIig fjords to leave
nortions of their supplies for use in the return
march. In this way Lieutenant Peary expects
To reach the northernmost limit of Greenland
next year, and to establish the fact thai IL Is
an island
The chief advantage of this plan OF northern
campaigning is the avoidance OF the chances
of open water The progress OF Lockwood III MS
second sledge Journey was blocked at Cape BIy-
ant by the open sea, where year before there
was a solid mass of foe ice. BY going through the
interior of Greenland over the ice-cap Lleuten-
ant peary will escape the risk of detention by
exceptional conditions of the sea Ice. Inc as
lance To be travelled from headquarters Will be
much greater, since a long circuit Will nave 10
be made before the Humboldt Glacier can be
passed and Petermann Fjord reached; but
start can be made earlier in the year than Lock-
woods departure from Discovery Bay, and the
party will have a superior equipment IN the
Norwegian snowshoes and skier. Lieutenant
peary has had personal experience in the in
terror of Greenland in an expedition made from
Disk0 Bay, and. with such prachce as ne can
obtain during the winter, he may reasonably
hope to acquire extraordinary facility IN the
use Of the travelling snowsticks. II no untore-
seen accidents occur he will have every con-
sideration in favor of his making the highest
latitude ever reached by man, and in tracing
the northern trend of the coast to It's turtheSt
y. -
limit -,
Such expeditions as this are to be commended
as far more practical than the Norwegian prof.
ect of following in the track of the Jeanette
from Wrangell Island and drifting with the
ice toward the Pole and into the North At
lantic. Lieutenant Peary requires only the as
sstance of whaler to carry him to Nhaie
| Sound. and then he has an overland journey
before him, with the simplest and best equip
| ment for making it with small party. The
risks of Arctic travel are reduced to the lowest
point and the largest scientific results are prom
sed. The winter quarters are to be opened
where game is abundant, and where there Is
no chance of the repetition of the horrors OF
Starvation Camp at Cape Sabine. The danger
Gus passage of Smith Sound and Kennedy Chan
mel is avoided altogether. Whale Sound can be
readily reached under all known conditions OF
the ice in Batfin Bay, and it is base from
which in an emergency retreat can be made
to Upernavik. The cooperation Of Professor
Heiprin's band of scientific explorers has also
been secured for the first season, and every
thing is apparently arranged most favorably for
promoting the success of this new Arctic quest